View source for Black Souls (video game series)



{{Infobox video game series
| title          = Black Souls
| creator        = Sushi Hero Toro
| image          = Blacksouls_promotion_art.png
| caption            = Promotional artwork
| developer      = Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?
| publisher      = {{plainlist|
* Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?
* Otaku Plan}}
| genre          = [[Role-playing]], [[psychological horror]], [[eroge]]
| spinoffs       =
| platforms = [[Windows]]
| first release version = ''Red Hood's Woods''
| first release date = September 25, 2016
| latest release version = ''Black Souls II''
| latest release date  = November 10, 2018
}}
'''''Black Souls''''' (stylized in [[all caps]]) is a [[psychological horror]] [[eroge]] [[Role-playing video game|role-playing video-game]] series created by [[Indie game|independent]] Japanese [[Doujin soft|{{lang|ja-latn|doujin|nocat=yes}} soft]] developer Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?. The series draws inspiration from ''[[Dark Souls]]'' and various fairy tales (notably ''[[Alice in Wonderland]]''), incorporating elements of [[Graphic violence#Gore|gore]], [[dark fantasy]], and [[gothic aesthetics]]. Initially distributed through [[DLsite]], both ''Black Souls I'' and ''Black Souls II'' were released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in 2025 in a partly censored version. The series has gained a [[cult following]] and received positive critical acclaim for its story, atmosphere, artwork, and challenging combat. A sequel titled ''Dead Red Hood'' has been announced.

== Gameplay ==
[[File:Blacksouls combat sample.png|left|thumb|Gameplay screenshot of ''Black Souls II'', in which the protagonist is fighting a boss named Headhunting Beast]]
''Black Souls'' is a [[JRPG]] series that uses a [[top-down perspective]]. Battles are governed by a [[Turn-based|turn-based system]].<ref name="sr" /> The developer describes it as "tactical and tense [[Active Time Battle|ATB combat]]".<ref name="cb" /> The player can act when their action gauge fills up. In ''Black Souls I'', once players [[Party (role-playing games)|recruit]] the [[heroine]]s to their party, they can summon her during battle. To dodge incoming attacks, they can use the Avoid command.<ref name="au2">{{cite web|work=[[Active Gaming Media|Automation]]|author=Naoto Morooka|date=19 August 2025|language=ja|title=“全NPC殺害可能”メルヘン非道RPG『BLACK SOULS』Steam版、マッハで「圧倒的に好評」の大盛況。18禁同人発、自由と狂気のダークファンタジー|url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/black-souls-20250819-354013/}}</ref> It consumes a low-cast energy. For ''Black Souls II'', it consumes no energy but has a seventy percent success rate.<ref name="au" /> Because players "could just spam skills with a high crit rate and beat almost every boss" in ''Black Souls I'', ''Black Souls II'' introduced cooldowns and more enemies with resistances.<ref name="itv3" /> The player can collect "souls" scattered throughout the world while exploring to enhance their abilities. Under an [[open-world]] map, [[bonfire]]s act as checkpoints that fully restore health and enable [[fast travel]] between them.<ref name="4g" /> Players can select to be a Knight of Thief or Wizard as a starting class in ''Black Souls I''.<ref name="au2" /> ''Black Souls II'' expands with six new classes, including Cleric, Warrior, Templar, Hunter, Explorer, and Fluffy.<ref name="rant" />

With multiple endings, branching paths, and a progression system that allows players to shape their protagonist in different ways, player choice matters as well.<ref name="no" /> Players need to complete the game multiple times to uncover new content.<ref name="cb" /> Normally, all [[Non-player character|NPC]]s can be killed, but doing so in ''Black Souls II'' will lower players' [[sanity|value of SEN]]. If the player's SEN value drops too low, eerie phenomena will occur, such as the background music disappearing and residents beginning to speak in incomprehensible words.<ref name="npc" />

