In some exciting news, a very special company near and dear to my heart, Studio Élan has games for you. The yuri, or girls-loving-girls, experts have announced they’ve released 4 new titles for fans of the genre. In case you’re not familiar, their work extends to my favorite, Heart of the Woods, and publishing others like Without a Voice. These visual novels are all small in length but have beautiful stories to tell. The best part about all of this? All 4 titles are free because they’re part of an internal game jam! So if you’re a fan of the women-loving-women genre and have a reading itch, there’s no better time to hop in than now. You can read all the synopsis right below. If you have the time, please check them out over on Itch.io!

wouldn’t it be great if you had a new yuri game to play for october? or maybe 4 brand new yuri games? for free??

yeah you should check out our new gaymes: https://t.co/Qd2R1Aut7P pic.twitter.com/95XMHubAot

— Studio Élan ⚢ (@vnstudioelan) September 30, 2024

Let’s get to the games. The first one is Upwards, Rain!

On the outskirts of a small village stands the Mortem Post, a massive tree which receives and delivers letters from those who have passed on. Deciding to break protocol to lend a helping wing, Rain, a flighty little courier takes a skittish girl by the name of Mila on an adventure through the inner workings of the post office. Together, they search for a letter containing the last words of someone who seemingly never existed.

The second one is On Wings Bringing Sleep!

Morgaine is an outcast among the fae as her people’s power is ever-dwindled by the advance of human technology. When she meets a mysterious and enthralling human girl within the forest one day, Morgaine grows certain that this girl is in need of her magical protection. But Ilse has secrets of her own, and the growing feelings between them may cost more than either girl might ever pay…

Third would be the exciting Yuri Paddle: An Anime Convention Murder Mystery!

Onkai Expo is on fire. As the guest coordinator of a small time anime convention with big problems, it’s up to the underpaid and overburdened Stella to solve the murder of a famous cosplayer.

Last, but certainly not least, it’s time to talk about Witch You Want!

A preppy and questionably excellent witch runs a local shop but desperately needs help making potions before the festival that weekend! Can you help this girlfailure’s business survive?!

The post Studio Élan Releases 4 New Yuri Visual Novels For Free appeared first on oprainfall.

After a long time, it’s finally time to review DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia. Following the release of Rio Reincarnation out west in 2019, this writer has been eagerly awaiting the next entry in the DATE A LIVE visual novel series. The reason for this being that in terms of presentation, I would argue that the visual novels have amazing storytelling moments that you just wouldn’t get from the anime. Here we are, five years later, and the question that I’ve asked before is back: How does it all hold up after all this time?

Right off the bat, I have a warning for curious onlookers. I highly recommend you play the first three visual novels prior to this. Thankfully, this is all available in one purchase via Rio Reincarnation on all storefronts as it is a triple pack. That means you can play Rinne Utopia, Arusu Install, and Rio Reincarnation. Sadly that’s not the only check on this list. I do recommend that you watch the first three seasons of DATE A LIVE, and the movie Mayuri Judgement. If you meet all these requirements, read on!

Repeating what I said earlier, it’s been five years since the last DATE A LIVE visual novels came out. Back then it felt like a novelty to be able to finally forge your own path with your favorite girl in the series. The sheer joy I personally felt being able to see Kurumi in a wedding outfit for an ending was immaculate. Not only that, I could do it three times across the aforementioned titles. Each ending then felt like a culmination of fan desires to love their girls even more than Shido could. It’s because of this that I felt renewed excitement for Ren Dystopia, coupled with the recent success of the series as it got its fourth and fifth seasons.

While that was the initial allure of the visual novels, if you dare to dig deeper (and you should), you’ll find something even better. I’m talking about the visual novel exclusive scenes with new girls that pack more emotional depth than anything else in the whole package. It’s how characters like Rinne, Marina, and Maria specifically climbed to my top girls list in the series. Those girls made the journey to achieving the true end all worthwhile. More fuel for the Ren Dystopia hype train.

That’s all well and good, but now we have to talk about the game that’s out now. If we take a peek under the hood, any person that owns the first three visual novels will immediately notice something. In terms of the UI, overworld map, art assets, and music, virtually nothing has changed. If it wasn’t for the title screen being different, and Natsumi being the first girl you see out the gate from when you start the game, I’d be doing double takes to make sure I launched the right game. The common route also plays out nearly identical to that of the other games as well.

To understand why this is a problem, you need to look at the original release dates for the games. Rinne Utopia, Arusu Install, and Rio Reincarnation all came out in 2013, 2014, and 2015 respectively. Furthermore, they were incorporated into a triple pack. It made sense for those games to be very similar given the release cycle. However, Ren Dystopia releases a whole five years later, and as a standalone that sits at the very same price point as the triple pack of all things. Noticing all this before talking about the routes is cause of concern from not just a reviewer point-of-view, but a fan of the series as a whole.

Let’s talk routes. Ren Dystopia incorporates nine main routes, one for each girl from season three. Natsumi is the sole new character of this bunch. However, Origami, due to the third season, got a writing makeover. You may be telling yourself that this is going to be a serious time sink. However, this is not the case. Each route is an hour and thirty minutes of reading at moderate pace. In addition, it also features the exact ridiculous story with minor differences. The following is what you can expect without important details. Someone will open a box, make one wish, wish affects the next day, sleep, repeat until three wishes are made. While some wishes are more romantic than others, there’s hardly that relationship building charm that existed with previous games. It genuinely feels like I’ve been handed multiple 4-koma pages rather than a visual novel.

