When I think of Idea Factory otome games, much of what comes to mind is as cute and colourful as the upcoming Cupid Paradise: Sweet and Spicy Darling. Don’t get me wrong, those are wonderful and creative games – but what if an otome visual novel decides to go dark with a supernatural theme? You end up with 9 R.I.P.,…
I would describe Read Only Memories: Neurodiver as a cyberpunk psychic mystery visual novel with point-and-click adventure elements. Or is it the other way around? Either way, use the word psychic in any capacity describing a game and I’ll instantly be interested. (Or the word cryptid, kind of funny because…
Those who have been reading DDNet for some time know that for…
With the same creative team behind it as Olympia Soiree, Tengoku Struggle:…
Thank the maker for Aksys. The publisher of the most niche of niche visual novels has announced that it will be bringing Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II to the Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation in late February 2024. Death Mark II is actually the third in the series, after Death…
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I struggle to think of a more consistent developer than Otomate. The Idea Factory otome specialist developer produces games at such a rate that I’m convinced the only reason we don’t get all of them in the West is that the localisers simply can’t work that fast… and that’s a…
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I love a good spooky story; it doesn’t have to have jump scares, it just has to be deeply, deeply unsettling. That’s the kind of story told in Varney Lake, the second in a trilogy of Pixel Pulp games. I reviewed the first game, Mothmen 1966, about a year ago.…
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What happens when you blend the otome visual novel sub-genre with death games like Danganronpa or Squid Games? Essentially, you get Charade Maniacs. This is Idea Factory’s latest to make its way out west and it’s an intriguing and eclectic thing. I don’t know if this particular fusion of ideas…
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Rain is a common motif in noir. Whether it be the grim, dank, and hostile urban decay of Se7en, or the neon-drenched dystopia of Blade Runner, water is so common to noir that there is, to quote Paul Schrader in his book Notes on Film Noir “an almost Freudian attachment…
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Have you ever played a game that feels like it was designed specifically for you? Jack Jeanne is just that to me. In fact, I’m working on a visual novel project myself, and I’m shocked at just how thematically and structurally similar it will be to Jack Jeanne (at least,…
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Who doesn’t like a freebie? Midnight Witch – the first project by Crimson Moon Studio – has released today, and the developers are giving it away for nothing. There’s no catch with that either. No DLC for characters or costumes. No microtransactions. It’s just a free game to add to…
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Kara no Shoujo (translated as The Shell) is a detective/mystery series of three very adult visual novels that have a reputation for being of immeasurably high quality. The first was originally released in English by MangaGamer back in 2011, and since then it and its sequel has quietly bubbled along…
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At first glance, it’s difficult to understand Ghostpia’s appeal. You place static screenshots, out of context, next to the breathtaking art of Otomate’s visual novels, the vivid energy of something like Danganronpa, or even independent efforts like Sweetest Monster or Corpse Factory, and it’s really hard to see why PQube…
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Game development crunch is bad. There’s literally no upside to it. Games get rushed, released with issues, and the staff suffers. So I take very little issue with games being delayed, despite being super impatient. I’d rather the people behind it stay healthy while creating the best product possible. So…
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