Fans of urban legends and mythical beings will likely appreciate City God Alice. Crafted by Taiwanese indie studio HIGHFIVE DOG, this 2D side-scrolling RPG weaves together exploration, puzzle-solving, turn-based combat, and base management, all within a rich tapestry of local folklore.
Drawing inspiration from the ancient legend “The Subjugation of the Jiantan Fish Demon,” City God Alice unfolds in the fictional mountain temple city of Jiantan. It follows the journey of 20-year-old Lin Chendong, the latest in a line cursed to perish at age 21. Lin crosses paths with Alice, the City God of the region, who appears as a young girl. Alice prompts him to recall a contract he made in his youth—to serve as caretaker of the local City God temple in exchange for something he could not forsake. Shortly after making this pact, his memories were wiped clean, erasing all knowledge of Alice and the reason behind his agreement.
With only a year remaining before Lin meets his fate, Alice tasks him with embracing the role of City God caretaker. As the new guardian, Lin must fend off malevolent spirits and mythical beasts, safeguard the temple, and oversee its daily affairs. Through these duties, he uncovers the truth about his family’s curse and the tale of a fish-like entity that haunted the region over two centuries ago.
Exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat unfold within the Yuan-Chen Palace—a mental realm shaped by the memories and obsessions of the departed. This ever-shifting place mirrors familiar Taiwanese landscapes, including residential and temple architecture, along with certain historical landmarks. It is also rife with illusions and monstrous creatures, many of which draw from local folklore. When Lin encounters an enemy while navigating a mix of top-down and 2D side-scrolling environments, the game transitions into its turn-based combat system.
City God Alice’s combat system prioritizes horizontal positioning (to dodge enemy strikes), exploiting enemy vulnerabilities, and managing your characters’ sanity (SAN) meters. Lingering in cursed or corrupted zones, or enduring psychological trauma, will drain your party’s sanity. It’s essential to know when to retreat, as failing to do so will weaken your party’s abilities. Some actions may even cause self-harm to the user.
Lin isn’t alone in his endeavors. Alongside party members like Alice, he can summon spirits, creatures, and legendary figures from Taiwanese folklore to bolster his party in battle. These “yokai officers” play a crucial role in temple management as well.
Temple gameplay involves addressing requests from worshippers, spirits, and neighboring deities to strengthen faith and elevate the temple’s standing. Donating funds and spiritual resources can yield various items, such as facility enhancements and puppet vessels (useful during expeditions to the Yuan-Chen Palace).
Interacting with your yokai officers within the temple allows you to enhance their skills, partake in location-specific activities, and unlock new story segments that reveal more about their histories and beliefs.
The combat encounters and ending you experience are influenced by multiple factors, including your relationships with yokai officers and party members, their mental states, your temple management proficiency, and the choices you make throughout the game.
With its anime-inspired visuals and a soundtrack by Youhuo (known for compositions in Dream Flash Girl, Haunted House, and Legend of Mortal), City God Alice is shaping up to be a highly ambitious debut from HIGHFIVE DOG.
City God Alice is slated for release in 2026 on Windows (Steam).