The reason why this is all so upsetting to me is because of the game’s true ending. An ending that does require you to do all of the nine routes. Nine routes that are significantly boring to sit through and aren’t satisfying to complete. However, if you to manage to power through these routes, you’ll receive something magical. An ending that properly demonstrates what could have been from the writing team. It’s an ending that almost brought me to tears, and yet I almost missed it entirely. I want you to envision the meme of the guy almost mining the diamonds but quits before he hits it big. That’s the meme that embodies this game. It doesn’t matter how much I love Kurumi, Origami, Kotori, and even Natsumi. Ren is the star of the show and she deserves better.

DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia is a truly head-scratching game. A game that looks and plays no different from its predecessors. All the while presenting fans with very underdeveloped and uninspired routes. While the Live2D models look great and the voice acting is phenomenal, it just can’t carry the weight that is everything else. Even the True Ending, which is some of the writing team’s best work, can’t save this. Ren deserves better. The reader deserves better. Especially when the company is asking for the same amount of money as the triple pack that came before it. If you do happen to own this title, please work your way to the true ending to get your money’s worth. The fact that only 9% of readers, at the time of writing, have seen it drives me insane. Otherwise consider waiting for a sale.

Review Score
Overall

Game provided by publisher for review purposes. Standard edition of the game retails for $39.99 USD.

The post REVIEW: DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia appeared first on oprainfall.

The wait is over, the English release of Ren Dystopia is here. DATE A LIVE fans have been eating good lately. The fourth and fifth seasons are tremendous, the Kurumi spin-off was remarkable. In addition to that, just a couple years ago we got the localization triple pack of the visual novels. It’s truly a franchise that passed the test of the time and it’s not done yet. Ren Dystopia is the fourth visual novel in the franchise following the story of the mysterious spirit Ren. Synopsis will be posted below. This is a sequel to the first three visual novels in the Rio Reincarnation pack so please check that out first before playing this one. Furthermore, if you’ve been out of the DAL loop for a while, watching Season 3 will get you up-to-speed.  The game is available for $33.99 during its launch with a Digital Deluxe Edition at $50.99.

Help Shido and the Spirits save the day once again!

DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia arrives on Steam today!

Purchase today on Steam:https://t.co/sHSEykPdLx#VisualNovel pic.twitter.com/DRAEuqdWm5

— Idea Factory International (@IdeaFactoryIntl) September 5, 2024

So what’s DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia about?

A newly emergent spirit named Natsumi ends up in the crosshairs of Deus Ex Machina Industry. Shido defends Natsumi from Deus Ex Machina Industry and manages to seal her powers.

Following the transformation and inversion caused by Origami, Shido manages to reshape the world to protect it, eventually sealing Origami.

Enemies may still lurk about, but Shido and his friends savor the peace they’ve secured through their ordeals.

After an ordinary evening spent among friends, Shido has an unusual dream. He hears a mysterious voice calling out from the shadows.

Upon waking up the next morning, Shido discovers a peculiar container adorned with a snake pattern under his pillow.

Thinking it might be a prank, Shido asks around for the container’s owner. But when they try to open it…

If you’re curious about how the DATE A LIVE visual novels look, consider reading my reviews here, here, and here. I’ll also be hopefully putting out a review of this current one soon.

The post Harem Visual Novel ‘DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

It’s been a great year for DATE A LIVE fans, and it gets even better with Ren Dystopia. After being blessed with the Rio Reincarnation collection, Ren Dystopia is finally coming to the west. However, that’s not all that’s coming over. Per the press release, the Deluxe Edition of this game will include loads of stuff. Two translated audio dramas and even a short novel. It’ll all be bundled up and discounted for 15% during it’s weeklong launch window. You can head on over to Steam and wishlist the game right now to stay up-to-date with further specifics on the release day. If you’re curious about how the visual novels for DATE A LIVE are, I have a review on all 3 of the previously released ones on this website. You can check those out here, here, and here. Are you excited for this release, let us know!

DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia is coming in September 2024!

Join Shido and the Spirits when #DALREN arrives on Steam later this year: https://t.co/sHSEykPdLx#VisualNovel pic.twitter.com/MKlO1sjp7h

— Idea Factory International (@IdeaFactoryIntl) July 30, 2024

So what’s DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia about?

A newly emergent spirit named Natsumi ends up in the crosshairs of Deus Ex Machina Industry. Shido defends Natsumi from Deus Ex Machina Industry and manages to seal her powers.

Following the transformation and inversion caused by Origami, Shido manages to reshape the world to protect it, eventually sealing Origami.

Enemies may still lurk about, but Shido and his friends savor the peace they’ve secured through their ordeals.

After an ordinary evening spent among friends, Shido has an unusual dream. He hears a mysterious voice calling out from the shadows.

Upon waking up the next morning, Shido discovers a peculiar container adorned with a snake pattern under his pillow.

Thinking it might be a prank, Shido asks around for the container’s owner. But when they try to open it…

The post Harem Visual Novel ‘DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia’ Coming September 2024 appeared first on oprainfall.

