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Umineko no Naku Koro ni

うみねこのなく頃に

Titles
うみねこのなく頃に
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
Когда плачут чайки
Kogda plachut chajki
海猫鸣泣之时
Haimao Mingqi zhi Shi
AliasesWhen They Cry 3, When The Seagulls Cry
Play timeVery long (76h2m from 440 votes)
Developer07th Expansion
Publishers07th Expansion & Hobibox & Alchemist & KAGA CREATE & Aibee & MangaGamer & ENTERGRAM & 07th-Mod
MangaGamer & Witch Hunt & anonl & Tweaking Umineko Wiki & 07th-Mod & Umineko Project
MMR Liuxuan Dao Diaochadui & Supa'ersha Hanhuazu & Ri Bu Luo Hanhuazu
snow030 & Ri Bu Luo Hanhuazu
07th Drill & 07th Inquisition & 07th Universe
Ars Magica & Beyond The Ataraxia & Majotachi no Sub
Visual Test & Darkness Executives
Honyaku-Subs & VaYurik & Umineko Project & Eiserne Jungfrau
Knox Translations
UVNT
Relations
Alternative version

[unofficial] Eva no Majo

Shares characters

[unofficial] Cradle[Dolly's Dreaming Awakening "Cradle Song"]

[unofficial] Saikoukyuu Inran Kagu ~Umineko no ○ku Koro ni~

[unofficial] Huangjin de Nizhuan

[unofficial] When Glitch Cry

[unofficial] Turnabout of the Golden Witch

[unofficial] Danganronpa Forge:Re

[unofficial] Umineko: Letter to the Golden Witch

[unofficial] Purgatory of the Golden Witch

[unofficial] Forget the Golden Witch

[unofficial] Rekai's Umitober 2023 Compilation: VN Edition

Fandisc

[unofficial] Umineko no Naku Koro ni Musu

Sequel

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru

Same series

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

LinksWikidata, MobyGames, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, VGMdb, VGMdb, ACDB, HowLongToBeat, IGDB, VNStat
Shopssponsored links» US$ 24.95 @ MangaGamer
» US$ 24.95 @ MangaGamer
» US$ 179.99 @ PlayAsia (bundle)
» US$ 26.99 @ PlayAsia (partial)
» US$ 27.99 @ PlayAsia (bundle)
» US$ 41.99 @ PlayAsia (partial)
» US$ 61.99 @ PlayAsia
» US$ 62.99 @ PlayAsia (bundle)
» US$ 91.99 @ PlayAsia (bundle)
Related anime[DB-ANN] Umineko no Naku Koro ni (TV Series, 2009)

Description

Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place in 1986 on October 4 and 5 on a secluded island called Rokkenjima (六軒島). The head of a wealthy family named Ushiromiya Kinzou, who lives on and owns Rokkenjima, is near death, and eleven of his family members arrive on the island to discuss how Kinzou's assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are five of Kinzou's servants and his physician. After the eleven family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island and shortly after, people get mysteriously murdered.

[Edited from The Witch Hunt]

