Sunday, January 25, 2026
Now
we are well and truly into the new year, it is time to look to all the
new releases and see how the visual novel space has started the year.
This is month defined by passionate fans as much as official studios
with modern murder mysteries and romances existing alongside new
translations of DS and PS2 games from memorable series and
developers. Let’s dive in and find out what you should be playing
from the past month.
Official Releases
Ren'ai 0 Kilometer
This
one is an earlier title from ASa Project, the developer behind all the Ren'ai
titles, which originally came out in 2011 and has now received an
English release. As with all their games this is comedy first and
focus on the messy antics of family life with all the hilarious
situations it brings. It follows the protagonist who has been swapped from a
family with only sons into one with only daughters in a kind of
absurd child exchange. Naturally the inserting of man into an all
female environment is accompanied by the expected misunderstandings
between them and this is combined with the studio’s typical over the top style to
prevent it from coming across as too familiar. There is certain lack
of the polish when compared to the studio's later games in terms of its art
and the consistency of its vision, but these wrinkles help set it
apart from their other output. It makes for a well put together
comedy which should meet player’s expectations while giving them a
glimpse into how the developer’s identity has been shaped over the
years.
DUSK INDEX: GION
A
detective mystery spanning 100 years drives DUSK INDEX’s core
conflict when a murder in the present is found to heavily resemble an
unsolved one from the Meiji era. Through the use of a state of the art
AR system Katsuki Daiki and Quinn Rio recreate the past and set about
unravelling the threads connecting these deaths. The blurring of the
lines between this AR recreation and the present day is one of the
game’s most interesting additions to the murder mystery formula and
helps keep the player guessing about how exactly the two are
connected. The contrast between the culture of the two times also
makes for an amusing gateway into the changes which began in the
Meiji era. For those looking for a dose of that detective fantasy
this will be an excellent ride with enough unique spice to keep you
engaged until the credits roll.
Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Otome, Fantasy, Political Intrigue Play Time – 60 hours
Leaning
heavily into the medieval fantasy setting, Temirana puts an emphasis
on the knights and royalty aspects of the setting and pushes the
ensuing drama to the forefront. It follows the ‘cursed’ princess
as she forms her band of knights from some less than likely
candidates and together they must face the machinations
surrounding them. This is a game very focused around its suitors and
understands how make the heroine occupy a place in their life which
fosters the pair’s mutual growth while serving up a good dose of
twists and turns. Each knight comes from a different part of the
social structure of the kingdom leading to a rounded sense of its
people and the politics which the heroine rubs up against. This
allows for a further distinguishing of the suitors from one another
as they pull the heroine into their world. Overall, this is an otome
with strong understanding of what makes the fantasy of a princess and
her knights so appealing.
Dark Auction
Mixing
3D adventure game mechanics with a story set in 1980’s Germany is
one way to make a game stand out. Noah Crawford finds himself trapped
in a castle with a motley group of other guests who all attended the
auction for items related to ‘Dictator X’ and must engage in this
strange event in order to escape. Each part of the auction revolves
around using memories to uncover the truth about the items and the
other participants in a high stakes environment. The distinctive
aesthetic and odd ball characters in this real world setting do a lot
of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the player engaged and the
resulting picture is one where cast drama and the plot beats come
together seamlessly. If you want something trying to break the mould
then you will have a good time with this period mystery.
Fan Translations
Mabino×Style
Patch Download VNDB Genre
- Dating/Raising Simulator, Fantasy
From
the strange and experimental era that is the PS2, this fan
translation brings a classic KID title to the English speaking
audience and it is certainly an odd one. It merges the twin
simulation mechanics of dating and raising into a tale about love at
a school for magic. Selecting which girl to train with, going on
dates with them and choosing the correct responses to their dialogue
is the bread and butter of how the player will get to know them.
Since this game came out in 2005 it has all the standard ecchi and
romcom troupes of its time and it makes
for an interesting time-capsule for all the good and bad aspect of
this era. This blast from the past is a well constructed and worth
your time if this style of simulation appeals to you.
The Series of Haruhi Suzumiya
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Anime Spin off, Puzzle, Mini Games Play Time – 7 hours
It
has been quite a long time since the last Haruhi anime which should
indicate the age of this game and sure enough it is a DS title with
all the touch screen antics this entails. One day Kyon receives a
mysterious message about the seven school mysteries and Haruhi
immediately jumps on this as a reason to investigate them. Of course
the mysteries turn out to be more real than Haruhi knows so it is up
to the club members to deal with them while concealing the truth from
their ever curious leader. Mechanically there is a large puzzle
element where the player must remove a number of singularities within
a time limit and offers enough engagement to keep the player invested
in the cast’s struggles. Given its spin off nature, this is a game
for fans of the series and performs to their expectations, but it
will just fly over the head of everyone else.
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