One of the most beautiful crossdressing visual novels in recent history, Girls! Girls! Girls!?, is getting a major update! The Myosuki-developed visual novel released last year to great praise, even reaching the 5000 sales mark. It featured breathtaking visuals, wonderfully comedic and thoughtful writing, with an already clean UI. So how does an already great visual novel get even better? How about a script overhaul, additional scenes, redesigning the UI, and a plethora of bug fixes. All of this to ensure future readers can enjoy both a story with heartfelt connections and even more humor to it. There’s no better time to hop in and read than when this update drops. So when can you expect it? The major update is expected to release on July 12th on all major platforms including Steam and Itch. Go take advantage of the Steam Summer Sale and get 30% off the game right now!

Don’t miss out on the chance to get “Girls! Girls! Girls!?” at a 30% discount before the Rebirth QoL Update!

Get it here: https://t.co/NwU04KlYD0#visualnovel #SummerSale pic.twitter.com/ffc9CV9XLs

— Myosuki (@myosuki) July 6, 2024

So what’s Girls! Girls! Girls!? about?

Akihabara, the electric town–hub for state-of-the-art technology, fashion, otaku goods, and the cutest boys in skirts you will ever see. Pop into the Girls! Girls! Girls!? Café and fall in love with one of four charming “ladies…” or maybe even all of them? Jump into a story full of fluff, romance, friendship, and crossdressing that will keep you coming back for more!

What does the update include?

• Script Overhaul: Deepened character backstories and motivations, more comedic situations, and an expanded focus on crossdressing themes, including personal experiences and societal impacts.
• New Content: Four brand new scenes with accompanying CGs, including one NSFW scene, and three new backgrounds that enhance the game’s setting.
• New Soundtracks: Added new music tracks to enrich the overall experience.
• Redesigned UI: A complete redesign of the game’s UI, including a brand new textbox for improved visibility and a modern, simplistic look.
• Bug Fixes: Numerous bugs reported by fans have been addressed to ensure a smoother, more enjoyable gameplay experience.

The post Visual Novel Update ‘Girls! Girls! Girls!? Rebirth’ Coming July 12th appeared first on oprainfall.

Let’s welcome in the new Shiravune title: Real Hentai Situation 2! A name that might resonate with a few avid adult animation enjoyers, but if you don’t know. Yes, this is the sequel to the Jitaku Studio game that released back in 2017. However, it’s the first one to come over to the West. In addition, yes, it’s the source material for an hentai animation released in 2018. Now that that’s all out of the way. This is a tremendous erotic-comedy visual novel that’s been on the receiving end of the 2020 Moe Game Awards for its writing and presentation. One quick look at the CGs and you’ll fall in love as swiftly as this writer did. It is available on all major visual novel storefronts such as JAST and Denpasoft. If you’re on Steam you’ll have to find it under ‘Real Anime Situation 2‘. It’s available for $19.99 with a free H-patch!

／
Real Anime Situation! 2 OUT NOW!!
＼
Jitaku Studio’s award-winning VN featuring eye-popping visuals and characterful (if not eccentric) heroines is now out on Steam!

Grab it now on Steam for 20% OFF!https://t.co/eqWK58TY68 pic.twitter.com/TcrpWErZKx

— Shiravune (@shiravune) June 25, 2024

So what’s Real Hentai Situation 2 even about?

Tooru’s got a secret–a secret journal, to be exact. Thanks to his overactive imagination and way too much pent-up lust, he’s been committing his wildest fantasies to paper since, well, forever. Yes, the scenarios he dreams up are extreme, and yes, he gets off to them rather than finding an actual girlfriend. But then who would ever date someone with such a twisted hobby… right? Wrong! One day, after accidentally leaving it at school, he rushes back only to catch his classmate Chikage masturbating alone at his desk, secret sex journal in hand.

“So this wonderful journal belongs to you? If that’s the case, I have an idea…” As luck would have it, Chikage happens to be a published hentai artist who’s hit a creative slump. Hoping to gain inspiration from Tooru’s fap fiction, she makes him an offer that’s hard to resist: “Share your journal with me, and I’ll make the fantasies on these pages come true.” It’s a tempting proposition to be sure, but more than that, Tooru is surprised to learn that he just might have the chops to become a writer! Wasting no time, Chikage pushes him down to the floor for a round of mind-blowing sex… In the act, Chikage next realizes that he’s her ideal man–not just creatively, but physically, too–and professes her love on the spot. “It seems I’ve fallen hard for you, Tooru… I love you, and I want you to be mine. You don’t need to say anything right away, so… please sleep on it?” Of course, Tooru can’t hide his delight and confusion at the sudden turn of events.

The first to notice this newfound pep in Tooru’s step is his close female friend, Nao. But instead of being happy, her hidden feelings finally burst out! “Chikage’s gonna take my Tooru away! I tell him I love him all the time, and yet he never seems to take me seriously… I-I love you, too, Tooru!” With two lovestruck beauties hot on his tail, Tooru now has to stay on top of their feminine wiles around the clock!

And if that wasn’t enough, Tooru’s childhood friend Rino, who sees him both as the ultimate big brother and perfect husband material, moves in to bring more chaos to the mix, announcing on arrival, “Big Bro, I love you sooo much! C’mon already, let your loins lead the way!”

Surrounded left, right, and center by perfect babes who not only support but even encourage his weird writing habit, Tooru finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a harem plot like something out of a hentai game! That’s right, Tooru’s “real hentai situations” are about as ridiculously real as it gets!

