# SHI•RO — A lacquer box full of stories. > Japanese lacquer box puzzle game with ancient Japanese stories and language learning. (iPhone/iPad app by the brothers grimm.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiro/id1398905123 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [the brothers grimm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1398905122) - Category: Games, Education, Adventure, Puzzle - Price: $2.99 - Rating: 4.60/5 from 215 App Store ratings · 41 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 10.0 · 181 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2018-09-09 - Data updated: 2026-08-16 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiro/id1398905123/reviews.md ## What is SHI? Solve challenging puzzles on a beautiful Japanese lacquer box and engage with stories based in early Japan: In the beginning, so the Kojiki tells, sea was sky and sky was sea. Journey towards calmness while rotating a lacquer box, puzzle by puzzle, word by word, further in time. In SHI•RO you reconcile past and present with empress Gemmei, travel through dark forests to invite spirits to the shrine of old Yoshida, and climb Mount Inari with a fox. PLAY AN ENGAGING STORY SHI•RO tells the story of an ancient empress, a lost love and a blossoming friendship. Based on the first Japanese writing, the Kojiki, you engage with an emerging world. SOLVE CHALLENGING PUZZLES Over 60 handmade puzzles challenge you along the journey of empress Gemmei. Think out of the box while playing on a lacquer box! Will you help the empress to separate the sea from the sky? ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN SHI•RO celebrates the beauty of Japanese lacquerware by transforming your device into a lacquer box. Gold and silver shimmer in your hands while you unriddle complex geometries and find stories of depth beyond the surface. LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF JAPAN By solving puzzles, you hear words of Japanese language, or as a native speaker of Japanese, learn words in English. Japanese Taiko drums will guide your way. ENTER THE SHI•RO UNIVERSE By purchasing SHI•RO, you get access to the complete first part, KURO. But more is in the making! Once we release the second part MIDORI and the third part AKA, you will be able to purchase them in-game and continue your journey. ## Key features - Challenging lacquer box puzzles - Engaging ancient Japanese stories - Beautiful Japanese lacquerware design - Japanese language learning elements - Taiko drum soundscapes ## Recent user reviews (10 of 41) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiro/id1398905123/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Beautiful, atmospheric, great puzzle game *2026-06-20* Beautiful graphics and sound design, with Japanese mythology and language woven into it. ### 5/5 — Relaxing and beautiful *2026-01-09* SHI•RO is a gentle and relaxing puzzle game with an interesting story, simple but challenging enough gameplay and nice music all wrapped in a gorgeous lawyer box style. ### 5/5 — Good quiet brain teaser *2022-10-06* The graphics and pace of the game establish that this is a quiet challenge and it turns out eventually a satisfying and rewarding one if you can slow down enough. I found myself hitting points of frustration but the choices are purposefully limited so it’s only a matter of time that I would return to a puzzle and solve it and there was my reward. The logic can become tricky but when you distil it down to the mathematical choices it becomes instinctive. The reward becomes greater when you crack a system for the dancing dots (although I always have to spend time remembering what that system was). Very lovely and refreshingly distinctive. I also very much enjoyed the back story ### 5/5 — Beautiful game *2022-01-16, version 1.0.3* This is a relaxing game that can be played even a baby is sleeping in arms. The sounds are soothing. This is a great game for people who like a challenge. Awesome details in pictures and great way to learn history and new words. I hope they keep this game around for a long time. ### 5/5 — Elegante e raffinato *2020-12-01, version 1.0.3* Originale e ben realizzato, grafica stupenda. Aspetto che siano disponibili ulteriori livelli. ### 4/5 — Great game, but when will we get more? *2020-10-19* This game is very engaging with the sounds, visuals, and game play. However, I’ve been wondering for a while how long until the other sections of the game will be finished and released. I think it’s been a year since the last update and I look forward to the next! ### 5/5 — Beautiful, atmospheric, great puzzle game *2020-09-22, version 1.0.3* Perfectly crafted, good puzzler game. Beautiful graphics and sound design. Plus you can learn about Japanese mythology and some Japanese words as you play. ### 5/5 — Way to reset the game.... *2020-09-15* Beautiful game. Unless I am mistaken... I couldn’t find a way to reset the game to play again. ### 5/5 — Beautiful game *2020-07-04* Beautiful graphics, good sound, great story and learn some Japanese words too. Excited for more stories to be released. ### 4/5 — Hübsches Spiel *2020-04-30, version 1.0.3* Toll erzählt und klasse illustriert ## Frequently asked questions about SHI ### What is SHI•RO? SHI•RO is a puzzle game set in early Japan, where players solve challenging puzzles on a beautifully designed Japanese lacquer box. The game integrates engaging stories based on the Kojiki, Japan's first writing, allowing players to journey through ancient tales and learn elements of the Japanese language. ### What kind of puzzles are in SHI•RO? The game features over 60 handmade puzzles that are designed to be challenging and require out-of-the-box thinking. These puzzles often involve complex geometries and are integrated into the narrative and the visual theme of the lacquer box. ### How much does SHI•RO cost? SHI•RO is a paid application. Purchasing the game grants access to the complete first part, KURO. Additional parts, MIDORI and AKA, will be available for purchase in-game as they are released. ### What platforms is SHI•RO available on? The provided information does not specify the platforms SHI•RO is available on. However, it is described as a mobile application, suggesting availability on iOS and/or Android devices. ### What are the main stories featured in SHI•RO? The stories in SHI•RO are based on the Kojiki, Japan's first writing. Players will engage with narratives involving an ancient empress, a lost love, a blossoming friendship, and journeys through mythical landscapes like dark forests and Mount Inari. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.1 — 2022-05-09 Fixed links to external contents. ### 1.0.3 — 2018-12-05 The Open Sky awaits you with 15 challenging new puzzles, unlocking Japanese instruments and sounds. Jam away! ### 1.0.2 — 2018-09-12 Added some sparkles and optimized the languages. ### 1.0.1 — 2018-09-06 We improved the first few minutes of gameplay by adding additional animations and signifiers. ### 1.0 — 2018-07-16 No release notes. ## Apps similar to SHI | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sweet Drmzzz](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sweet-drmzzz/id924000453) | 4.7 (12) | $2.49 | Games | | [Overwords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/overwords/id6747488783) | 4.7 (9) | $2.99 | Games | | [Odysseus Kosmos - Episode 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/odysseus-kosmos-episode-1/id1368398241) | 4.4 (19) | $2.49 | Games | | [Hungry Oni](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hungry-oni/id588268877) | 4.7 (20) | Free | Games | | [Scenic Route's Generations](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scenic-routes-generations/id6446493824) | 4.9 (21) | $4.99 | Games | | [Rabbit's Hop](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rabbits-hop/id6744843726) | 2.0 (1) | $0.99 | Games | ## More apps by the brothers grimm - [SHI•RO: Midori](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiro-midori/id1492094351) All apps by the brothers grimm: https://appshunter.io/developer/1398905122 ## Related topics [lacquer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/lacquer) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-16.*