==Setting and plot==
The main playable character in ''Red Hood's Woods'' is Red Hood, who based on the fairy tale character [[Little Red Riding Hood|of the same name]].<ref name="itv4">{{cite web|language=ja|date=15 October 2020|url=https://ch.dlsite.com/matome/91660|title=寿司勇者トロ氏インタビュー記事その④BLACKSOULS＋今後の活動編|website=ch.dlsite.com}}</ref> For ''Black Souls I'' and ''Black Souls II'', the player controls an [[Immortality|immortal]] male protagonist who is named by the player. ''Black Souls I'' is set in the "Lost Empire," which is described as a world suffocating under a mysterious mist that transforms humans into monsters.<ref name="no" /> Following the events of its predecessor, ''Black Souls II'' takes place in a seemingly desolate world, filled to the brim with horrifying monsters.<ref name="sr" />

===''Red Hood's Woods''===
Red Hood enters a fantastical world through a mirror, where she journeys with a wolf named Poro, encounter several monsters, and confronts the memory of being [[sexual abuse|sexually abuse]]d by her grandfather. After killing him, she rejects Poro's offer to ignore the truth and finds her grandmother, who tries to kill her upon learning of her husband's death. After defeating her, Red Hood awakens.

===''Black Souls I''===
At a library, Alice confirms the protagonist's name and class before she is killed. The protagonist awakens in a prison, where the Holy Knight Jeanne rescues him. During the escape, she is burned alive by the dragon Helkaiser, the protagonist's future [[archenemy]]. Waking up again in the Holy Forest, the protagonist goes on an adventure to prevent the spread of a mist that transforms people into monsters. Players can recruit ten heroines in total, including Leaf and Red Hood. During the adventure, many [[Fairy|fairies]] mention a name, Mary Sue. Eventually, the protagonist meets five demonic princesses, each ruling her own land overrun with demon beasts. He must choose to enter a covenant with them or slay them in battle, thereby changing the fate of the Lost Empire.

Twenty-four different endings are possible, depending on the player's actions. Ending C reveals that Leaf is in fact Mary Sue, who tampered with everyone's happy endings. In Ending D, the protagonist joins the Black Trial and receives various requests from Baphomet, the group's leader. After completing all the requests, the protagonist sends Baphomet to the Holy Forest. After destroying the Holy Forest, Baphomet imprisons Leaf, claiming that she does not want to play the role of the "archdemon". After being defeated by the protagonist and Leaf, Baphomet reveals that she is Leaf's mother. Leaf then laughs and offers to remain lovers with the protagonist forever. Suddenly, Alice appears, clapping, and approaches the protagonist.

===''Black Souls II''===
The game's story takes place immediately after Ending D of ''Black Souls I''. In the prologue, the player is asked to define Alice's role as [[Incest in media|mother, daughter, or little sister]]. The protagonist then enjoys a fleeting happy moment with the Alice of his memory. However, while he sleeps, she vanishes, the backdrop collapses, and he plummets into a falling room. After dying for the first time, he gains access to the Library Dream, the game's main hub. His quest to find Alice in Wonderland begins, but he soon discovers this realm descending into madness. Concurrently, he himself grows increasingly obsessed with all things related to Alice. During his adventure, the protagonist may kill, pledge vows to, or violate various heroines, 45 in total.<ref name="rant" /> Some of those he rapes later appear within the Library Dream's dungeon.

The base game has eight endings. After many cycles and revisions, the protagonist in the final story route sees through the illusions and attempts to break free. This will allow him to enter the Little Girl's Nightmare, a secret area. The [[Nyarlathotep|Crawling One]]—the [[Outer God]] who breached [[Elysium]] and brought the protagonist to Wonderland—appears and grows enraged when the player perceives Wonderland's true nature. Progressing the area will result in meeting Red Hood and Leaf, and the player will be given the choice to side with one of them against the other.

In Ending G, after siding with Red Hood to kill Leaf and ultimately defeat the Crawling One, the garden begins to collapse. While fleeing, Red Hood and Poro become trapped by debris in a hallway. The protagonist then encounters the soul of [[Alice Liddell]], who has escaped the Crawling One's grasp following its defeat. Managing to escape the garden, he is reunited with a one-armed Red Hood in the outside world. However, after the story concludes, he is transported once again to the Library Dream. This indicates that the story has not truly ended.

