Shadow of Memories Guides
A time-travel adventure in which a protagonist destined to be murdered visits the past, removes the causes of his death, and changes his fate. There is little spectacular combat; the objective is to gather information across different times and places and prevent an approaching death. Choices and actions lead to multiple endings, a defining feature of a game particularly well received in Europe.
English translation of the existing Japanese guide. Japanese-release names and mechanics are retained; this is not a new gameplay verification or a claim of complete coverage.
Introduction: understand the death
Identify precisely the conditions of the death you must prevent
- ・Record the 3 details of the approaching death: time, place, and cause.
- ・Connect information from conversations with the situation at the scene.
- ・Save the state before traveling into the past.
Investigation: travel into the past
Locate the factors that cause the death along the timeline
- ・Check where people are and the order of events in past periods.
- ・Look for the trigger that leads to the death in the present.
- ・Group clues and possessions by your hypotheses about the cause of death.
Prevention and branching: choosing an ending
Choose actions that change fate and lead toward an ending
- ・After removing a cause of death, check whether the timeline has changed.
- ・Record where different choices or actions change the outcome.
- ・Keep a save before a branch for attempts at other endings.
Problem: You keep dying in the same scene, however often you retry.
Cause: You are confusing the immediate cause of death with its underlying cause.
Solution: Start with the cause of death in the present and work backward through the timeline to identify the past event that produced it.
Problem: You cannot decide which period to visit next.
Cause: Your clues are not connected to the unresolved cause of death.
Solution: Arrange possessions and conversation notes by cause of death, then prioritize the period containing the information you still need.
Problem: You reach an ending other than the one you intended.
Cause: You have not recorded the choices and actions that determine the outcome.
Solution: Keep a separate save just before a suspected branch, change your choice, and compare the results.
📋 Overall progression and the time-travel loop
Progress repeats a cycle: learn about a death, investigate its cause in the past, and return to the present to prevent it. It is easier to find your way when you approach this as an observational adventure about gathering information and changing circumstances, rather than winning fights. Experience 1 full cycle first and identify what triggers progress.
Walkthrough — read →📖 How time travel and preventing death work
Time travel lets you move between periods such as the past and present to trace cause and effect. Understanding where people are and the order of events matters more than action-game reflexes. Connect the fragments of information found in each period to understand the circumstances behind the approaching death.
Core systems — read →🕰️ Organizing clues and possessions around causes of death
Conversations, scenes, and objects provide many clues during exploration. Grouping them by the death they might concern helps reveal the next action. Retain information with no clear connection in a pending category; it may connect in a later chapter, and keeping it avoids overlooking it.
Clues and possessions — read →
Surugaya Retro Games
Find used games, consoles and strategy guides in one place
Find Shadow of Memories on Surugaya
Used games, strategy guides and related goods
Find used copies of Shadow of Memories
Used items on Amazon
Shadow of Memories strategy guides and guidebooks
Search strategy guides on Rakuten Books
Find Shadow of Memories on Rakuten
Used items and related goods on Rakuten Marketplace
This section contains advertising and affiliate links. Purchases through Amazon Associates, Rakuten, Surugaya and other linked retailers may earn us a commission.
Shadow of Memories Guide FAQ
Arctis Nova 3
See product details and current availability on Amazon Japan.
ASUS ROG Swift 27"QHD
Switch OLED
eShop ¥1,000
Affiliate links to Amazon Japan. We may earn a commission on purchases. Listed prices are indicative and may change.
Shadow of Memories Buying and setup FAQ
LG UltraGear 27GP850
Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed
ANNE PRO 2
How to Write Game Scenarios
Affiliate links to Amazon Japan. Purchases may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Check the retailer for current prices.
History of Indie Games
HORI mini controller for Switch
Rakuten Points ¥3000
Game Design Bible
Affiliate links to Rakuten Japan. Listed prices are indicative; check the retailer for current prices. The Japanese source also mentions Rakuten Points; current eligibility has not been verified.