Missing Children (2024)

WARNING This game contains serious themes in which some may find sensitive towards. This includes: suicide, domestic abuse, bullying, and depression. Viewer discretion is advised.

Missing Children | 行方不明 is a video game of horror adventure genre developed by Chilla's Art and published by Chilla's Art. It was released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on June 12, 2020.

Synopsis[]

Three junior high-school students have recently been reported missing. With no known leads of the whereabouts of the children. Luckily, a local "bully detective" by the name of Sato is here to help investigate and gather information on where the children might be and what led up to their sudden disappearance.

Gameplay[]

The game starts with a woman receiving a phone call from the local police station. This woman is Sato, a "detective" who specializes in helping out kids who are struggling with bullying at school. (Which earned her the nickname: "The Bully Detective"). She received a call from her co-worker Yamada who wants her to come to the station as there was a recent incident that they need help investigating. And they believe she is the best fit for the job. After agreeing to come, Sato ends the phone call and heads off to the police station.

After arriving at the police station, Yamada tells Sato about three junior high-school students that recently went missing. While it's unknown what happened to them, Yamada claims that their disappearance was not because of kidnapping. However, one of the parents gave them a tip, claiming that the three of them were planning to hang with each other on the day they disappeared. To help out, Officer Funahashi will be driving Sato around town in order to gather information on how the children disappeared, and where could they have gone. And while he may be a "bad mouth", Sato shouldn't let his behavior get the better of her. Yamada let's Sato know that he's currently on break, and to go to the back to fetch him.

(*Heads up: Officer Yamada will offer save points throughout the game. If at any point you want to save the game, speak to him, and tell him you want to save. He will always be standing behind the front desk.*)

After their conversation, Sato goes outside to talk to Funahashi. After starling him, the two of them have a small chat on what happened to the missing kids. During their conversation, Officer Funahashi gives Sato another tip on what lead to their disappearance. According to a friend of one of the missing children, he saw one of them talking through a private online chat with the other missing children. And that the kid he's referring to is a girl named Mizuki. He suggests that they should go there first. And while he doesn't believe Sato will do any good with the investigation, he's willing to give her a chance. After that, the two of them head to the police car and drive off to Mizuki's house.

After arriving at Mizuki's house, Sato goes over to the house and rings the doorbell. Mizuki's mother comes out, but she is nowhere welcoming towards Sato. She tells her to go away as she is upset with the fact Mizuki is missing and that Sato isn't even the police. Because of this, Sato has to go back and get Officer Funahashi to help her, he admits that he is a bit hesitant to do so, but after Sato mentions that Mizuki's mother won't talk unless a police officer is with her, Funahashi finally agrees. But when they try again to talk to Mizuki's mother, she still refuses to let them come inside to investigate. Since there isn't anything that could be done at the moment, Officer Funahashi claims that they should head over to another missing kid's house: Akiko.

If Sato decides to explore around the area for a bit, they'll notice another house with a kid outside holding a red pinwheel and wearing a theater mask. Upon talking to him, he complains that his pinwheel isn't spinning no matter how many times he turns it. When Sato asks why he is wearing the theater mask, the kid explains that he and his family rely on wearing face masks, but they ran out, so they have to use what they have. He then requests Sato to help find some for him and his family.

(*Note: The task mentioned above is optional*)

Along with that, if Sato explores the backyard of Mizuki's house, they will discover a dog lying on the ground. Despite being alive, it is very exhausted. Sato presumes that it needs some food.

Because nothing could be accomplished at the moment, Sato and Officer Funahashi can either head back to the police station or head off to Akiko's house. If they decide to go back to the police station, they will notice a man standing in front of a vending machine. The man wants some beer, but most stores around the area closed early, therefore he is unable to get some at the store or the vending machine. He tells Sato that if they want him to leave, give him some beer to drink.