Shortly after Ending G of the original game, the third [[downloadable content]] (DLC), Crown of the Lion and Unicorn, added three more endings. In the Heartbroken ending, the player ultimately encounters the [[Grand Guignol]]. She is revealed to be an artificial, mechanical Outer God who controls Wonderland. It is precisely because of the Grand Guignol (who is in fact Mary Sue's power of creation given form and therefore intrinsically linked with the protagonist) that the protagonist was pulled back into Wonderland in the previous ending. After defeating the Grand Guignol and breaking the endless loop of cycles, the protagonist is helped by Red Hood as he attempts to finally escape.

However, when the Crawling One intervenes in a mad frenzy, the protagonist severs his own arm to allow Red Hood to get away. The Crawling One encompasses him, attempting to completely overwrite his mind so that he thinks only of them. Yet, a fragment of Alice extends herself, leading him out of the Crawling One's grasp and back to reality as the story reaches its final conclusion. Red Hood lives out the rest of her days in apparent peace with the protagonist until her death at the age of twenty, due to a curse placed on her by Mary Sue.

==Development==
{{quote box|align=right|width=20em|quote="So I decided to make a dark-themed game, but since I’d be selling it on DLsite, I needed to include erotic content too... I struggled a lot, full of shame, and finally completed my debut title, ''Red Hood's Woods''. … And then one day, ''Red Hood's Woods'' got featured on a certain review site, and that made me so happy, I decided to create again."|source=—Sushi Hero Toro<ref name="itv">{{cite web|language=ja|date=20 July 2020|url=https://ch.dlsite.com/matome/80097|title=寿司勇者トロ氏インタビュー記事その①本人、製作関連編|website=ch.dlsite.com}}</ref>}}
This series is produced by the [[Doujin circle|''doujin'' circle]] Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?. The team's core member, Sushi Hero Toro, is known for creating ''Touhou Igyoukyo'', a ''[[Touhou Project]]'' fan-made series featuring horror and grotesque elements.<ref name="gs" /> They created the game using the [[RPG Maker VX Ace]] engine.<ref name="au" /> ''[[Dark Souls]]'' has been the subject of many [[parodies]] and references in the series.<ref name="4g2" /> The setting of this series, which is noted for gore, violence, and [[psychological horror]], is inspired by [[gothic aesthetics]], [[Victorian architecture]], [[Lovecraftian horror]], and [[dark fantasy]].<ref name="sr" /> Drawing inspiration from ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' and ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]'', the series mixes elements of fairy tales with the [[Cthulhu Mythos]].<ref name="4g" /> In an interview, Sushi Hero Toro stated that ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' is their favorite fairy tale.<ref name="itv" /> They especially referenced the [[Grimms' Fairy Tales|Grimm tales]], ''[[Call of Cthulhu (video game)|Call of Cthulhu]]'' and a Cthulhu [[tabletop role-playing game]], and used the "[[fear of the unknown]]" theory for creature design.<ref name="itv3">{{cite web|language=ja|date=16 September 2020|url=https://ch.dlsite.com/matome/88507|title=寿司勇者トロ氏インタビュー記事その③BLACKSOULS編|website=ch.dlsite.com}}</ref> 

The series began with {{Nihongo|''Red Hood's Woods''|紅ずきんの森||}},<ref name="cb" /> which was released on [[DLsite]] on September 25, 2016,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dlsite.com/maniax/work/=/product_id/RJ185696.html|title=紅ずきんの森|website=DLsite.com|archive-date=24 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824094930/https://www.dlsite.com/maniax-touch/work/=/product_id/RJ185696.html|url-status=dead|language=ja}}</ref> followed by {{Nihongo|''Black Souls I – Black Fairy Tales and the Five Demonic Princesses–''|BLACKSOULS -黒の童話と五魔姫-|BLACKSOULS - Kuro no Dōwa to Gomaki-|}} on July 30, 2017, and {{Nihongo|''Black Souls II -A Wonderland for My Beloved-''|BLACKSOULSII -愛しき貴方へ贈る不思議の国-|BLACKSOULS II -Itoshiki Anata e Okuru Fushigi no Kuni-|}} on November 10, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dlsite.com/maniax/work/=/product_id/RJ203687.html|title=BLACKSOULS -黒の童話と五魔姫|website=DLsite.com|archive-date=28 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428010810/https://www.dlsite.com/maniax-touch/work/=/product_id/RJ203687.html|url-status=dead|language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dlsite.com/maniax/work/=/product_id/RJ237469.html/|title=BLACKSOULSII -愛しき貴方へ贈る不思議の国-|website=DLsite.com|archive-date=11 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211122747/https://www.dlsite.com/maniax-touch/work/=/product_id/RJ237469.html/|url-status=dead|language=ja}}</ref> Three DLC add-ons for ''Black Souls II'' were released: God of the Deep Ocean, Old King of the Chess, and Crown of the Lion and Unicorn.<ref name="npc">{{cite web|work=[[:ja:Game*Spark|Game*Spark]]|language=ja|date=1 December 2025|url=https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2025/12/01/160057.html|title=18禁作品としてDLsiteで2018年配信タイトル―全NPC殺害可能なダークファンタジーホラーRPG『BLACK SOULS II』Steamで“圧倒的に好評”スタート}}</ref>