Battle of Wits 3.0 Cousin Support Character 3.0 Demonic Contract (Non Sexual) 3.0 Fantasy 3.0 Hotblooded Protagonist 3.0 Lip Sync 3.0 Major Antagonist 3.0 Murder Mystery 3.0 Protagonist's Sister as a Support CharacterS 3.0 SummoningS 3.0 Unreliable NarratorS 3.0 Single Ending 3.0 Kinetic Novel 2.9 NVL 2.9 Western-style Manor 2.9 No Sexual Content 2.8 Ambient Sounds 2.8 Colored TextsS 2.8 ConfinementS 2.8 Family 2.8 ADV 2.8 Open Ending(s)S 2.8 Time LoopS 2.8 Detective Work 2.8 Island 2.8 MagicS 2.8 Protagonist with a Face 2.8 Death of HeroS 2.8 Witch HeroineS 2.8 Mass MurderS 2.8 Proactive Protagonist 2.8 Unavoidable Hero DeathS 2.8 Villainous HeroineS 2.7 Character Profiles 2.7 Death of ProtagonistS 2.7 Death of HeroineS 2.7 Linear Plot 2.7 Desperation 2.7 Episodic Story 2.7 Protagonist with Voice Acting 2.7 Descriptions of Violence 2.6 Fear of DeathS 2.6 Philosophy 2.6 Male Protagonist 2.6 Thriller 2.6 Violence 2.6 Alternate DimensionsS 2.6 80's 2.5 Suspense 2.5 DemonsS 2.5 ParanoiaS 2.5 Photographic Backgrounds 2.5 Varied Title Screens 2.5 Protagonist with a Sprite 2.4 Drama 2.4 Bloody Scenes 2.4 Traditionalist Family 2.3 Butterflies 2.3 Built-in Encyclopedia 2.3 MetafictionS 2.3 Genre ShiftS 2.2 Multiple Protagonists 2.2 Rain 2.2 Mind ScrewS 2.2 The Seven Deadly SinsS 2.1 BetrayalS 2.1 No Event CGs 2.1 Magic/ESP CombatS 2.0 Charming Protagonist 2.0 Child Support Character 2.0 Cook Support Character 2.0 Forbidden LoveS 2.0 Inter-class RomanceS 2.0 Lots of Character Sprites 2.0 Maid Support Character 2.0 Non-sexual Child AbuseS 2.0 Butler Support Character 2.0 Pretending HeroineS 2.0 Flashback 1.9 Domestic Violence 1.9 Maid Heroine 1.8 Natural Disaster 1.8 RomanceS 1.7 Combat with Bladed WeaponsS 1.7 Autumn 1.7 Student Heroine 1.7 Combat with FirearmsS 1.6 Unavoidable Heroine DeathS 1.5 Horror 1.5 Heroine with Tattoo 1.5 Child AbuseS 1.5 Fictional Modern Day Japanese Island 1.5 BullyingS 1.4 Third-person Narrative 1.4 Breaking the Fourth WallS 1.4 Spontaneous Power-upsS 1.4 Roses 1.3 Other Perspectives 1.3 Destiny 1.3 Graphic Violence 1.1 Father Support Character 1.0 Shota Support CharacterS 0.8 UtsugeS 0.4 Childishly Violent HeroineS 0.3 ParodyS 0.3

Mini reviews

By silvercover on 2020-09-06Vote: 10
<report>From what seems like your standard murder mystery on an isolated island, starts to get a whole lot more complicated and tricky as you progress through each episode. Ryukishi puts a spin on your typical murder mystery story and will let you see that genre in a different way now. You will begin to question what is really going on and really have your intelligence be tested.

A lot of great characters to follow through, almost everyone is given depth here especially since the perspectives shifts along several of them throughout the story. It also has one of the best and most varied soundtracks I've ever heard, you will come to definitely love some of them at least. Make sure you apply the PS3 patch/mod to hear voices and have the better art style.
0 comments 7 points
By leulight on 2021-03-15Vote: 6
<report>Ryukishi's writing style i.e. prose in Umineko is weird to say the least, drags on for way too long, and is pretty damn unengaging during many conversations, this is the most prevalent in episode 4. The character writing is great for the MOST part, Voice acting is great, though sometimes hilariously overexaggerated, so is the presentation at times, and I fail to take those moments seriously. Some questionable portrayal of it's themes. Some stupid moments here and there. But overall it's a good VN, though, quite underwhelming given it's rating on vndb.

The recontextualization with Chiru is great, but that doesn't change the fact that this VN was not that enjoyable to read for the most part and some major issues still remain.

(Read with 07th Expansion Patch)
2 comments 2 points
By otomeleech on 2021-04-04Vote: 10
<report>In Umineko the gameplay is not necessary, it is only necessary to read and enjoy the story, without making decisions. But that does not mean that you are not going to use your mind even in quiet moments where everything seems to be going well, because once you see how things happen in this game, you are going to ask yourself, what will be next? How will it happen? Who did it? Who is right in this eternal debate?

I highly recommend it, and don't be scared by how long the game is, once you immerse yourself in the story, you will wish it was longer.
0 comments 2 points
By okimbluecat on 2022-07-07r80848Vote: 7
<report>My final score is a combined score for episodes 1-8. I think the insanity that this game delivers really pays off (for the most part), but you should also erase any prior conceived notions you had about Umineko being a murder mystery before reading. When I first started reading I knew nothing about Umineko, and I found myself losing interest. Once I put myself in the mindset that this is a fantasy novel I started to enjoy it a lot more.