The post Adult Visual Novel ‘Real Hentai Situation! 2’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

Oh what a joyous time to be a fan of visual novels as NekoNyan gives us new physical visual novel merchandise. The ever hard at work visual novel publisher took to social media just mere moments ago to share the information. Pre-orders are now open for 14 dakimakuras designs across Smee and AsaProject characters! This drop includes girls from Fureraba, Making*Lovers, Sankaku Renai, and even Aokana! They’ll be available on MangaGamer, Denpasoft, and JAST via HMarket. If dakimakuras aren’t your thing, don’t worry. The company has announced physical editions of all the aforementioned visual novels complete with a teaser for the box art. As of writing, the physical editions will include a Steam code as well as a code for direct R18 downloads of each game. Pictures and such will be included down below. Will you be buying? Let us know what you think!

It’s time for that announcement we mentioned yesterday! After doing some review of our survey, we’ve decided it’s high time we start producing some merch! To begin with, we’re opening preorders on various stores tonight for 14 dakimakura designs! First up, some SMEE and… pic.twitter.com/sthEoh4W1d

— NekoNyanSoft (@NekoNyanSoft) June 13, 2024

In addition, we’re announcing that we’ll be releasing physicals for “Sankaku Renai: Love Triangle Trouble”, “Fureraba: Friend to Lover”, “Koikari: Love for Hire”, and Making*Lovers in the near future! We only have sample images of box art to show for Sankaku and Koikari for now.… pic.twitter.com/HWnZgMAUIJ

— NekoNyanSoft (@NekoNyanSoft) June 13, 2024

Out of these stories being featured in the new physical visual novel merchandise, which do I recommend? Try Making*Lovers which I reviewed!

“For my whole life, I never had a girlfriend.
People could laugh at me all they want, but I refused to give up on my ideals when it came to love.

I had always pictured a first encounter where I knew right away she was my destined one.

After several chance run-ins, we would exchange numbers. Then we would hang out together on the weekends.
Only once we’ve grown close enough would it be time for a real date.

I wouldn’t have accepted any love that didn’t develop like a storybook romance.

Picking up girls at a club or going on blind dates was out of the question for me.

And so was arranged dates. How could it be romantic when someone else set you up?

I had stood unwavering in my beliefs for my entire life.

Until, that is, when the words of a certain girl turned my view on love inside-out.”

The post NekoNyan Announces New Physical Visual Novel Merchandise appeared first on oprainfall.

An exciting weekend for fans of girls’ love visual novels as Studio Élan was cooking at OffKai Expo. The publisher behind the very beautiful Heart of the Woods and Please Be Happy are coming out with a pair of blessed titles. Their names are A Tithe in Blood and Rainbow Valley! The first of which is, in their words, a dark atmospheric mystery written and directed by the great Suriko who worked on Twofold and Katawa Shoujo. The second appears to be a special collaboration between Studio Élan and YouTuber Izzzyzzz that features three strange girls and an even stranger valley. It should be also noted that A Tithe in Blood actually has a demo now available on Steam! Once you’ve checked out the individual synopsis, I encourage you to try it. As always, let us know what you think below.

A Tithe in Blood is a dark, atmospheric mystery yuri visual novel. Asakawa Honoka, a university student from Sapporo, escapes her everyday life by using blood magic. This allows her to travel to another world from her own–and with it, she meets the mage named Yasue. However, things in this other world aren’t as they seem…

This yuri visual novel is directed & written by Suriko (Twofold, Katawa Shoujo) with character art by Kobuta (Please Be Happy). There is a demo available to play now on Steam and itch.io.

Fleeing a life that you couldn’t bear, you sought to find a purpose in the mountains. The cold winds called to you and promised adventure. Scraping together your life savings, you flew to a cold, distant place. But adventure has a price. Now you find yourself in a small mountain town as the villagers prepare for the looming winter festival. You will meet three girls, each stranger than the last, and over the course of 7 days you will discover that not all is as it seems in Rainbow Valley.

Rainbow Valley is a collaboration project between Studio Élan and Izzzyzzz, a YouTuber who covers older Internet stories and Y2K nostalgia.

Want more of these lovely announcements from OffKai Expo? Studio Élan actually posted a couple videos of these titles, we’ll leave them right below.

The post Studio Élan Announces Two Visual Novels at OffKai Expo appeared first on oprainfall.

In what seems like a weekly trend of releases for Shiravune, AMANATSU ~Perfect Edition~ is out! A story that’s as beautiful on the eyes as it is the heart. In case you’re not familar, AMANATSU is developed by Azarashi Soft. The developers behind one of the most heartwarming reads of recent memory: AIKAGI. This time around it’s a multi-route pure love story with breathtaking art by veteran artist Gintarou. If you’re in awe of the wonderful art and premise like I am, you can check out AMANATSU on various platforms. This one is available on Steam with a free downloadable patch, as well as JAST, and MangaGamer to name a few. The price is $15.99 during launch week and will go back to $19.99 after. As always synopsis and more down below, let us know what you think of this game!

／
AMANATSU ~Perfect Edition~ OUT NOW!!
＼
The coming-of-age VN about new friendships and first crushes from the hit developer AZARASHI SOFTWARE is now available!

Grab it now on Steam for 20% OFF!https://t.co/adG7Y8QxHj pic.twitter.com/rERElIZoUF

— Shiravune (@shiravune) May 17, 2024

So what’s AMANATSU ~Perfect Edition~ about?

