Plot Twist, a Melbourne-based games studio, has announced that the visual novel Ashes will launch in Early Access this May, with a full launch planned for December. This period of time will be used to finish the story, refine the existing minigames/add new ones, and provide new narrative content. The game blends graphic novel panels with interactive puzzles.…
Plot Twist, a Melbourne-based games studio, has announced that the visual novel Ashes will launch in Early Access this May, with a full launch planned for December. This period of time will be used to finish the story, refine the existing minigames/add new ones, and provide new narrative content. The…
Read MoreNot A Cat Studios has announced STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age. The dark fantasy romantic visual novel is set in a world on the brink of disaster, and players must use an Emotion Palette to read others’ true emotions and intentions, influence relationships, and uncover the truth behind a brutal murder.…
Read MorePublisher Idea Factory International has announced a preorder date of April 22 for physical copies of otome visual novel fan disc Birushana: Winds of Fate; it will be available through the IFI Online Store and participating retailers. The company has also announced the contents of the game’s Plus Version, exclusive…
Read MoreThe first otome visual novel that I played – in fact, the first visual novel at all – was Hakuouki, back on the PlayStation 3, when visual novels on console were a rare treat indeed. These days, we’re inundated with the genre, but Idea Factory, the publisher behind Hakuouki, have…
Read MoreSekai Project has announced that comedic visual novel Welcome to Café Lumière! ~A Dragon Girl Concept Café~, the first game from Japanese developer Cutephoria, will be released for PC later this month. It originally launched in Japan in November 2025. The game features artwork by veteran bishoujo game illustrator Koucha.…
Read MoreIdea Factory International has announced that it will be publishing 9 R.I.P. sequel, a sequel to the otome visual novel 9 R.I.P., digitally and physically for Nintendo Switch later this year. The game features nine full routes, including direct continuations of the Heavenly and Godly Endings from 9 R.I.P. Players…
Read MoreNintendo’s decision to revive the Famicom Detective Club series seems to have kick-started a mild rush of new games that are, effectively, mystery visual novels, but have point-and-click elements and light puzzles to keep players interested and intrigued. That’s a good thing. This genre is excellent. And Aksys’ decision to…
Read MoreBack in 2023 (dear lord, time flies fast), Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo was a surprising release by Square Enix. By that company’s standard, it was a humble and straightforward visual novel, but clearly the execs had seen the success of Danganronpa, AI: The Somnium Files, Famicom Detective Club…
Read MoreJen Williams has seen the future, and like many of us, she’s worried about it. The studio lead at Cherrymochi, the Japan-based indie outfit behind the cult hit Tokyo Dark, spent the early 2000s working with Hewlett-Packard on GPS-triggered gaming experiments in Bristol. Back then, everyone was certain they were…
Read MoreAfter introducing Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse at last week’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Square Enix has released new information about the supernatural mystery adventure game. Specifically, it has introduced seven characters and two game systems. The title will be launched next week.…
Read More