The voice acting and music are the two major saving graces for this VN, otherwise I think a lot of the charm is lost. The characters are pretty good, I like seeing all of the different sides of them, bad and good. Story is pretty "alright," I think Ryukishi07 latched onto one theme too hard and became overly preachy in the end though. I'm gonna miss Erika.
4 comments 1 point
By osgood on 2021-04-30Vote: 1
<report>This review only covers the 4 Question episodes.
This VN is so filled with pointless fluff that I ended up being bored about 75% of the time. There is a good story in there somewhere, but some of the scenes are completely pointless and dragged out for way too long.
The action scenes are the worst. I also found it to be not bingeable because of what I just described, while I can see its appeal I guess this type of VN just is not for me.
0 comments 0 points
By PhantomSonzai on 2021-06-16Vote: 9
<report>Umineko is nothing short of a masterpiece. The mystery is easily the most ambitious and complex that I have ever seen in a VN, despite having such a large cast almost every single main character is well developed and interesting, the atmosphere is excellent, the soundtrack is (in my opinion) by far the best in any VN, and the overall presentation of the visuals is also excellent (make sure you either apply the 07th Mod (patch for the Steam release) or use Umineko Project (port of the PS3 version to PC) in order to get the absolutely amazing PS3 sprites and voice acting which improve the experience greatly). There are definitely some pacing issues and the length may intimidate some people, but Umineko is something that deserves to be experienced by everyone who's interested in mystery VNs.
0 comments 0 points
By marshmelio on 2021-08-19r41342Vote: 3
<report>wow it's bad. Chapter 1: good atmosphere, engaging but nothing noteworthy. Chapter 2: boring. Chapter 3: mid with good moments. Chapter 4: Absurdly good, carries this , but the tea party right at the end ruins the perfect ending by being boring. OST slaps. Definitely not looking forward to Chiru. "And then there were none" is a infinitely better read.
4 comments 0 points
By Almira-Junny on 2023-07-24Vote: 8.5
<report>A solid classical visual novel for mystery-fantasy fan.
Pros: The atmosphere is great. Every chapters contain some very good moments. Ost slaps harder than my mom slapped me. Very intriguing mystery, highly recommend trying to solve it. Some characters are brilliantly written, other are ok. Storytelling is unique and complex.
Cons: Some conversations is dull and dragged too long. Pacing sometimes has problem.
P/s: Some people said that mystery in this VN sucks and makes no sense . Hell no, you just suck at solving mystery or you didn't even bother of thinking when reading it. After 4 chapters, i can make theory about 80% of all riddles with a few notes when reading. For fellow readers: Do your best, don't give up, don't stop thinking and you can make it.
0 comments 0 points
By bananaboy963 on 2023-02-15Vote: 9
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0 comments 0 points
By LiljaTheRobin on 2024-03-08Vote: 8
<report>✔️ Played on Steam Deck, it works fine (09/03/2024). 'R2' button to advance text and touchscreen for starting menu.

This is a story with one of the strongest female casts I've read so far. It think it has some pacing issues in the second half and specially in last episode which feels unnecessarily long. Still, it's a great mystery vn with really charismatic characters and a pretty unique format in my opinion.
0 comments 0 points
By theaugusthail on 2021-09-01Vote: 9.5
<report>Umineko is an emotional rollercoaster, appearing as a murder mystery story before revealing itself to be fantasy thriller drama, only held back by its massive length.

Carried by its exhilarating leads, Umineko's first half is packed with battle of wits that engages you on the nature of the murder: human means or witch magic. Murders aside, Umineko is also an intimate family drama about inheritance and love--which also becomes the center-point of the mystery.

The 07th Mod pack is a MUST install to display Umineko at its finest, with improved visuals and voice work.

Full Video Review: link
0 comments 0 points
By Doriusse on 2023-04-09r75516Vote: 10
<report>It was my second visual novel after finishing Tsukihime (Arcueid's true ending).

At first, it was really hard for me to get into it because I wasn't used to long visual novels. However, after the first episode, I got really attached to the series. The music is what stood out to me the most, so you can expect some great soundtracks!