(*The man will be standing in front of the vending machine the next time the player heads back to the police station. Along with that, his task is optional.*)

If they decide to go to Akiko's house, Sato will start walking on the dirtied path leading to the house. Upon walking on the path, Sato finds a newspaper article lying on the ground, it reads:

As she continues walking, she'll notice a path on the left that leads to an altar with ji*zō statues on it. If Sato goes up to it, she'll point out that the altar wants her to offer it something. But since she has nothing to offer, the only she can do is continue walking along the dirtied path. Eventually, she comes across Akiko's house, but when Sato knocks on the door, no one answers. So, she decides to look around the property to see if someone is home. She finds an old lady in the backyard working in the garden. Sato tells the old lady that she is here to investigate the disappearance of Akiko and asks her if she can investigate the house for clues. The old lady tells Sato she can look as much as she wants, and she even tells Sato that Akiko has been acting weird lately and wishes her the best of luck in finding Akiko.

Sato then heads back to the front of the house and goes inside to investigate the place. However, the only place she can investigate at the moment is the kitchen, as some of the doors can't be opened, some are locked, and even heading upstairs will not work since it's blocked off with a bunch of cardboard boxes. However, the door to Akiko's room is the only other room Sato can investigate in, but the door is locked. So, Sato heads back to the garden and asks the grandmother if she has or knows where the key to Akiko's room would be. She claims she doesn't know where it is, but she does remember seeing a key somewhere around the property but doesn't remember where. Sato can find the key to Akiko's room behind the gardening shed. After that, Sato will head back inside the house.

Using the key to open up the door, Sato will find a key to the storage shed lying on the ground, a radio on a study desk that is playing static, and a school bag lying on a tatami that is covered in graffiti. However, after looking at the school bag, Sato will hear the sounds of a gurgled cry coming from somewhere inside the house. But she is unable to find the source of the cry, but after investigating for a little bit, the telephone will ring. Sato picks it up, and she hears a faint singing coming from the other end of the line. But the line disconnects before she can identify who it was. Sato then decides to head back out to investigate, but she notices a little girl (who is the younger sister of Akiko), is now sitting on the stairs. Sato tries to talk with her, but she is reluctant to speak. She then notices the packet of dog food that she is holding and asks why she has that. But the little girl doesn't say anything to her. Sato is confused why she is behaving like this since she doesn't seem scared. But since there is nothing, she can offer or to make her say anything else, Sato then heads back outside to the garden to investigate the garden shed. From there, she can find a scythe, (which is optional to grab), and a Omamori that belongs to Mizuki lying on the ground inside the shed. Knowing this, Sato believes she can give it to Mizuki's mother so she can let them inside the house to investigate. Sato can then tell Officer Funahashi that they can head back to Mizuki's house to investigate.

Upon arriving at Mizuki's place, they present Mizuki's mother with the charm that Sato found. Now fully convinced they are trustworthy; Mizuki's mother allows Sato to come inside to investigate the place. Sato heads to Mizuki's room first, and notices that everything seems normal. She sees a picture hanging on a shelf, along with her computer. However, Sato cannot access the computer without a password. Sato then takes a closer look at the picture, and notices that the picture is that of Mizuki and her boyfriend Seiichiro with the two-looking happy with one another. However, after looking at it, she hears the same gurgled cry coming from somewhere inside the house. Sato will discover that the source is coming from a radio that is hanging on top of the door frame. After turning it off, Sato can then ask Mizuki's mother if she could give her the password to the computer. Unfortunately, Mizuki's mother can't remember it, thus leading Sato to find the password herself. She then heads upstairs to Mizuki's mother's room to investigate. In the room, she finds a box of masks, located next to the bed (Which is optional for the player to pick up or not). And a note that Mizuki wrote regarding Seiichiro, located on the desk. It reads:

After Sato finishes reading the note, Mizuki's mother barges in, angry that Sato was snooping around her room. Luckily, she calms down and gives Sato another hint on where the kids might be. She claims that Mizuki and her friends have been hanging out a lot recently and suggests looking at Kanae's house as that is the last place Mizuki was last heard at. With that information in mind, Sato and Officer Funahashi will head off to Kanae's house.

Upon arriving at Kanae's house, Sato greets a household worker who is pulling out the weeds in front of a house. He tells Sato that he wants to get the job done as soon as possible. Because he is slow at doing most of these things, he is willing to give us an item in return if we can find something for him to use.

