Immersive Novel
KamiEna
Indie Game Creator / Director ｜Japan
OTHER PERSPECTIVE
DETAILS OF THE WORK
We created an immersive novel game with the concept of a "novel you can experience." In this work, players encounter the ghost of a certain dog, advancing the story by playing and communicating with it. The narrative progresses primarily through "descriptive text," with a unique feature where the player's movements are reflected in the descriptive text, while the text itself guides the player's actions.
This project explores the unique possibilities of AR, offering an experience where players can communicate with people or creatures they wouldn't normally meet, in an augmented reality space that extends the real world—not just through screens or virtual environments. Additionally, by weaving regional elements into the story, we crafted a flexible template that allows for various experiential variations by changing the location and theme.
After completing the game, we hope that the "Immersive Novel" experience becomes a "memory of the place," evoking recollections when revisiting the location. Our goal was to create a new genre of storytelling that delivers such impactful experiences.
This piece was created during a three-day game jam. Collaborating with ねぎさん, 哀上オワリさん, Nonanさん and 國富空太さん, we developed this game in an improvisational, session-like process. Filled with ideas and creative chemistry born on the spot, this work is something we hope you will enjoy experiencing.
CREATOR PROFILE
KamiEna
Indie Game Creator / Director ｜Japan
I am an indie game creator specializing in team-based development, primarily handling direction and production. Depending on the team and project, I also take on a wide range of roles, including planning, scripting, programming, and visual design.
For me, creation doesn't end at making something; I see delivering the final product as an integral part of the process. I approach every step with meticulous care and dedication.
Since my student days, I have been passionate about creation in general and excel at crafting entertainment with a broad perspective. My style is rooted in a "kawaii" aesthetic, aiming to create works that can be enjoyed by a diverse audience, regardless of gender.
▼X Account (@KamiEna_Game)
https://x.com/KamiEna_Game
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Like immersive, site-specific has functioned as a magic word of the 2020s. Considering the uniqueness of such places, the area in front of Hachiko in Shibuya can be seen as the most universal public space, steeped in history and tradition. This work transforms the stories embedded in the environment into an experiential novel.
A dialogue with Hachiko’s spirit, set just beyond the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, transcends augmented reality—it infiltrates the human psyche, shifting form into an interactive spiritual invocation. Through the Immersive Novel, much like how itako or miko act as mediums for spirits, one experiences the nested expansion of the body as a meta-media that aligns itself with the city as a medium.NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury President
Naohiro Ukawa
Genzai(Just now) Artist / Host of DOMMUNE
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This nameless dog is the bound spirit of Hachiko—a lingering thought, a ghost. The idea of introducing a spirit tethered to a specific place perfectly embodies the concept of site-specificity.
Encountering an ordinarily invisible ghost through technology is a unique and compelling approach. The act of Hachi finding peace and passing on after interacting with the user is deeply interactive, making the presence of the site itself an active force—an experience that cannot be replicated in a conventional novel. And strangely, in the process, one's own heart feels cleansed.
Thinking about it this way, waiting at the Hachiko statue takes on a deeply emotional significance—the anticipation of finally meeting someone becomes a profoundly special experience.
In a world centered around human perspectives, this work challenges that norm by expanding awareness first to animals, and then even further to the unseen presence of spirits. It is a bold exploration of non-human perspectives and the invisible layers of existence.NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
Saeborg
Artist
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This piece is filled with love and emotion, and its presentation using AR is very fitting. Through augmented reality, it's as if people are given the eyes to see the spiritual world, witnessing the devoted Akita dog Hachikō floating at the very spot where he famously waited for his owner each day, which is profoundly moving. The content of this work and its technical execution are excellently integrated.
NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
Lu Yang
Artist
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Immersive Novel offers a unique, site-specific experience that blends storytelling with AR technology. By guiding players through the narrative using a popular character, it creates a connection between the player, the environment, and the story. The interplay between the player’s movements and the unfolding narrative is seamless, turning the experience into a living, memorable interaction with the location. This project’s charm lies in its ability to establish a new niche for AR/VR storytelling, using character-driven engagement to leave a lasting impression. It’s a thoughtful and creative approach to immersive storytelling.
NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
David OReilly
Multidisciplinary Artist
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“Immersive Novel” is an XR project that seamlessly transfers all the qualities of classic storytelling into the world of interactive virtual experiences. What is particularly impressive is the way in which location, narrative, and user interaction are inseparably intertwined. This results not only in a work of great poetic and artistic quality but also in a compelling example of artistic and technological exploration with strong exemplary value. A winning project with immense inspirational potential.
NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
Gerfried Stocker
Media artist and artistic director of Ars Electronica
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「Immersive Novel 」is a charming and thoughtful use of site-specific AR, set in Shibuya Station and built around the Hachiko dog ghost legend. AR is especially fitting for ghost stories—it acts as a lens, revealing things we can’t see with our own eyes. The way the ghost appears through AR mirrors how spirits exist just beyond our perception, making the experience feel even more immersive. A beautiful example of how AR can bring folklore & storytelling to life.
NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
KEIKEN
Artist Collective
FEATURING WORKS
Fashion, music, film, graphic, illustration, etc.
A group of new cultural experience works created together with artists who can share the realistic feeling of the same era.