After finishing the question arc, I didn't regret spending almost 80 hours on it. I'm almost done with the answer arc too! The only part I didn't like was Battler's perverted side, but for the most part, he's an amazing character. If you like mysterious stuff, then you should give it a try. So my verdict is... It's amazing! One of the best things I've read!
0 comments 0 points
By drasticactions on 2023-10-01Vote: 2
<report>I could not finish this game due to the poor writing. Got through the first chapter/arc and found it to be very tedious. Everyone has to go over the same points over and over again while they argue, and then Battler has to repeat that all in an inner monologue. The story clearly foreshadows what is going to happen and then that's exactly what happens. I really wanted to like this story, and I don't think the idea of it is horrible. I just really think it needs a lot of editing , I'd be willing to try an abridged version where everyone isn't a huge windbag. I couldn't get very far in the second chapter/story/arc as it felt more slice of life and the relevance to the plot was not clear. I played at least 20 hours and it wasn't worth it to keep going
0 comments 0 points
By ignor on 2023-12-19r41618Vote: 10
<report>It's Ryukishi, so it's GOD TIER. I love Higurashi more, but Umineko is FANTASTIC! It's just have EVERY ganre that human can imagine - romantic, mystic, mystery, fantasy, horror, gore, drama, tragedy, comedy in one novel. Everyone will find at least something interesting in it.
Questions Arc have really interesting and intriguing puzzles, AMAZING lore and plot twist.
Really cool graphics (both original and PS3, also PS3 have BRILLIANT animations).
There're GOD tier OST, one of the best out there, and it's really-really HUGE! Pretty much every composer from Higurashi Answer Arc made an appearance here.
Maybe a little subjective take, but I somewhat liked Question arcs more, then Answer arcs. You're stunned by the fact, that you don't understand what's happening.
Definitely recommended!
0 comments 0 points
By cheekyman07 on 2021-09-19Vote: 10
<report>One of the best VN's I have had the pleasure of reading.

The best thing about Umineko is its ability to pull you in. I was so glued to the story that I often lost track of time be it thinking about the mysteries or questions I was presented with or laughing at the humor. It reminded me of watching a really good tv-series and not being able to resist the urge to go straight to the next episode.

The amount of reading material is immense, even the character check screen has profiles to read and information that evolves over time. The author has been mentioned to be wordy in a negative way, but I think in this VN it was a strength.

I give ep 1-4 a 10 simply due to how entertaining I personally found it, making its minor faults redundant to me. Definitely the stronger half of the story.
0 comments 0 points
By tomoyareads on 2023-02-10Vote: 9
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0 comments 0 points
By animenotreal on 2023-03-22Vote: 5
<report>The whole premise of the novel is retarded. He is supposed to prove witches don't exist while they are right in front of him??? Ok, setting that shit aside, I continue on with the series. I thought that at least there would be interesting logical arguments to be had about how Battler can explain the various crimes committed. But no, more retarded and useless characters are added to make the story more convoluted. The only reason I give this a 5/10 is because the first episode was actually a good murder mystery. If I just rate episode 2-3, then I would give the series a 2/10.
4 comments 0 points
By lexaed on 2021-04-13Vote: 8
<report>I have to say it. It was really good. Better than Higurashi. Higurashi has the worst slice of life ever. I was shocked when i first started the game and i wanted to quit it but i've continiued and i think the game is very good, but Umineco is way better. The story has a lot of plot twists which is good and also this is my LONGEST visual novel . It's too big. One episode took me from 6 and half hours till 8 hours. But it was worth it. If you wanna see an interesting awesome story, than read this. 8/10
0 comments 0 points
By ecipe on 2022-09-11r41280Vote: 5
<report>Read 2 chapters. I used the superior original sprites. Naturally, no voice acting.

From the start, this was a step down from Higurashi, which has a special place in my heart.

I didn't enjoy the island castle setting and western looks and, most importantly, the mystery. It felt like the mystery atmosphere went out the window pretty quickly. There's also more of a distance to the characters since the main character is visible, unlike in Higurashi.

I enjoyed the music, sound and most of the characters, especially the lolis. Probably one reason I never got bored with Higurashi. Wouldn't have made it this far without Maria and the familiar loli from another world.

I am now reading Higanbana and it's off to a much more promising start.
0 comments 0 points
By zaqxswcdef on 2024-01-11Vote: 9.9
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0 comments 0 points
By DallenMalna on 2022-04-22r83828Vote: 2
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4 comments 0 points