Published by Otaku Plan, ''Black Souls I'' and ''Black Souls II'' were respectively released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] on August 16 and November 28, 2025. This version is heavily censored, and players who want to experience the full, explicit version need to download an adult [[Patch (computing)|patch]] from the publisher's website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://game.udn.com/game/story/122172/8946882?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=udngame&utm_campaign=fbpost&fbclid=IwY2xjawOrMf1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4OAxlOWb5P7A6DH5B-tkbc6Mkc55Tzn6UIvgs5xfP6iUramQEJgAZNH2hOZQ_aem_muNvXjxhTSMZdjNI3RWkow&brid=08XQ9hLXpkTnT75S34HM0Q|title=DLsite魂系紳士《BLACK SOULS》登Steam獲壓倒性好評！二代也確認代理|language=zh-tw|date=18 August 2025|work=[[United Daily News]]}}</ref><ref name="rant" /> The 4th installment of the series, ''Dead Red Hood'', has been announced and is in development.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=toro_yori_ebi |number=1496801827572293634 |title=Ci-enに投稿しました #Ci_en #デッドレッドフード 新作『DEAD RED HOOD』タイトル発表 - イニミニマニモ?}}</ref>

==Reception==
''Black Souls I'' gained underground recognition for its grim take on fairy tales and [[Souls-like]] atmosphere. ''Notebookcheck'' called it an experimental RPG that "tread the line between really strong themes and traditional role-playing."<ref name="no">{{cite web|author=Anubhav Sharma|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Steam-launch-With-1-000-Overwhelmingly-Positive-reviews-in-1-day-this-classic-souls-like-RPG-is-off-to-a-promising-start.1089157.0.html|title=Steam launch: With 1,000 "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews in 1 day, this classic souls-like RPG is off to a promising start|work=Notebookcheck|date=17 August 2025}}</ref> Reviewers for the Taiwanese gaming news website ''{{ill|4Gamers|zh|4Gamers}}'' highlighted that the game has sold over 40,000 copies on DLsite, and praised its considerable player freedom along with its grotesque and disturbing elements.<ref name="4g2">{{cite web|title=黑暗童話紳士名作《BLACKSOULS》好評登Steam，續作《BLACKSOULS II》確認代理|url=https://www.4gamers.com.tw/news/detail/73605/black-souls-series-coming-to-steam-confirmed|language=zh-tw|date=18 August 2025|website=[[:zh:4Gamers|4gamers.com]]}}</ref> Mohsen Baqery of ''[[Game Rant]]'' praised the game for its [[pixel art]] and storytelling, and noted its bold depiction of violence and sexual harassment.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mohsen Baqery|work=[[Game Rant]]|date=18 August 2025|url=https://gamerant.com/cute-brutal-soulslike-steam-black-souls/|title=New Steam Game Is a 'Brutal' Soulslike, But with Cute Pixel Art}}</ref>

