Indie developer Studio Chawan brings us their first VN project, Mirage Noir, a detective otome visual novel focused on found family. In Mirage Noir, you play as a detective, solve cases, and pursue an elusive serial killer in this mystery-driven game that’ll also put a spotlight on the connections and the bonds formed along the way. The game will be release on PC platforms (Steam, Itch.io) with a tentative launch date in 2026. It’s Kickstarter campaign will begin on October 22, 2024.

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ABOUT THE GAME

When Yunie graduated from college, she believed she had her whole life ahead of her. Returning to her hometown with a shiny new dream job, it seemed like nothing could stand in her way.

However, two years later, not much has changed. She hasn’t made any new friends, isn’t allowed to investigate anything worthwhile, and feels like she’s stuck in the mud, moving in place.

So when an unexpected opportunity arises, she doesn’t hesitate to take it. The case is a weird one, but it introduces her to an eccentric team of people she immediately connects with, and she decides that no matter what, she won’t regret getting involved.

Even if it means crossing paths with a serial killer.

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CHARACTERS

FEATURES

• Four love interests: Four separate routes that can be played in any order.
• Two “truth” routes: Unlock after completing all four character routes. You can choose which character’s route to follow, unlocking extra scenes with your selected love interest.
• MINI GAMES:
  • Multiscreen gameplay
  • Point-and-click segments
  • Deduction segments
• Fun User Interface: A fun and custom user interface that matches the game’s theme.
• Vibrant Artwork: Beautiful sprite artwork and vivid backgrounds.

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MAIN CHARACTERs & FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Main Characters

Jem – I really REALLY like Jem. He’s more of a happy-go-lucky character and kinda has that labrador retriever energy, which I absolutely adore. He also seems to be a jack of all trades but is rather humble and shy about it. He admits he’s not the wittiest but is great at following orders (lol, see…labrador retriever energy right there).😂 After finishing the demo, I ended up loving him the most out of all the guys. He was so sweet to the heroine; very soft and kind… and just…. *puts him in my pocket*.🥺🤲 I am absolutely smitten! He blushes easily too, which gets him bonus points from me! Also he has cats!!?? More points from me!

Alexei – Alexei D’Orla, I actually like his name. It has that Jersey-gangster ring to it (or it could be just me, lol).😂 He’s the “bad” mofo of the group. Brawler. Buffed. Rough around the edges. But he seems to have a soft side too, which we get to see in the demo, and I really like that about him. From what I can tell, he’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy. Honest, wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s apparently also a cleaning dork it seems, which makes him a bit of a gap moe! Awww!🥺

Thierry – The icy prince, who clearly has some trust issues, which is understandable because, well, y’know, he’s the crown prince! LOL. Rich af, and knows how to use his money. 😏 He definitely has that “couldn’t be bothered” attitude. Out of all the guys in the demo, he’s the only one who’s kind of elusive with the heroine (though we did see him thank Yunie and apologize for being a bit hard on her during their first meeting). I’m really excited to see how his route will play out and how our heroine will melt this icy persona!

Sami – The Hacker. Introvert, snobby, blunt, antisocial, nerd. He’s pretty eccentric too, which is hilarious whenever he’s bickering with Alexei and the heroine. A big dork with his plushie collection (him geeking out about it in the demo had me cackling the most)!😂 I cannot with the “Uptown Funk” obsession though!😭😭😭 Sami, you’re gonna have to sit down with me and my kpop playlist!!

Yunie (main heroine) – Aw, I actually love Yunie as the heroine. She’s quite quirky herself; very flawed, clumsy, funny, and has a great sense of humor. Sometimes, she reminds me of the heroine from Light and Night, who’s also one of my favorite MCs (maybe it’s because of her pouty sprite variation, lol idk). This is exactly what I mean about adding nuances to heroines. Her being flawed and clumsily funny makes her feel relatable! Interesting even, like you just want to see more of her!

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Trailer

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INITIAL THOUGHTS SO FAR?

To be honest, I’m pretty picky when it comes to noir fiction, especially when it’s murder mystery-themed. I guess you could say it’s not my favorite setting in media (whether it’s books, movies, plays, games, etc.). It takes more than just a compelling story to keep me hooked until the end. But with this game demo, I was really surprised at how easily I breezed through it. Despite the demo being 5 hours long, I wasn’t bored at all! The characters were so wonderful, and I was more invested in them than in the actual mystery premise. I even replayed all the investigations with each LI to get more content. I wanted to see more of the characters, especially Yunie, the heroine. She was absolutely lovely! She’s definitely someone I’d want to root for, which I’m realizing now that if can’t vibe with the heroine, I struggle to actually get through a game, so I’m quite happy that Yunie is so likable!🥰

The game’s theme and the found family trope seem heavily inspired by eXtend’s otome game, Bustafellows, which I believe the developers have mentioned themselves. There are a lot of familiar elements, like the gang having their base headquarters at their sole hacker’s house, Yunie’s similar talent to Teuta’s precognition (though I don’t think she’s fully realized this yet), not to mention the noir setting in a crime-filled city. There’s also this feature in Bustafellows where, during conversations between two characters, you can hear (or see) other characters chatting and going about their business in the background. The devs have utilized that here too, and I quite enjoyed it! Aside from that, I thought the mechanics also echo a bit of Tears of Themis (and, of course, Ace Attorney) when it comes to its investigation system.

My favorite LI so far is Jem. He’s such a sweet bean, always looking out for the protagonist and the others. Though I’d have to say, I did quite enjoy all of the LIs during the demo. There’s a great variety of quirkiness among these cast of characters that I’m sure everyone will distinctly love.

I think one very small nitpick I have (and mind you this is more of a preference than anything) was that when I listened to the trailer’s opening theme, it didn’t sound “noir” at all; or rather it didn’t quite match the game’s crime-solving premise. The opening song was beyond lovely by the way, but it felt like I was listening to an opening theme for a fantasy or adv drama VN rather than a detective crime mystery-themed one, if that makes sense? Like I’d expect brass, some cool moody jazz, deep cellos or orchestration blends to fit the motif? But Idk maybe it’s just me! And again I’m pedantically nitpicking here!😂 Please don’t mind me!

Another thing is that the game would really benefit from having some voice acting for the characters, even if it’s just semi-voiced. The dialogues were actually very fun and lively, and the humor really vibed with me. I was pretty much hearing the characters’ voices in my head as I read their lines, so I would love it if this game were voiced. Though I’d say this feature is highly a possibility when the Kickstarter campaign opens, and the developers decide to include a stretch goal for full voice acting.

Overall, I LOVE THIS GAME! Welp, by the end of the demo I ended up feeling excited, intrigued and impatient knowing that I can’t continue till 2026!😭What the heck am I supposed to do now dammit? (cackling) No, seriously, as someone who’s not typically into urban crime-noir settings, I was very much impressed with Mirage Noir! I can’t wait to back it when its Kickstarter campaign opens (and maybe help reach the voice-acting goal if there is one, please!)🙏

I definitely want to encourage folks to try out the full extended demo if you can! I’m absolutely vouching for it; it’s very much worth your time! The Kickstarter for this game opens October 22, be sure to check it out! I have links below for your convenience!