Haruto leaves the big city for a coastal town surrounded by blue sea and deep-green mountains. Hailing from the rat race of urban society, he half-expects another uphill challenge in a new battlefield.

…But nothing could be further from the truth.

Right from day one, he is befriended by new classmates and quickly learns to sit back and enjoy life―all while getting to know three very different girls who inspire in him another kind of sea change.

There’s Kazuha, the taciturn daughter of the family that takes him in, who’s lowkey the perfect host…

Kogane, the always sunny, high-energy first-year he meets through a sudden and dramatic encounter…

And Yashiro, a shrine-maiden third-year with a silly streak, who’s like nothing out of this world…

Here Haruto’s friendships and romance will interweave as a unique student love story unfolds. Over one dazzling summer, one girl’s affections will bloom from nascent butterflies into deepest love.

The post Romance Visual Novel ‘AMANATSU ~Perfect Edition~’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

It’s about that time again for yet another Shiravune announcement: An Aunt After My Own Heart is coming soon! A very particular visual novel from the developers known as a DarkOne. You may be familiar with their previous sadistic work, Nope Nope Nurses. A story featuring devilish women that’ll shake you to your core. However this time around we’ll be finding ourselves in, what the press release calls, a story of longing and regret. A short story that features tremendous artwork and plentiful choices. The game is now up for pre-order on several websites including Johren, Denpasoft, JAST, MangaGamer, and more. The game will be available for $11.99 from now until the end of the first week of release, where it’ll go back to $14.99. As always, synopsis will be down below. Let us know what you think of this title!

／
Announcing An Aunt After My Own Heart
＼
From the developers of Nope Nope Nurses series comes a visual novel epic about cherishing the ups and downs of being a family!

Pre-Orders are now available on Johren, JAST, MangaGamer and Denpasoft. pic.twitter.com/2sen0SHUxf

— Shiravune (@shiravune) May 16, 2024

So what’s An Aunt After My Own Heart about?

The protagonist, Keisuke Shinozaki, returns alone to his grandparents’ house to stay for summer break.

There, he is greeted by his mother’s (much) younger sister, Yuuka.
Ever since he was little, the protagonist had always adored his kind, smart, and beautiful aunt.

However, it was quite the shock to learn that she was now engaged…

Both “Longing” and “Regret” lead down two different paths.

The post Shiravune Announces ‘An Aunt After My Own Heart’ Localization appeared first on oprainfall.

It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen the anime, but we can finally read Mashiroiro Symphony! Shiravune proudly announced that both Mashiroiro Symphony HD remakes, Love is Pure White and Sana Editions, are now available. Originally releasing in 2009 by developer Palette, later turned anime in 2011 by Studio Manglobe, this feels like a blast from the past. All the art has been updated, the UI has a significantly improved look, and so much more. What else to say, other than the fact that it’s available for a really reasonable price! The Love is Pure White edition of the game is available for $23.99, and Sana Edition is up for $17.99, and let’s say you want both. You’ll be glad to know that a bundle is available for $37.78! As always, synopsis and trailer below, feel free to let us know what you think!

／
Mashiroiro Symphony HD ~Love is Pure White~ and ~Sana Edition~ OUT NOW!
＼
The fan-favorite visual novel series from the developers at @info_palette is now out on Steam!

Grab it now on Steam for 40% OFF!https://t.co/8E9PitXFdzhttps://t.co/59NjHWkdpX pic.twitter.com/5BJ9D9GMYX

— Shiravune (@shiravune) May 2, 2024

So what’s Mashiroiro Symphony all about?

Kagamidai is a blend of two towns, old and new.
Each has colorful scenery and colorful people… but it’s as if the two are painted in completely different colors.

Shingo Uryu is a normal young man from the new side of town, but the academy that he attends is about to be integrated with a venerable edifice of the town’s older side—the prestigious Yuihime Girls Private Academy.
Thrust into a combined class to help test the upcoming merge’s effects, Shingo begins commuting to Yuihime… and his life starts to change.

A somewhat strong-willed young woman who’s firmly against the schools coming together…
A girl who aspires to become a maid due to her mother’s influence…
A young lady as gentle as she is mysterious…
His one and only little sister…
The time he spends with these young women begins to lend his humdrum days a different hue. 

Psst… There’s also an 18+ patch.

The post Romance Visual Novel Remake ‘Mashiroiro Symphony’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

Time to flex those mind muscles with the release of Staffer Reborn! The name may be familiar to you, and that’s because this is a spin-off to Team Tetrapod’s 2023 release of Staffer Case. A mystery visual novel with a very charming art style set in 1960’s London. Now this may be a spin-off, but don’t be deceived as it has a lot to offer. Explore a really intriguing case surrounding the curiosities of immortality for at a little cost of your time and wallet. That’s right, I said little cost because you can experience this at $2.69 over on Steam right now. If this setting is to your liking and haven’t played the Staffer series: Please consider the Staffer Series Detective Pack for a small price of $13.21! Synopsis and more right below, let us know what you think!

You are an investigator tasked with freeing a man trapped in a cycle of death and resurrection caused by his supernatural ability.

Enjoy this quick 1-2 hour #visualnovel from the Staffer universe. Support a strong #indiedev venturing to the globe! #VNhttps://t.co/zFUwbFXvoT pic.twitter.com/JjJUtTmPtX

— Pulse333 (@Pulse333Tales) April 27, 2024

So what’s Staffer Reborn about?

