'Abilities' either rely upon Aragami's Shadow Essence or have infinite uses. Scrolls can be spent to unlock various useful skills, such as the ability to become temporarily invisible or to make corpses vanish. The player can also die by falling into water.ДЄs the player explores the levels, they may find several hidden scrolls.

Any successful hit by a guard will kill Aragami instantly, returning the player to the last checkpoint to try again.

If they find a corpse or see the player clearly, they will blow a horn, temporarily making all the guards actively search for Aragami, and causing them to become more suspicious if the player evades detection. Observing evidence of the player's presence (such as the sound of their comrades dying or spotting the player in the distance) will make guards suspicious, causing them to draw their swords and investigate. A guard can be killed instantly by attacking him within a certain range, but the only enemy that must be killed to complete a chapter is the boss (if present). There are also archers that patrol elevated areas and can spot the player at a longer distance while aiming, and swordsmen circled by a torch that kills the player on contact. Basic sword-wielding guards are the most common enemy, and can throw light projectiles to kill the player. Later in the game, the player gains a raven that will show the player the location of objectives through walls, and a set of bells that can be rung to lure enemies elsewhere.Д®ach chapter is patrolled by many guards.

Shadow Essence is replenished by standing in the shadows, and drained by standing near intense light sources such as lanterns. Aragami can teleport to any part of the map in a certain radius where a shadow is cast, but doing so expends 'Shadow Essence', displayed as a meter on his cape. To complete a chapter, the player must go to certain areas to collect items or destroy obstacles and reach the level's exit. The player controls a shadow spirit, Aragami, attempting to reach the end of all thirteen open-world chapters in order.

Aragami switch gameplay