Ru Lin Wai Shi Fan Jin
小矩工作室 · 2024 · RPG, Visual Novel, Pixel Graphics, Interactive Fiction, Word Game
PC
Very Positive93% · 95
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About Ru Lin Wai Shi Fan Jin
Game Story
Adapted from the third to seventh chapters of the ancient Chinese chapter novel "\ Scholars\", the original work by Wu Jingzi.
In the mid-Ming Dynasty, \Fan Jin\, a Tongsheng in Guangdong, took the imperial examination from the age of 20 to the age of 54. He took the exam 20 times, but still failed once.
He is the laughing stock among neighbors and villagers, living in a simple thatched house outside the town. The only old mother in the family, a wife, and Fan Jin struggled to survive. His father-in-law, Hu Tuhu, often abused and scolded him, and his life was tortured.
Despite being ridiculed by others, Fan Jin still studies hard and fights at night with the lights on. Although he is often dizzy from hunger, he still does not lower his ambition.
Soon the 21st imperial examination will begin, what will be the fate of Fan Jin this time?
Game introduction
This is a story-based adventure game. Players will play Fan Jin and experience the bitterness of the imperial examination life in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
In the game, Fan Jin will go through several important stages in his life: a poor scholar preparing for exams, Fan Xianggong, who accidentally won a scholar, or a master who has made a fortune, and later became an official in the court and held power. Everyone's attitude towards you will also change as you advance step by step.
In different chapters, players need to complete a series of tasks before they can continue to advance the game: find money and food for the next meal at home, find suitable four treasures of study for the imperial examination, and serve as patrons of powerful squires from time to time, and then share the worries of the Ming court solve problems.
Changing your destiny is not your only goal. Follow Fan Jin, we will see through the hypocritical nature of the imperial examinations, find out the process and reason of the corruption of human nature, and protect the goodness and sincerity in the world.
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Main features:
- Become Fan Jin, change fate against the heavens
- Re narrative game experience, restoring classic novel segments
- Exquisite pixels, realistic antique style, perfect fusion of music and visuals
- The duration is about 4~5 hours, relaxed and enjoyable
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Ru Lin Wai Shi Fan Jin is a narrative-focused indie game that transforms a well-known episode from classical Chinese literature into a grounded and emotionally resonant interactive experience. Developed and published by 小矩工作室, the game draws inspiration from The Scholars and centers specifically on the life and struggles of Fan Jin, a scholar trapped in the rigid social hierarchy of the imperial examination system. Rather than presenting the story as a straightforward retelling, the game invites players to inhabit Fan Jin’s daily life, allowing his frustrations, hopes, and humiliations to unfold through play rather than passive observation. From the outset, the tone is reflective and quietly critical, emphasizing the human cost of obsession with status and success. The narrative follows Fan Jin through years of repeated failure, poverty, and social scorn as he pursues the dream of passing the imperial examinations. Players experience this journey not as a heroic ascent but as a slow grind shaped by external pressure and internal doubt. Conversations with family members, neighbors, scholars, and officials gradually reveal the social fabric that traps Fan Jin in a cycle of hope and …2 found this helpful
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