(*Note: The task mentioned above is optional*)

Since Sato has nothing to give to the worker, she decides to go around the property to investigate. She tries to see if the small house where the worker is trimming the weeds is Kanae's house, but it is the wrong house. So, she instead walks up a small, dirtied path that is blocked off to see if she can find the place. Sato then notices another path on the side that leads up to Kanae's house, so she walks up the stairs and knocks on the front door. But to her dismay, no one is home. Sato goes back down the stairs and notices a man who had just pulled into the driveway. Turns out this man is Kanae's father. Sato explains to him that she is here to investigate about his daughter's disappearance and asks him if he may have any information about where she might be. He claims he doesn't but allows Sato to come inside the house to investigate.

Upon entering the house, Sato can head to the living room and pick up some snacks laying on the small table. Along with that, Sato can find another newspaper article along with another radio on the kitchen table. It reads:

Sato then goes upstairs to see what else she can find in the house. She goes into Kanae's room and notices that the desk drawer in her room seems to be locked. So, Sato decides to ask her father if he has the key to the drawer. He claims he doesn't, but he does tell Sato that Kanae has the tendency to hide items behind furniture when she was little. While he doesn't know if she still does that, but it at least gives Sato a clue to where the key would be. She finds the key behind a potted plant that is close to the closet door (near the TV). But upon grabbing it, Sato finds out that Kanae's father suddenly disappeared! And the radio starts to play the same gurgled cry from earlier. After turning off the radio, Sato goes to the spot where Kanae's father was standing at, but the only thing left is a beer can that is left lying on the floor in the exact spot where he was before. (Sato can choose whether or not to grab it). Sato then decides to head back upstairs to Kanae's room. But she then notices that Kanae's father is now standing in front of a wall next to the stairs, while muttering something. Sato is confused on what he is saying, but she decides to continue upstairs without questioning him. Upon opening the drawer, she finds a diary inside the drawer and decides to read it. The seven-page diary reads as follows:

Upon learning this, Sato opens up the pillow on the bed and finds the key. Since there isn't anything else that could be done at the moment, Sato leaves the house and goes back to Officer Funahashi (who luckily travelled up the steps to the house) to tell him where they should go next.

If Sato decides to go back to Akiko's house, she will go back inside the house and give the little girl the snacks in trade for the dog food. Before she heads back out, Sato asks the little girl about her grandmother (the old lady in the back). As she notices she isn't there anymore, to which the girl responds back with confusion, and claims she doesn't have a grandmother. Upon realizing this, Sato hears the sound of a demonic laughter, and the loud slamming of the kitchen door. But upon investigating the kitchen, there is nothing there. Ignoring it, Sato decides to head back to Mizuki's house.

Since Sato has some dog treats, she can head to the back of the house and give the dog some food. After feeding it, the dog gets up and walks to a corner of the house, where the dog begins to dig up something from the ground. Turns out, the dog had dug up a small wooden chest from the ground. And unexpectedly, the dog turns to Sato and thanks her (in human speech) for the food before quickly running off! If Sato has already obtained the key from Kanae's pillowcase, she can open up the chest, revealing a piece of paper with the password to Mizuki's computer. Sato will then head back inside Mizuki's house and investigate through her computer to see if she can find anything suspicious on there. She can check her emails and private chats. Upon reading the emails, Sato finds one that reads:

Reading the private chat, Sato will discover the following conversation:

Now knowing where the girls might be, Sato can relay that information to Officer Funahashi, and tell him what they should do next. Upon this point, it is up to the player to decide on the game's outcome.

Endings[]

Bad Ending[]

If Sato tells Officer Funahashi that they should head to the park, but she didn't obtain the three pinwheels and place them within the altar near Akiko's house. Things will immediately start to go strange as soon as they arrive at the park.

After walking near the playground, the atmosphere will immediately become dark, and she will hear a loud hissing noise, along with the sound of a loud wailing from someone nearby. When Sato turns around, she notices that Officer Funahashi is no longer there, and a silhouette of a girl is now following her! However, the figure will maintain a safe distance from her and will move back if Sato tries to get a closer look at her. Along with that, she notices another kid is watching her on top of the playground's castle. No longer feeling safe, Sato starts to walk upon the sidewalk that leads to a pier. Sato starts walking on the pier, but after some time, she notices another silhouette of a kid along the path, and she quickly charges at her while screaming at Sato. Unfortunately, upon reaching the end of the pier, Sato discovers the unfortunate fate of the three girls. The trio decided to take their own lives by drowning in the pond due to the massive amount of misfortune they had been enduring in their lives. Deeply saddened by this, Sato turns around and gets jump scared and pushed into the water by a mysterious figure. Luckily, Officer Funahashi rushes over to the pier and was able to quickly pull Sato out of the water before she drowned.

