Today, during their “controversial” Valentine’s Day stream, Idea Factory International announced that they will be bringing Charade Maniacs to the West. Originally released for the PlayStation Vita in Japan only, the eccentric cast returns to the stage on the Nintendo Switch!
After playing idle static for an entire hour during the stream, in its last ten minutes, IFI finally revealed the otome title they were going to localize this year. But did the “charade” method and the game of waiting receive positive feedback from otome fans?
On the brighter side of things, besides the announcement, pre-orders are now open for “Charade Maniacs” Regular Edition on Amazon (NA). There will also be a Limited Edition available for the game, which you can add to your wish list on Idea Factory International’s official online store!
CHARADE MANIACS SYNOPSIS
Take on the role of Hiyori Sena, a high school sophomore who has been abducted by a masked figure. Trapped in the mysterious world of Arcadia with nine others, she is forced by her captor to perform in dramas alongside the other abductees. To make matters worse, there’s a traitor among the cast! Love blooms on and off stage in this dramatic search for truth and romance. Who can you trust?
About the Game
- A mysterious figure abducts Hiyori Sena, transporting her to a strange world with nine other abductees and welcomes them to a world called Arcadia.
- Everyone must act out “dramas” for a chance to escape, all whilst avoiding the trappings of a traitor.
- Conduct your own investigations to search for clues—and find romance along the way!
- From the writer of Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, Uta Amamiya, and the illustrator of Norn9, and Nightshade, Teita. Whose hand will she take at the end?
SCREENSHOTS
KEY FEATURES
Take The Stage With 9 Romanceable Costars! – Looking for someone to practice lines with? There are 9 potential love interests! But with a traitor on the loose, who can you really trust? Make the right choice to take part in a total of up to 9 routes.
Flip The Script and Navigate Your Choices –Select your position in the story as you progress and keep track of where stories branch off with a handy Flowchart feature. Don’t miss any part of the drama!
Look out for the traitor! Who can it be? – Work together with your costars to uncover clues and deepen your relationship with your love interests. You might even bring out some repressed feelings from your costars! But keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
Cue the music! – Set the tone of the scene with a standout soundtrack from renowned music collective Tokyo Logic. Unlock tracks to listen to on the music player as you progress.
TRAILER
Product Information
Title: Charade Maniacs
Console: Nintendo Switch™
Release Date: Summer 2023
Release format: Physical, Digital
Developer: IDEA FACTORY
Publisher: IDEA FACTORY INTERNATIONAL
Genre: Otome Visual Novel
Player(s): 1
Voiceover option(s): Japanese
Language Format (Subtitles): English
ESRB: RP
Charade Maniacs will soon be available for preorder from retailers. Fans can check out the official website to see where they can preorder physical editions of the game. The Nintendo eShop page will go live at a later date.
Otome Kitten 
Hmmm, I am torn between happy for another localization and unhappy as it is this game. I heard the story leaves a lot to be desired and the characters are not that well thought out. But let’s see, maybe I will get surprised. Thanks as always for these infos, your reviews and walkthroughs ❤
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Curious as to what the “controversy” during the live stream was lol. Thanks as always for your great info! I always come back here for my otome fix. The game looks so interesting and I’m excited to play another otome with the same art style as Nightshade.
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