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0.0 hrs last two weeks / 16.7 hrs on record (7.7 hrs at review time)
Posted: Apr 1 @ 8:11am

Concise Game Reviews: Mojika - Truth Rears Its Ugly Head (みにくいモジカの子)
(Scroll down for the longer version)

Game Value:
✅ Highly recommended for players seeking a twisted utsuge (鬱ゲー)—a depressive visual novel that delves deep into trauma, manipulation, and emotional devastation. Follow Suteru, a disfigured outcast cursed with “Wordsight”, a cruel power that reveals the hidden thoughts of others. What begins as petty revenge quickly escalates into a relentless spiral of voyeurism, humiliation, and shattered bonds. Each route unearths different shades of psychological ugliness and forces the player to question: can someone born in darkness ever find genuine connection—or are they destined to destroy everything they touch?
Adult Content Tags:
✔Non-Consensual Sex (合意なし) ✔Male Protagonist (男主人公) ✔Oral ✔Vaginal ✔Anal ✔Virgin (Blood) ✔Humiliation (羞恥) ✔Body Writing (身体落書き) ✔Bullying (いじめ) ✔Footjob (足コキ) ✔Handjob (手コキ) ✔Bukkake (ぶっかけ) ✔Choking (絞め) ✔Strap-on ✔Sex Toys ✔Breastjob (パイズリ) ✔Big Breasts (巨乳) ✔Small Breasts (貧乳) ✔Threesome (3P) ✔Yuri (百合) ✔Tentacles (触手) ✔Piercing (ピアス) ✔Pegging ✔Pregnancy (妊娠) ✔Ryona (リョナ)
Genre:
Visual Novel, Psychological Horror, Revenge Drama
Censorship:
None; fully uncensored official release via patch from Nitroplus or included in international version.
Game Length:
10~20 hours; full completion requires multiple playthroughs to reach TRUE Ending and unlock all routes.
Challenge Level:
High; unique choice system based on raising your gaze forces the player to guess correctly under pressure. TRUE route requires strict conditions.
Graphics:
Unconventional visual style: minimalistic UI, constant first-person foot-level POV, dynamic font and text animations, and disturbing yet captivating CGs by Hamashima Shigeo.
Music:
A melancholic, post-rock infused soundtrack that beautifully enhances the emotional and eerie atmosphere. Featuring tracks by Hata Yusuke of "cruyff in the bedroom."
Technical Stability:
Polished; the game is stable and runs smoothly. Innovative UI might take time to get used to, but no major bugs encountered.
Replay Value:
High; each heroine’s route radically changes the story. TRUE route can only be accessed after specific conditions. Route order affects tone and revelations.

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Detailed Review:

🔑Key Features:
🧠 Mind-Reading Mechanic (“Wordsight”): Read the hidden thoughts of others by choosing whether to raise Suteru’s gaze. Every revelation is brutal—and irreversible.

👁️ Five Heroine Routes + TRUE Ending: Each route explores a distinct form of trauma or perversion. The TRUE ending requires specific conditions and reshapes the entire narrative.

📺 Immersive UI and Text Display: No traditional dialogue box. Text appears at the center of the screen, reflecting the protagonist’s impaired vision and emotional detachment.

💬 Narrative-Driven Eroticism: Every H-scene emerges from the story, whether through manipulation, power imbalance, or warped affection. There’s always emotional weight behind the act.

🔠 Typography-Driven Emotion: Inner turmoil is conveyed through animated text—shaking, fading, enlarging, or warping to express raw psychological states.

🌟Overview:
Mojika - Truth Rears Its Ugly Head is not your average visual novel. It doesn’t ask you to fall in love—it dares you to face the ugliest parts of the human soul. Taking control of Suteru, a social pariah cursed with the power to see thoughts as written words, you’ll navigate a web of abuse, revenge, desire, and betrayal. Each heroine’s route strips away another layer of the world’s false beauty, revealing uncomfortable truths behind every mask. Bold, cruel, tragic, and at times deeply beautiful, this is a story that demands attention and emotional investment.

🎮Gameplay:
👁️ Stare or Look Away: Every major choice in the game is tied to whether you dare to look your tormentors in the eye. One wrong choice can lock you into a tragic end.

🧠 Irreversible Branching Paths: Your decisions, based on who and what you stare at, will lock you into unique and often brutal outcomes. Every route is self-contained, with one TRUE path.

🔐 Strict Unlock Conditions: The TRUE ending can only be reached under precise conditions. Completing all heroine routes isn’t enough—you must also make specific decisions.

🕹️ Bonus Content: Typing mini-game unlocked post-True Ending. Reflects Suteru's inner turmoil and final resolve.

📓 Extra Materials & Gallery: Finishing the game grants access to CGs, bonus content, and story files that further flesh out the disturbing lore.

📖Story and Depth:
This is a story about ugliness—not just physical, but emotional, societal, and spiritual. Suteru’s power curses him to witness the raw, unfiltered thoughts of others, all of whom see him as disgusting. From the false confession that breaks him to the unraveling conspiracies behind the school’s hidden darkness, each route exposes the pain people carry and inflict.

From Miu’s descent into revenge-driven madness to Naruko’s desperate bid to topple a corrupted tradition, the routes paint a grim yet deeply human picture of broken youth. The TRUE route hits hard, delivering the only glimmer of salvation—and even that comes at a price. Don’t expect easy answers. Expect scars.

🏆Verdict:
Mojika is a disturbing, thought-provoking masterpiece that defies typical visual novel tropes. It strips away traditional comforts—there is no safe space here, no heroine who simply "saves" the protagonist. Instead, you're left to navigate a minefield of emotional trauma, buried secrets, and moments of raw connection.

The gameplay mechanics—raising your gaze or not—are deceptively simple yet thematically powerful. The game forces you to confront shame, loathing, and ugly truths. It punishes recklessness, yet rewards patience with unforgettable reveals.

Its erotic content isn’t for the faint of heart—non-consensual acts, domination, and mental degradation abound—but these scenes serve narrative purposes, deepening the sense of discomfort and blurred morality.

Visually striking, narratively bold, and emotionally draining, Mojika is an experience that lingers. It won’t be for everyone—but for those who can stomach the darkness, it’s absolutely unforgettable.

Good:
👍 Bold narrative with a unique mind-reading mechanic.
👍 Stunning text-based visual design and font-driven emotion.
👍 Complex character routes that subvert genre expectations.
👍 Hauntingly beautiful music and top-tier writing.
👍 TRUE Ending is rewarding and deeply emotional.

🛠️Could Be Better:
👎 No in-game hint system for TRUE route; easily missable.
👎 Some routes feel emotionally overwhelming and heavy.
👎 Not suitable for casual readers or fans of light romance.
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