Village Rules
Village in the Shade Rules: All Eight Kagatsu Village Rules
Kagatsu Village looks peaceful during the day, but life there is shaped by eight old rules that become more important as the story moves from everyday rural life into the village's hidden side.
This page keeps the first half spoiler-light, explains what each rule means in practical gameplay terms, and shows where Rule One, Rule Five, Rule Six and Rule Seven connect directly to known progression.
Spoiler note
The quick-reference sections stay spoiler-light. Later sections explain story relevance, mode differences and the known preparation requirement for Rule Seven.
Last verified: August 10, 2026. Current translations are working English phrasing until the official interface localization is published.
Rule status
What is already clear
Number of village rules
8
11:00 PM curfew
Verified
Rules tied to main story
Verified
Nighttime breaks Rule One
Verified
Village in the Sunshine blocks rule-breaking
Verified
Rule Five chapter
Autumn
Rule Six chapter
Autumn
Rule Seven chapter
Winter
Rule Seven prep
Gold Axe
Official English wording
Not yet available
Quick Answer
What Are the Eight Rules of Kagatsu Village?
These working English translations capture the currently documented Kagatsu rule list and the clearest known gameplay connection for each one.
Rule Breakdown
What Does Each Rule Mean?
The most important distinction is that not every normal action counts as a rule violation. The rules matter most in specific story and nighttime contexts.
Do Not Go Outside After 11:00 PM
Mechanically the clearest rule because it controls curfew and opens midnight exploration on eligible nights.
- Under normal circumstances, 11:00 PM leads back to home rather than free exploration.
- Special nighttime events let you leave home and break the curfew.
- This is the main doorway into ghosts, Magatama, Lost Books and other night-only systems.
Cooperate for the Good of the Village
Best understood as a social expectation that supports requests, shared work and participation in village life.
- There is no verified evidence that skipping one normal request automatically breaks Rule Two.
- It fits the game's community structure, but this page avoids claiming a hidden punishment system.
- Treat it as part of Kagatsu's values unless a story scene explicitly frames it as a violation.
Do Not Approach Strangers
A warning about outsiders that helps explain Kagatsu's suspicion and unease around unknown people.
- The protagonist is also an outsider when arriving in the village, which makes the rule thematically important.
- Normal conversations with newly introduced villagers should not be treated as automatic violations.
- The rule matters most when the story highlights unknown or threatening people, not ordinary NPC interaction.
Do Not Expose Another Person's Secrets
Closely tied to villager backstories, hidden information and the game's gradual reveal structure.
- Friendship progression is not the same thing as exposing a secret.
- Villagers revealing information themselves is not framed as a Rule Four violation.
- This rule matters when private truths and village history become story-sensitive.
Do Not Leave the Village
Confirmed as a dedicated Autumn progression point rather than background lore.
- It should not be read as a ban on every trip into nearby mountain, hunting or fishing areas.
- The meaningful boundary is story-specific and therefore spoiler-sensitive.
- Normal preparation through Autumn is enough; there is no reliable published Rule Five equipment checklist.
Do Not Answer Voices From the Mountain
One of the clearest signs that the rules belong to the horror side of the game, not just rural etiquette.
- It refers to a story-specific voice warning, not ordinary ambient sounds or mining noises.
- Players who want to minimize horror content should pay attention when the story highlights the mountain voice.
- This rule is story-relevant, but the spoiler-light section avoids publishing the full event sequence.
Do Not Search for What Was Lost
Currently one of the most practical late rules because it has a known preparation requirement.
- The Winter route tied to Rule Seven requires a Gold Axe to clear fallen trees in the thicket.
- Rule Seven should not be confused with Lost Books, which are legitimate nighttime collectibles.
- If Winter story progress stalls here, tool progression is the first thing to check.
A Wish Requires an Appropriate Price
The broadest and most ominous rule, with stronger story significance than everyday-system evidence right now.
- Current spoiler-safe public material does not support a simple everyday trade formula for this rule.
- It should be treated as a late-story idea unless stronger gameplay evidence appears.
- This page avoids inventing fixed mechanical costs or repeatable systems around wishes.
Story Relevance
How the Rules Progress Through the Game
The rules are not a free checklist. The story gradually places the protagonist in situations where the code becomes relevant.
Rules versus ordinary gameplay
Going to the mountain is not automatically Rule Five. Talking to a new villager is not automatically Rule Three. Collecting Lost Books is not automatically Rule Seven. The narrative context matters.
Preparation
What Should You Prepare Before Rule-Related Progression?
Only a few requirements are strong enough to publish confidently right now, so this section stays practical and cautious.
Before Midnight Exploration
- Flashlight
- Food
- Hoe
- Pickaxe
- Straw Doll when available
Before Rule Five and Rule Six
- Keep normal tool, money and supply progression moving through Autumn
- Do not chase speculative prep lists that are not tied to a verified story step
Before Rule Seven
- Upgrade your Axe to Gold
- Check tool materials before Winter progression
Mode Difference
Do the Rules Work the Same in Village in the Sunshine?
No. This is one of the most important system differences on the entire site.
Key Takeaways
What Players Usually Need to Know First
If you only want the practical overview, these are the points most likely to matter on a first playthrough.
Common Questions
Common Rule Misunderstandings
These are the misconceptions most likely to confuse players who are trying to stay spoiler-light.
No. Ordinary gameplay already includes nearby outdoor areas. Rule Five becomes meaningful in a specific story context, not every trip beyond the village houses.
No verified evidence supports that interpretation. Rule Three is best understood as a warning about suspicious outsiders, not a ban on normal villager interaction.
No. Lost Books are intentional nighttime collectibles and should not be treated as Rule Seven violations.
No. Some rules connect directly to supernatural story events, but there is no verified one-rule-one-ghost system.
Current public walkthrough data points to a later story choice rather than a simple rules-broken counter.
Only by choosing Village in the Sunshine, which also changes access to the main mystery and normal story progression.
Next steps
Follow the rule path without over-spoiling the story
Start with the nighttime guide if Rule One is your main question, then use the Village in the Sunshine page if you want to compare the safer route before deciding how much of Kagatsu's mystery you want to see.