The Lieutenant, a man with the supernatural ability to resurrect, has reached the end of his life and awaits death from old age. However, his revival ability steals this natural death from him, sticking him in a cycle where his old age kills him every fifteen minutes. Players must step into the shoes of the investigator who takes the case, investigate the Lieutenant’s ability, and help him achieve eternal rest.

And what about Staffer Case?

Staffer Case is a new sort of mystery game, asking players to find clues, arrange them into documents, and point out the contradictions between them to solve a series of murders.

The game is set in a fictional version of London in the 1960s where 10% of all residents have some sort of supernatural ability. In this city, incidents involving staffers, the people who have these abilities, are constantly occurring.

Players take the role of the Mana Affairs Division’s newest detective, Notrick, in order to make sense of these incidents. Since the tricks buried within these staffer cases, at their core, revolve around the supernatural abilities of these criminals, conventional investigative methods won’t be enough to solve them. Instead, players will have to rely on the documents that explain what their suspects’ abilities entail in order to make sense of everything.

Fortunately, it’s not only the criminals who have these supernatural abilities. All of Notrick’s fellow detectives at the Mana Affairs Division are also staffers (Excepting gumshoe Notrick himself, of course!) The senior detectives use their supernatural abilities to investigate the crime scenes and organize their findings into documents. Testimonies that account for emotional distress, invisible trace that tells when evidence was left, even memories that remain in objects—find contradictions using the various clues at your disposal!

Each mystery unraveled leads you closer to the truth lying at the heart of each case!

The post Deduction Game ‘Staffer Reborn’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

It’s that time again, Shiravune proudly announced the release of Amazing Grace -What color is your attribute?-! While it may look cute and fluffy on the outside, it contains a tremendous mystery regarding a time-looping tragedy. Originally releasing in 2018 by Cabagge Soft, it joins the plethora of what seems like weekly Shiravune releases this year. Amazing Grace -What color is your attribute?- is currently available on Steam at 30% off during its launch at $24.49. If you’re wanting to spice up your game, you can grab the 18+ patch for free via Shiravune’s website. As always, synopsis and related information down below. Feel free to let us know what you think.

／
Amazing Grace -What color is your attribute?- OUT NOW
＼
Solve the case of a looping Christmas tragedy in this @cabbage_soft visual novel filled with wintery mystery and charm!

Grab it now on Steam for an amazing 30% OFF!https://t.co/ZP4wJGU893 pic.twitter.com/tuE9uY27uc

— Shiravune (@shiravune) April 26, 2024

So what exactly is Amazing Grace about?

“A holy night with no dawn, my dear…”

Shuu awakens, memoryless, in a town blanketed in snow that feels truly bizarre to him.

In this town filled with Europeanized architecture enveloped and closed off by a humongous wall called the aurora, there is nothing more treasured than the arts.

It is here in this mysterious town that Shuu is saved by its residents and allowed to live a fulfilling life with the students of St. Aria Academy.

However, this blissful life is eventually taken away from him in the blink of an eye. On December 25th, an unexplained conflagration brings the town to almost complete destruction.

Loving this town more than anyone, Yune decides to take destiny into her own hands and rewinds time back to December 2nd—the first day of Advent.

Why did all this destruction happen?
Why is it that no matter what they do differently in the past, it all still leads to the same future?
Why is it even possible to repeat these days in the first place?
And what is this miraculous blessing, this “Amazing Grace” that is said to come on Christmas?

The truth that awaits at the end of this endlessly-repeating loop will be written on this canvas of a town by their own hands.

The post Mystery Visual Novel ‘Amazing Grace’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

Hey everyone, more great news as The Shell Part II is now available! This name might confuse you at first, but this is none other than the second game in the Kara-no-Shoujo series! That’s right, Shiravune has worked with Innocent Grey once again to provide the exciting second part of this story. More of the twists and turns of multiple endings, full Japanese voice acting and fully remastered HD assets await. In case you haven’t been made aware this HD Kara-no-Shoujo has actually been out since June of last year with the first entry: The Shell Part I: Inferno. Synopsis and such will be listed below, and you can grab the anticipated second part for $19.99 during a 20% launch week discount on Steam. As always, feel free to let us know what you think of the game below!

／
The Shell Part II: Purgatorio OUT NOW!
＼
The second installment of The Shell trilogy is here! Detective Reiji Tokisaka is back and comes face to face with an enigmatic case spanning decades, if not centuries…

Grab it now on Steam for 20% OFF!https://t.co/U7dguwZxHY pic.twitter.com/z0uAWITBjO

— Shiravune (@shiravune) April 19, 2024

So what’s this second part of the story about?

In the years before Japan went to war and the world went to hell, amidst the deep snows of the mountainous north, there was a small hamlet known as Hitogata where, by ancient custom, the residents were prone to worship clay dolls. One night, during their festival, a woman was murdered, and the people came to speak of this as their god’s curse—divine retribution for trying to take the power of their god into their own hands.

December 1957.

It’s been nearly two years since Toko Kuchiki was kidnapped from her hospital room.

Reiji Tokisaka’s little sister Yukari saves a man from suicide—but that man is a victim of the curse’s return…

Reiji steps in to sever a cycle of obsession that has persisted since before the war—but still struggles with his own obsession with Toko.

Meanwhile, a cult rises from the ashes after six years of silence—but what are they planning?