Following its predecessor, ''Black Souls II'' has been extremely popular since its release, also selling over 40,000 units on DLsite.<ref name="au">{{cite web|work=[[Active Gaming Media|Automation]]|author=Naoto Morooka|date=1 December 2025|language=ja|title=“全NPC殺害可能”メルヘン非道RPG続編『BLACK SOULS II』Steam版、爆速で「圧倒的に好評」の大人気。難度も狂気も前作超えのダークファンタジー|url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/black-souls-ii-20251201-369222/}}</ref> It reached first place in DLsite's overall monthly ranking.<ref name="gs">{{cite web|work=[[:ja:Game*Spark|Game*Spark]]|language=ja|date=13 June 2025|url=https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2025/06/13/153949.html|title=海外でもカルト的人気の同人RPG『BLACKSOULS』Steamストアページ公開―コミュニティに集まる不安と狂気の声}}</ref> [[Comicbook.com]] described the game as "dive into that brings adult themes, in-depth storytelling, and engaging gameplay".<ref name="cb">{{cite web|website=[[Comicbook.com]]|title=New Horror JRPG Sequel Gets Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews From Original Game Fans|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/new-horror-jrpg-sequel-gets-overwhelmingly-positive-reviews-from-original-game-fans/|author=Ricky Frech|date=1 December 2025}}</ref> A reviewer for ''4Gamers'' praised the game's unsettling atmosphere, its reinterpretation of ''Alice in Wonderland'', and the enhanced psychedelic style and psychological horror compared to its predecessor.<ref name="4g">{{cite web|title=黑暗童話恐怖RPG《BLACK SOULS II》Steam首發壓倒性好評 不死人墜落幻境殺掉全部NPC|url=https://www.4gamers.com.tw/news/detail/75577/new-horror-jrpg-sequel-black-souls-2-gets-overwhelmingly-positive-reviews-from-original-game-fans|language=zh-tw|date=2 December 2025|website=[[:zh:4Gamers|4gamers.com]]}}</ref> Matthew Danielson from ''[[Screen Rant]]'' commented that "''BLACK SOULS II'' may not be for the faint of heart, but its challenging combat, intriguing story, and terrifying atmosphere makes it a game on Steam worth trying".<ref name="sr">{{cite web|author=Matthew Danielson|url=https://screenrant.com/final-fantasy-bloodborne-black-souls-2/|title=BLACK SOULS II Creates A Terrifying JRPG Blend of Final Fantasy and Bloodborne|work=[[ScreenRant]]|date=2 December 2025}}</ref> Its Chinese-language version won the Bronze Award in the 2023 DLsite Best Chinese Doujin Works Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://game.udn.com/game/amp/story/122172/7910135|title=繪師「鴉醬」獲DLsite年度最佳中文同人漫畫金賞 台V塔芭絲可奪音聲類冠軍|language=zh-tw|date=19 April 2024|work=[[United Daily News]]}}</ref>

''Game Rant'' reviewed the ''Black Souls'' series are some of the most edgy and transgressive ''Dark Souls''-inspired games. It especially praised ''Black Souls II'''s high [[replay value]].<ref name="rant">{{cite web|author=Mohsen Baqery|work=[[Game Rant]]|date=1 December 2025|url=https://gamerant.com/steam-black-souls-2-soulslike-positive-reviews/|title=Steam's 'Brutal' Soulslike Is Back With a Sequel, And It Already Has Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews}}</ref> The series has inspired many [[fan game]]s, some of which have been launched on Steam.<ref>{{cite web|title=【白夜谈】为什么一款黄油有那么多精神续作？|url=https://www.yystv.cn/p/12801|language=zh-cn|date=28 April 2025|work=[[:zh:游研社|YYSTV]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.dlsite.com/maniax/circle/profile/=/maker_id/RG33488.html Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?] at DLside

[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 2016]]
[[Category:Indie games]]
[[Category:Doujin video games]]
[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:Eroge]]
[[Category:Role-playing video games]]
[[Category:RPG Maker games]]
[[Category:Body horror video games]]
[[Category:Video games about demons]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games based on fairy tales]]
[[Category:2010s horror video games]]
[[Category:Video games based on Little Red Riding Hood]]
[[Category:Fiction about child murder]]
[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos role-playing games]]
[[Category:Video games about amnesia]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games about death]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Video games about fairies]]
[[Category:Video games about murder]]
[[Category:Video games about sexuality]]
[[Category:Dark fantasy video games]]
[[Category:Video games about rape]]
[[Category:Video games based on Alice in Wonderland]]
[[Category:Parody video games]]
[[Category:Video games about mental health]]
[[Category:Video games about time loops]]
[[Category:Psychological horror games]]
[[Category:Fiction about incest]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related video games]]
[[Category:Video games with multiple endings]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Black Souls (video game series)|access_date=2026-02-27}}