Sato becomes depressed over the fact that she couldn't save the three girls from taking her own lives. It is revealed that her son, Takumi (who was mentioned in the newspapers) had taken his life years prior and is upset that history is repeating itself once more. After locking herself in her house for a week, resenting herself for not being able to do more to help, she thinks more about her experience again about losing both her son and the three girls. She claims that Takumi's suicide is what made her to what she is today, "a bully detective". And regardless of how much pain she has to endure because of the incident, she will still continue to push forward to help others from going down the same path that her son and the three girls did.

Good Ending[]

To get the good ending, the player is required to complete three side quests within the game.

• At Mizuki's house, there is a boy standing by an adjacent house, wearing a stage play mask and holding a red pinwheel. He asks her to find some masks for him and his family. The masks are inside Mizuki's house, in a box next to Mizuki's mothers' bed. After obtaining the box, give it to the kid who will happily take it. As a reward, he will give Sato the red pinwheel.
• At Kanae's house, a household worker is seen removing some weeds at a nearby household. He is struggling to get the job done quickly and requests Sato to find something to make the job easier. Sato can obtain a scythe in the shed at Akiko's house (the same place where the Omamori was found). After giving the tool, the worker will thank Sato and reward us with the green pinwheel.
• At the police station, a man wants some beer, but most stores have already closed by now, and the vending machine doesn't have anything. If Sato and the other officers want him to go, he requests them to find him beer. Sato can obtain a beer can at Kanae's house. After finding the key to the desk drawer, Kanae's father will not be in his usual spot, and the beer he was drinking will be on the ground. After giving it to him, the man celebrates and thanks us by giving us the blue pinwheel.

After obtaining the three pinwheels, Sato will then have to place them on the altar by Akiko's house. (Walk along the dirtied path for a bit and take a left).

If Sato successfully obtained all three pinwheels and placed them at the altar before telling Officer Funahashi that they should head to the park. Things won't be so strange when she arrives at the park. When Sato starts looking around the playground, everything seems normal. She continues her investigation by walking on the sidewalk that leads to the pier. Upon reaching the end of the pier, she finds the missing three girls all sitting together with a mysterious black figure. Sato is able to stop the trio from taking their own lives that night and get them back home safe and sound.

In the epilogue, it is revealed what happened to the three girls.

• Akiko has been dealing with a severe amount of bullying at school. After Sato calls both the school and the parents about the bullying, the school is trying to put an end to it. However, Sato also called "189" to report child neglect due to the household's condition and the frequent absence of Akiko's parents. Akiko and her younger sister are in temporary custody, with Akiko not expressing too much concern, with high hopes that things will get better for her and her sister in the future.
• Kanae's parents have decided to file a divorce, with Kanae now living with her mother for now on. She plans to visit her father every now and then.
• As for Mizuki, she and her ex-boyfriend Seiichiro decided to get back together. It turns out the letter Sato found on Mizuki's mothers' desk was forged by her in order to get them to break up as she didn't think they were a good match. Luckily after spending time with each other more, Sato believes that Mizuki's mother will warm to Seiichiro in no time.

Sato then reflects on the time in which she sadly lost her son, Takumi, (The boy who was mentioned in the newspaper), to suicide. And while she couldn't save her son, she was happy to find the three girls safe and sound. Even though Takumi is no longer with her anymore, Sato believes deep down that he is still watching over her and staying with her by her side. And his guidance led to the discovery of the three girls.

One night, just like the night she found the girls. She hears the voice of her son somewhere in the sky congratulating her for doing her best.

Controls[]

• WASD - Move the protagonist around.
• Mouse - Look Around.
• Left Mouse Click - Interact.
• Esc button - Options.
• Tab - Inventory.
• Shift - Run.
• F button - Flashlight.