Curses may be the devices of the gods, but it’s always human hands that carry their knives. 

The post Detective Visual Novel ‘The Shell Part II’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

Another Shiravune announcement is upon us, this time with Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain! This is a rather unique one, developed by the Karin Project, this dungeon management simulator sits at the top of its class. Originally releasing in 2019, to a series of positive reviews praising its gameplay elements and, of course, the very beautiful character designs. As always if you’re curious about the story, we’ll be leaving the synopsis down below. Suzukuri Dungeon now has a Steam page, and you can wishlist the title right over here. Feel free to let us know what you think about this very special release.

／
Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain Coming to Steam!
＼
Karin the Demon Queen needs your help to run and manage her dungeon! Shake down adventurers for cash and kick them out in this addictive dungeon simulation game!

Wishlist Now : https://t.co/CMRyfhVr0z pic.twitter.com/oyY5tr2FiV

— Shiravune (@shiravune) April 12, 2024

So what’s Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain about?

After a thousand-year nap sealed deep inside a mountain, the diabolical demon queen Karin is about to be unleashed once more!

Expand your budding labyrinth, and strengthen your squads of fearsome (but cute) demons!
Build amenities to shake intruders down for cash, then send them packing with well-placed traps and bosses!

Sponsored by the demon queen of legend, it’s time to devise a dungeon worthy of your new favorite despot!

The post Dungeon Simulator ‘Suzukuri Dungeon’ Coming This Year appeared first on oprainfall.

It’s seemingly that time of the month, a new Shiravune announcement featuring NYO-NIN-JIMA! It’s no secret that Shiravune has been off to a hot start with announcements and releases so far this year, but this is a particularly great addition. From Paco Paco Soft, who previously worked on a lot of really beautiful gyaru-themed visual novels, comes a romance-adventure story that’s sure to tug at heart strings. Not to mention some of the best character design and art combinations in a while! NYO-NIN-JIMA previously released in Japan back in April 2022, so it’s nice to see a recent release already getting a localization. Per Shiravune, the game will be available on both Steam and Johren! In fact, you can wishlist it right now, and I recommend doing so. As always, synopsis and info below. Let us know what you think!

／
Announcing NYO-NIN-JIMA -My New Life in Charge of a Tropical Island-!
＼
A visual novel about escaping the stresses of the city to a remote southern island! Featuring stunning art by the talented @Whooosaku!

Wishlist Now: https://t.co/mBZz5rxXMA pic.twitter.com/YwY6tBHecc

— Shiravune (@shiravune) April 11, 2024

So what’s NYO-NIN-JIMA about?

The day after being fired from the horrible company he had been working at for many years, Shoichi Harama arrives on a remote southern island located hundreds of kilometers from the city.

Though he has no regrets about losing his job, he was still worried about his future. That is, until “Sensei,” the old man responsible for him being fired in the first place, gives him an offer―to help him manage an island.

All three members of the Kowakame family; the mother, Nanami; her older daughter, Maki; and her younger daughter, Nono, more than welcome Shoichi as the island’s manager. He feels his battered mind and body starting to heal as their generous hospitality washes away the stresses of society… 

The post Shiravune Announces ‘NYO-NIN-JIMA’ Localization, Coming This Year appeared first on oprainfall.

Yuri and WLW fans, it’s time to eat once more as Without A Voice got a big update. You may recognize this title from somewhere. That’s because this Free-to-Read title from L³ and Studio Élan previously came out in 2020 to a Very Positive reception. If you still haven’t read this beautiful dark fantasy story, now’s the time to do so. For you see, this update brings forth full English voice acting as well as updated illustrations, controller support, and way more. It’s a massive list of changes, and I’ll list them down below. If you’re still curious about Without A Voice, read on below for the synopsis, and go on the Steam and Itch pages. It’s a free title, you’ve got nothing to lose! If you love what you see, go support the physical edition Kickstarter here. As always, feel free to write down below what you think of this massive update!

The wheel of fate splinters, deciding your fate…

The major update for Without a Voice is now here! Enjoy the 2.0 version of our dark fantasy yuri

Play it now on Steam: https://t.co/oGF7oCEzej
or itchio: https://t.co/j8aH1HSERt pic.twitter.com/psANzvWIrG

— Studio Élan ⚢ (@vnstudioelan) April 5, 2024

So what’s Without A Voice about?

In the depths of a dark and unforgiving forest, an exiled princess whiles her time in solitude. For a girl raised in the lap of comfort, the woods are impossibly harsh, and day-to-day survival is the most she can manage. One day, however, a mysterious, beautiful maiden appears, throwing her world out of its already delicate alignment. The princess is instantly captivated by this stranger, and begins to fancy herself the heroine of a fairytale, even as the maiden proves herself to be less and less of a fantasy.

Foolish princess. She should know by now that her life is no fairytale.

In seven days, the wheel of fate will splinter. Seven days, for better or worse…

What about the list of changes in the 2.0 update?

