Higurashi When They Cry is a Japanese visual novel series. The story is divided into eight main arcs. The story takes place primarily in June of 1983 in the rural Japanese village where the main protagonist has just moved with his family, We soon learn that the villagers hold an annual festival dedicated to a strange god, during which someone always dies and another disappears. The search for answers leads the player to learn dark secrets about his new friends and the village itself.