Characters[]

Main Characters[]

• Sato - The main protagonist of the game. A "detective" who specialize in helping people, specifically children who are struggling with bullying. Which earns her the nickname: "The Bully Detective". After receiving a phone call from the local police station about a recent disappearance of three kids. She is put in charge of the investigation on the girls' disappearance. It is later revealed that she became a detective after her son unfortunately committed suicide prior to the events of the game. As she wants to prevent others from going down the same path as her son did.
• Officer Funahashi - A police officer who helps Sato with the investigation. He drives Sato to the missing children's houses to gather information and investigate any suspicious activity. Officer Yamada describes him as having a "bad mouth", and Funahashi can be a bit sexist towards Sato as he didn't trust her to lead the investigation. But he eventually warms up over time. It is possible that Funahashi may be socially awkward as he was hesitant to talk to Mizuki's mother when Sato requested him to come with her.
• Officer Yamada - A police officer who is in charge of the police station. He is the one who calls Sato to come to the station to explain the disappearance of the kids and to ask Sato to help out. While not much is known about him but is likely that he is kind and respectful. He will offer save points to the player at any point during the game.
• Mizuki - A junior high school student who is amongst the three children who went missing. Prior to the events of the game, she had a boyfriend named Seiichiro. Despite the two getting along with one another, Mizuki's mother did not want the two of them dating and forged a fake breakup letter. Because of this, it led Mizuki and Seiichiro to fight a lot and lead to their actual breakup. After the breakup, she becomes upset by this, and she along with her two friends Kanae and Akiko decide to run away from home and commit suicide due to their misfortunes. In the good end, she and Seiichiro get back together and are closer than ever. It is unlikely that she knew that her mother forged the fake letter.
• Akiko - A junior high school student who is amongst the three children who went missing. Akiko had been dealing with a severe amount of bullying at her school. Since the school was doing nothing to help out, and due to parental neglect. Akiko became more and more depressed as days went by as the bullying continue to get worse. She along with her two friends Mizuki and Kanae decide to run away from home and commit suicide due to their misfortunes. In the good end, Sato reported to the school and her parents about the bullying, which led the school to put an effort to stopping it. Because of parental neglect, Akiko and her sister were put in temporary custody with Akiko feeling much better than ever since the incident. Hoping that she and her sister will have a better life in the future.
• Kanae - A junior high school student who is amongst the three children who went missing. Kanae has been dealing with the harsh life of being neglected. Her parents fight almost every day, with her dad being an alcoholic and her mom being a harsh parent. One day, she overheard that her parents only ended up together because of her, which made her feel unwanted. Because of this, she became depressed and she along with her two friends Mizuki and Akiko decide to run away from home and commit suicide due to their misfortunes. In the good end, it is revealed that her parents decide to file for a divorce with her now living with her mother. But she plans to visit her dad every once in a while.

Minor Characters[]

• Akiko's sister - The younger sister of Akiko. (Name unknown). She is seen sitting on the stairs holding a bag of dog food after Sato first explores the house and investigates the mysterious phone call. She is very shy and is reluctant to say anything when Sato tries to talk to her. In the good end, she and her older sister Akiko are relocated somewhere else due to their parents being neglectful.
• Old Lady - An old lady who is seen working in the backyard of Akiko's house. She is a kind person but can also be a bit jumpy too. It was believed at first that she was the grandmother of Akiko as she showed concern over her disappearance. But when Sato asks Akiko's sister about her, she claims they don't have a grandmother. It is unknown who the old woman truly is.
• Little boy - A child that lives close to Mizuki's house. He is seen outside playing with a red windmill while wearing a stage play mask. Him and his family wear face masks on a daily basis, but since they ran out and have to resort to other masks. He asks Sato to find some for him and his family. He awards Sato with his red windmill if she completes his task.
• Household Worker - A man who works at a nearby home near Kanae's house. He is shown to be rather slow at his work but chooses to stay because of the pay. He requests Sato to help him find a gardening tool to get his job done quicker. If Sato completes his task, he will give her the green windmill as a thank you gift.
• Businessman - A man who is seen standing in front of the vending machine in front of the police station. He tells Sato he wants a beer, but the vending machine doesn't have one, and the stores have closed early. He is also shown to be a bit rude as he refused to look or acknowledge Sato while talking to her. If Sato completes his task, he will give us the blue windmill as a gift.
• Mizuki's dog - Mizuki's pet dog. Her pet dog is very old and was very hungry when Sato finds it lying on the ground. It's possible that Mizuki's dog is a spirit as the dog thanks Sato for giving it food (in human speech) before disappearing.

