Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record — Everything We Know

For over 13 years, the Shiren the Wanderer series has been on hiatus. Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is the last mainline entry. The game was released in 2010 for Nintendo DS platforms in Japan. Later, the game made its way to the PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android platforms in Japan. Only the version on the PlayStation Vita made it to the NA/EU regions, and the Nintendo Switch and PC versions made it to the rest of the world. 

Recently, during the Japanese Nintendo Direct event, we got wind of the newest entry in the Shiren the Wanderer series currently in development. The new game will be called Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record. It plans to launch on Nintendo Switch platforms in Japan very soon. 

But what more do we know about the new game? Is there an official confirmation of the story, gameplay, and release date? And, most importantly, will the new release make it to the Western and Rest of the World regions? Tag along on our Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record — Everything We Know article below to find out.

What is Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record?

Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record is an upcoming roguelike dungeon role-playing game. It's currently in development and will be published by Spike Chunsoft. 

The official announcement was made during the Japanese Nintendo Direct event, along with additional “coming soon” games to look forward to. The upcoming game will be the sixth mainline entry in the Shiren the Wanderer series, which is part of a larger Mystery Dungeon series. 

Further, Spike Chunsoft plans to release the new game on Nintendo Switch platforms in 2024. However, they’ve only confirmed a Japan release, with unclear assumptions of whether the game will make it to other regions. 

If the last mainline title, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate, is any indication, though, there’s a chance the new game might make it to the West and the rest of the world. So, watch this space while we keep an eye out and let you know once we get wind of more updates.

Story

The story of Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record will take place between the events of Shiren the Wanderer GB: Monster of Moonlight Village and Shiren the Wanderer 4: The Eye of God and the Devil's Navel. It’ll follow the titular protagonist, Shiren, as he embarks on a brand new adventure on Toguro Island. Having left Tsukikage Village a few months before, they began dreaming of an island filled with lots of treasure. So, they set out to find it amid the small islands of the Inland Sea.

Rumors would have it that the island’s treasure was embedded inside the belly of a monster. So, they would presumably be forced to fight the monster to recover the treasure for themselves. Alongside Shiren and Koppa is Asuka, a side character you may already know from previous entries in the series.

Gameplay

If you’ve played previous Shiren the Wanderer games, then you’ll already have an easier time navigating the new entry’s gameplay. The game is a roguelike, dungeon, and role-playing game. It’ll have players exploring randomly generated dungeons. They’ll also brace themselves for battle against monsters, some of whom are recurring from previous entries.

Unlike previous games, Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record will receive a semi-UI overhaul. First, you’ll be able to keep track of the items in your inventory. You'll also see a semi-transparent log on the lower right side of your screen. Plus, you’ll have access to notifications on the lower left side. These will inform you of new findings while exploring the dungeons. Some of these findings will include making a new monster discovery and the like.

As aforementioned, you’ll run into some familiar monsters, revamped from previous entries in the series. However, in addition to recurring monsters, you should also come across new monsters introduced in the upcoming game.

Development

It’s official. Developer Spike Chunsoft will develop and publish the upcoming Toguro Island Expedition Record game. The announcement was made at the Japanese Nintendo Direct event on September 14, 2023. It came as a surprise, seeing as the last mainline entry in the series was released in 2010, marking a whopping 13-year hiatus in between releases. 

There have been ports and remasters made during the hiatus period. However, receiving a new mainline entry marks the continuation of the beloved Shiren the Wanderer series, and the larger Mystery Dungeon series. It’s also a good sign that the Shiren the Wanderer series does have a solid following, especially after the successful launch of the Switch port of The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate.

Spike Chunsoft has confirmed an actual release date of January 25, 2024, for Nintendo Switch platforms in Japan with Japanese and traditional Chinese language support. We’re yet to receive any confirmation of an English version (or worldwide launch, for that matter). 

Trailer

Feel free to check out the gameplay trailer showing Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record vibrant environments, intriguing gameplay, and turn-based features.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record will launch on January 25, 2024, for Nintendo Switch platforms in Japan with Japanese and traditional Chinese language support. We don’t know of any editions currently available for pre-order. Neither can we confirm a Western or worldwide release. Hopefully, future updates will reveal access to more platforms and an English version to widen the scope of the new game’s audience. We’ll keep an eye out for these. Meanwhile, feel free to check out the official website here to stay up to date. 

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Shiren the Wanderer 6: Toguro Island Expedition Record when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.