• Full voice acting has been added to the game for spoken dialogue. Voice emphasis and individual voice sliders have been added to accommodate for this addition.
• Greatly improved controller support, including new options and information on Help screen
• All menus are reprogrammed to be more translation friendly.
• Added new story to achievements screen.
• Reformatted the options menus to accommodate for new options.
• Replaced endings list with achievements.
• Added achievements to Steam.
• Added Steam Cloud Saves support.
• Updated About pages.
• Added version number to top-right corner.
• Improved Log page.
• Updated some illustrations.
• Updated default title screen image.
• Made adjustments to gallery image viewer.
• Changed wording in content warning screen
• Fixed minor typos and wording to match voice lines.
• Added SFX for hovering over the easter egg on the main menu.
• Removed click SFX.
• Added dissolve transition between game menus.
• Replaced broken URLs.
• Updated Music Room to have a better appearance and changed song names to what is on the albums.
• Fixed minor scripting errors and expressions to match voice lines.
• Increased visibility of button hover states and new selected hover states to provide a better controller experience.
• Changed the save data directory.
• README added.
• Created proper iconsets and updated the game icon across all locations.
• Steam Deck support is improved.
• Added native support for ARM Linux (arm64 / AArch64, armv7) — notably including Asahi Linux (arm64e / Apple Silicon).

The post Yuri Visual Novel ‘Without A Voice’ Gets Huge 2.0 Update appeared first on oprainfall.

The wait is over, the third chapter in the Re;Lord series, Re;Lord 3, is available for purchase. This is the finale to Escu:de’s RPG series, a saga that started all the way back in 2018 for us English readers. Readers can enjoy the continuation of Wilfried Heisenburg’s journey to reclaim the lost territories. All with the same extravagant art style and writing that we have come to expect from the last two entries. If you’re curious about that, our passionate boss Steve actually reviewed both entries of the series! You can read all about the first one here, and the second one here. Re;Lord 3 ~The demon lord of Groessen and the final witch~ is now available on Denpasoft for $17.99 with adult patch included! We’ll hopefully have a review up soon, in the meantime, let us know what you think!

So you might be wondering what Re;Lord 3 is about? Well, let me tell you:

A fantasy world where magic exists.
This is a story where demons lived among the denizens of the world. And it’s the demon realm that was about to face an unprecedented crisis when three “Witches of Ruin” suddenly appeared and invaded the demon country of Saarland.

Wilfried Heisenburg, son of the governor of Groessen and his army continue their quest to reclaim territories lost to the Witches and turns toward Greiz, the political center of Groessen. Once a thriving city with trains that run from there to the royal capital, it has all the appearances of an eerie ghost town. With Herford and Cologne liberated, only the Witch of Greiz remains.

As Wilfried’s forces march on Greiz, the fated hour also approaches as if to ridicule him. Thus begins his final battle.

The post Adult Fantasy RPG ‘Re;Lord 3’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

Lewd adventure fans, please rejoice as Toffer Team has released Lewd Idol Project Vol. 3! Kairi’s journey towards becoming an established idol continues with Kanako joining the team. This troublesome gal aims to add some spice to an already incredibly hot series. The first volume of Lewd Idol Project launched back in 2021, and it’s been a great series to follow ever since. This final chapter brings the whole thing to a close. Lewd Idol Project Vol. 3 is out now on both Denpasoft and Steam for $5.59. If you’re hoping to marathon the journey, consider picking up the complete bundle. This writer loves Toffer Team’s ability to craft a intricate story in between the myriad of breathtaking lewd scenes. I hope you check it out, and if you do let us know what you think in the comments.

So what’s this exciting third volume got in store for us?

Kanako is a tough and temperamental rocker girl, leader of a troublesome gang in Akihabara and bassist of her own band. She’s also a little bit tsundere, but… Don’t you dare say that to her face!

Ranko sees in this girl the potential to be the third member of the group of lewd idols. Her attitude, charisma, and popularity among her people makes Kanako the perfect candidate to give the group that touch of aggression that is lacking, in order to gain the attention of a new type of audience attracted to bad girls. But… It is impossible that a girl like her would want to join a group of idols!

However, it seems that Kanako hides more than one secret behind her exterior attitude… Could her opinion on the lewd idol world change a bit after meeting the sweet and innocent Kairi-chan? Will the Lewd Idol Project leader cuteness be able to convince this tsundere girl to show her true feelings?

Find out all this and more, with lots of girl-on-girl action, on LIP! Lewd Idol Project Vol. 3!

The post Adult Visual Novel ‘LIP! Lewd Idol Project Vol. 3’ Now Available appeared first on oprainfall.

In one of the most… intriguing tweets of the year so far, JAST USA announced Nope Nope Nurses Melee. For the uninitiated, Nope Nope Nurses is a very sadistic visual novel series developed by Dark One and published by Shiravune. It has three releases, including Nope Nope Nurses, Nope Nope Nope Nurses, and Nope Nope Nope Nope Nurses. Now you can experience these ‘wonderful’ nurses in a new, and self-described janky, way. This writer still finds himself in disbelief upon looking at the store listing. Nope Nope Nurses Melee will be available on both JAST’s storefront and Steam for the low, low cost of $2.50. The game will also feature local multiplayer for some intense matches. If you’re as curious I am, you can pre-order today, and let us know in the comments who you’ll main.

So what’s the story behind this little fighting game?

An entirely original story in the universe of Sakusei Byoutou, brought to you in the form of a 2D fighting game!
We’ve teamed up with Yano Kakuto, the game developer headed by Yano Tomoyuki of NO Motion, to bring you this fresh new spin on things!
Relive the good old days of the small screen as your favorite nurses duke it out in a 640×480 window!

The post Visual Novel Spin-Off ‘Nope Nope Nurses Melee’ Coming February 22nd appeared first on oprainfall.