Antagonists[]

• Mysterious figure - A figure who was seen sitting next to the three girls at the pier in the good end. It is also seen in the bad end where it jump scares Sato after she discovers the three girls at the bottom of the pond. It is unknown who the figure is, but it is possible that it is an evil spirit who encourages the girls to take their own lives.
• Mizuki's mother - The mother of Mizuki. (Name unknown). She refuses to trust Sato when she comes over to her house to investigate, even with the presence of Officer Funahashi. Showing that she either has trust issues or is afraid that Sato might find something in the house that may lead to her getting arrested. She is also shown to be a very strict parent, as she didn't want to her daughter dating someone she doesn't approve of. Even going as far to write a fake letter to get Mizuki and her boyfriend Seiichiro to break up. Despite all of this, she still shows concern for her daughter's safety. She can be considered as an antagonist as her actions led Mizuki to run away from home.
• Kanae's father - The father of Kanae. (Name unknown). He is an alcoholic and a verbally abusive husband towards his wife. As he is shown to constantly yell at his wife for little to no reason. He is also shown to be rather neglectful to his daughter, not remember her birthday, caring very little about her, especially towards that of how she feels. Despite all of this, he still cares about his daughter's safety. In the good end, she and his wife filed for a divorce. With him no longer being in custody of Kanae, but she plans to visit him from time to time. He can be considered as an antagonist as he and his wife's behavior caused Kanae to run away from home.

Mentioned Characters[]

• Takumi - The twelve-year-old son of Sato. He unfortunately committed suicide at some point before the main events of the game. It's unknown what led him to take his own life, but his actions ultimately led his mother to become the person who she is. (To become a bully detective).
• Seiichiro - The boyfriend of Mizuki. He and Mizuki have a very positive relationship with one another. But the two broke up when Mizuki's mother forged a fake breakup note which caused the two to fight a lot. In the good end, the two of them get back together.
• Kanae's mother - The mother of Kanae. (Name unknown). Not much is known about her personality, but it is known that she and her husband never had a good relationship, with the two of them constantly fighting with one another. While she may not be as abusive as her husband, she is still rather neglectful as she forgets her daughter's birthday and even belittling her about her grades. Her and her husband's behavior caused Kanae to run away from home since it made her feel unwanted. In the good end, she and her husband officially filed for a divorce, with Kanae's mother taking custody of her daughter. She can be considered as a semi-antagonist.
• Akiko's parents - Not much is known about them, but it is implied that they are neglectful towards their kids. As their house is filled with trash and are most likely not home most of the time to take care of the two. They are not seen throughout the game, with them only being mentioned in the good end. They lost custody of their kids as Sato called protective services because of parental neglect. They can be considered as semi-antagonists.
• Bully/Bullies - A student(s) that bullied Akiko. Because of the lack of intervention from both the school and parents, Akiko was left to fend for herself. When it got at its worse, Akiko planned to commit suicide along with her two friends. In the good end, the school was finally informed about the bullying, with the principal finally taking action to help make the bullying stop. They/Him/Her can be considered as antagonist(s) as his/her/their actions led to Akiko's disappearance.

Trivia[]

• This is one of the few Chilla's Art games in which a save point is offered.
• In the early builds of the game, Kanae's father is not present after Sato grabs the key to Kanae's desk drawer. Though in v1.01, he now appears right next to the stairs muttering something.
  • The sentence Kanae's father says: "テノチキテヨアオヒハロ". ("Tenochikite yoa halo"). Has no meaning, and it is something he said randomly due to his drunken state.
• The bed that is in Mizuki's room is similar to the one seen in the protagonist's apartment in The Convenience Store.
  • The only difference is that the protagonist's bed has one red pillow and a pillow with a heart on it, while Mizuki has the pillow with a heart on it and two regular pillows.
• Sato is amongst the few main protagonists whose appearance was shown.
  • While her in-game model was not shown, a picture of her was shown at the intro of the game. Making her one of the few protagonists to have their portraits or pictures shown.

External links[]

• Missing Children on Steam

Gallery[]