Pure Stealth. No Combat.
Shadows and Shurikens is a stealth game in the tradition of Tenchu, Metal Gear, Thief, and Splinter Cell. But with a rule: no combat. You're a ninja. If you're seen, you run, hide, or die. There's no sword-swinging your way out.
"Most stealth games devolve into 'get caught, mash attack to survive.' Shadows and Shurikens is different."
Players can only execute kills and knockouts when unseen. If spotted, there's a brief escape window — smoke bombs, dragon powers, vanish moves — but failing that usually means death. Lethality is asymmetrical by design.
The Dragon Companion
The dragon Kuroryuu Genmu is a smoke dragon. No fire. His attacks, his abilities, his very form — all smoke. He's rendered using Niagara Fluids in Unreal Engine 5, a living VFX presence that follows you everywhere.
And he's your stealth meter. Not a HUD element. The dragon's visibility reflects your detection state. When you're hidden, he's calm. When guards are suspicious, he shifts. When you're spotted, he reacts. It's diegetic design — the world tells you its state through the dragon, not through UI overlays.
Read more about the dragon's lore and name.
Diegetic Everything
The inventory isn't a pause menu. You pull a bamboo scroll off your back, place it on the ground, and unroll it. The camera moves over your shoulder. It happens in real-time — you're vulnerable while browsing your items. Think The Last of Us backpack system, but with a ninja aesthetic.
"Having a fully animated in-world menu with smoke effects makes it feel immersive rather than a static overlay."
Same philosophy everywhere: detection through the dragon, inventory through the scroll, story through the environment.
The Opening
Inspired by Shenmue's legendary opening sequence:
You awaken meditating in a hot spring. Your dragon companion slumbers beside you. A loud noise from the next room. Your father is dying. A letter explains: the dragon hunters found you. Your father defected from the clan to protect the last dragon. Now it's your turn.
The tutorial isn't a separate level. The story IS the tutorial. You learn stealth mechanics while the narrative unfolds.
27 Plugins, Blueprint-Only
The entire game runs on a modular plugin architecture in Unreal Engine 5:
- Blueprint-only — No C++ for game logic. Tags drive everything. Events wire it together.
- CGF (Core GameFramework) — Originally built for the marketplace, now powering the game
- KEM (Kill Execution Manager) — Cinematic stealth kills with QTE escape windows
- Parkour System — Wall climbing, ledge hanging, rooftop traversal
- Music Manager — MetaSounds with role-based tracks (Calm, Suspicious, Combat, Boss)
Assets from Leartes Studios provide the environments: Feudal Japanese Village, Ancient Library, Japanese Temple, Castle. Each creates distinct mission zones for stealth traversal.
The Seven Bosses
Each boss holds a fragment of the dragon's scattered essence. Defeat them, and the dragon's power returns:
"Each major boss holds a piece of the dragon's essence; killing them restores his power and memory."
The bosses belong to the Kage Ryodan (Shadow Order), an ancient clan that feared dragon magic and hunted them to extinction. Kuroryuu is the last. Your father died protecting him. The mission is vengeance and restoration.
The Marketplace Connection
The assets selling on FAB Marketplace are the same assets in the game AND in the Kuroryuu desktop app:
- Dragon Scribe Elements — styling the imperial Kuroryuu theme
- Grunge GUI Elements — textures in the grunge theme
- Samurai Helmets, Ancient Maps, Swords and Katanas — game content
One art direction across every product. The marketplace funds development. The game uses the assets. The desktop app wears the same skin.
The Market
"I've searched over 200 games on Steam using the term 'stealth' and NOTHING holds a candle to this and Tenchu."
Pure stealth is an underserved niche. Aragami and Shadow Tactics sold hundreds of thousands of copies. There hasn't been a true Tenchu successor. Shadows and Shurikens aims to be that game.
Steam wishlist is ready. The website is live at shadowsandshurikens.com.
Read the origin story to see how it all connects.