Return to Shironagasu Island Creator Denies Inspiration from Epstein Case
The game Return to Shironagasu Island became a topic of discussion after its creator had to clarify that the work was not inspired by the real-life case involving the so-called “Epstein Island.” The comparison arose due to the game’s dark atmosphere set on an isolated island, which led part of the audience to make mistaken associations.
The game’s developer himself, Hyogo Onimushi, used the social network X to deny any connection between the game and the Jeffrey Epstein case. According to him, not only was the scandal never used as a reference, but such inspiration would be chronologically impossible, since the game’s first release happened years before the case gained worldwide attention.
“Just to make it clear, I did not base Return to Shironagasu Island on the Epstein Island scandal in any way. The Epstein case came to light in 2019, while the first version of my game was released in the summer of 2017 at Comiket. The full version came out around 2018,” Onimushi explained in his post.
Return to Shironagasu Island is a mystery and horror visual novel featuring point-and-click investigation mechanics. In the story, the player takes on the role of a detective who travels to the remote island of Shironagasu after receiving a mysterious invitation found in a millionaire’s suicide note. Alongside a genius young woman with a photographic memory, the player must uncover disturbing secrets while trying to escape alive.
Despite having no connection to real events, the heavy tone of the narrative and the isolated setting ended up fueling comparisons on social media. Some people even commented directly to the developer, saying they were reminded of the game whenever they saw news about Epstein Island.
One fan wrote, “You’ve probably heard this a thousand times, but whenever I see something about Epstein Island, I remember Return to Shironagasu Island.”
Onimushi once again emphasized that these associations are purely coincidental. Although the game was officially released on Steam in 2020, physical copies had already been circulating since 2017, which rules out any possibility of inspiration from the real-life case. Even so, the developer said he frequently has to answer questions like this, describing the situation as “a real dilemma.”
Despite the controversy, the game continues to be a success. By 2024, Return to Shironagasu Island had sold over 210,000 copies and maintains very positive ratings on Steam. In March 2025, the title received a major update that added full Japanese voice acting and new scenes to the story.