Release Date: November 13, 2025 (North America)
Developers:  Otomate
Publishers: Aksys Games
Platforms:  Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

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SYNOPSIS

A fairy-tale filled with love and fixation, woven together by those who carry the blood of the fairies. The story takes place in Grand Albion, a kingdom thriving under the rule of the fairy queen. It is toward the end of the 19th century, an era where light and shadow coexist.

Our heroine Aprose, having lost everything eight years ago, swore to take revenge on those responsible.

Now, 8 years have passed. Whilst hiding her identity, she begins her search for the truth as she works at a mansion belonging to a potential target for her vengeance. What secrets will she unearth upon her chance encounters with the distinguished noblemen who protect the kingdom? What path will she choose…?

And so begins the revenge tragedy of a girl bound by a hapless fate.

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ART AND MUSIC

Director: Mao Seki

Scenario: Satomi Nakayama, Izumi Koizumi, Akira Natsuno, Yuzuki

Artist: Karin Suzushiro

BGM: Jun Ichikawa (Main Composer), Yoshitake Wada (Sub), Hiroshi Akechi (Sub), Kaito Furukawa (Sub)

OP Theme: Tastuya Yano (Composer), Tak Miyazawa (Arrangement), FRAM (Artist)

ED Theme: Asaka (Artisit & Lyrics), Hiraoki Suzuki (Composer)

Mistonia’s character designs were done by Japanese artist/illustrator Karin Suzuhiro, known for their work on otome games such as Cendrillon palikA and Meiji Haikara. They also previously worked as assisting-artist for titles like Norn9 and Charade Maniacs.

The chara-designs for Mistonia were stunning btw! Heck, I looooved them! There were so many different outfit variations too!🤩 Plus, I feel like the CGs really convey the characters’ emotions so well! I am beyond pleased! I also have a soft spot for this game’s OST, especially the BGMs. No surprise there, since it’s by the same studio behind Virche’s soundtrack! If you’re someone who’s also an otoge OST-enthusiast, Aksys Games offers a bundle that includes both the game and the soundtrack, so definitely grab that if you’re interested!

Voice Acting

Yuichiro Umehara as “Alfred Creswell” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Serge (Genso Manege), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)

Ryota Suzuki as “Lucas Sullivan” – Ash (Desperadrops), Koyo (9RIP), Ginnosuke (Him, the Smile and bloom), Yona (Tengoku Struggle), Kiito Minorikawa (Jack Jeanne), Trey Clover (TWST), Ink (Gunka Haita Neko), Caster (FGO), Mizuro Tamaki (Tokyo Ghoul)

Shuichiro Umeda as “Linus Ward” – Haiji Yu (Kazura Uta), Akira Tendou (Zoom100), Kanato Kamio (Star Melody), Hikaru (The Summer Hikaru Died), Jougorou Kobato (Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary), Sable (The Dawn of the Witch), Koga (9RIP Sequel), Mitsuki Oshino (UN:LOGICAL)

Atsushi Tamaru as “Edward Bernstein” – Ichigo Hitofuri (Touken Ranbu), Tenya Minami (Him, the Smile and bloom), Kasuga (Variable Barricade), Tsukioka Tsumugi (A3!), Kohei Natsume (Kitty Love), Semi Tokitaka (Dairoku), Azul Ashengrotto (TWST)

Jun Fukuyama as “Ascot Lindell” – Karatachi (Illusion of Itehari), Mizuchi (Hana Awase), Tomomori (Birushana), Vyn Richter (Tears of Themis), Mozu (BUSTFELLOWS), Goro Fujita (Meiji Tokyo Renka), Liberta (Arcana Famiglia), Rin (Togainu no Chi), Aido (Vampire Knight), Tokiwa Etsuya (Dairoku), Goke Kanimitsu (Touken Ranbu)

Shirai Yusuke as “John” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Luciole (Genso Manege), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi)

Natsumi Fujiwara as “Oberon“ – Shiki Toono (Tsukihime), Matsushita Outa (AI Somnium Files), Soga Asuma (ANONYMOUS:CODE), Glinda (OVER REQUIEMZ)

Saki Fujita as “Tia” – Hibari Tojo (Variable Barricade), Hatsune Miku (Hatsune Miku: Project Diva), Ymir (Attack on Titan), Seiko Kimura (Danganropa 3), Ruri Hijiribe (Durarara!!), Basho (Senran Kagura Peach Ball)

Naomi Iida as “Goneril“ – Queen Victoria (Code Realize), Evelina (Even if Tempest), Tara (Haruka 7), Sakai Tadatsugu (Sengoku Hime), Miwa Asahina (Brothers Conflict), Renoman (Desert Kingdom) Otoha Amamiya (Hiiro no Kakera – Shin Tamayorihime Denshou)

Ikumi Hasegawa as “Lily Bernstein” – Erica (EPHEMERAL), Setsu (GNOSIA), Riho (Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage), Ulrica (The Legend of Heroes), Ciaccona (Wuthering Waves), Arcueid Brunestud (Tsukihime), Tsumugi Hibiki (Ready or Not!), Subaru (LACKGIRL), Ginka Shinomiya (GINKA)

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CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

Mistonia has seven routes total: 6 LI routes and 1 Truth Route. The game lets you start with Alfred, Lucas, and Linus. After clearing two of the three starter routes, Edward and Ascot’s routes will unlock. Once you finish either Edward or Ascot’s, John’s route becomes available. And finally, after clearing John’s route, the truth route unlocks as the game’s finale.

A key aspect of Mistonia’s story is how it gradually unveils major plot points that shape the overarching “who’s who” mystery of the game when you play in a certain order. So, if you want to experience the game with its revelations unfolding from the lightest to the heaviest spoilers, I highly recommend following this route order: Alfred → Lucas → Linus → Edward → Ascot → John → Truth.

This play-order allows the story’s twists and (at the same time), mystery-building flow smoothly all the way to the finale. On a side note, the devs have also shared their own soft recommended route order, which is quite similar to the one above. If you decide to follow their version, I’d definitely advise caution, as Ascot’s route contains some of the biggest spoilers in the game leading up to John’s. So if you’re someone who prefers to save the major reveals for later, it’s worth keeping that in mind.

That said, if you don’t mind spoilers early on, feel free to play whichever routes you prefer, just remember that the game does have certain route restrictions, so some paths won’t be available right away.

Walkthroughs:

1. Alfred
2. Lucas
3. Linus
4. Edward
5. Ascot
6. John
7. Truth

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Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Mistonia’s Hope -The Lost Delight- . All spoiler-related content in this review will be hidden behind a spoiler drop-down, that you can choose to view at your own discretion.

⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings

Violence, murder, mass murder, village destruction, death, blood, classism, discrimination against poor people, sexual manipulation, manipulation, gaslighting, multiple sexual partners, NTR/partner being stolen.

ALFRED CRESWELL

• workaholic, hot & 30 🤭

Alfred is one of the heads of the Five Houses of Grand Albion, specifically the Creswell House, and a descendant of Spriggan. He is serious, strict, and stoic. Always thinking one step ahead, he approaches every situation, and decision logically.

Alfred is probably the route you’ll want to start first in the game, as the core of his story focuses on the political tension between the Queen and the country’s citizens. In a way, it’s a good route that expands on the Common route’s world-building, as well as familiarizing you with the different issues at hand in Grand Albion and how they are addressed or well… ignored by their grand ruler, the Queen.

Depending on how invested you are in the game’s *political* plot here, you may or may not find this route a drag. Personally, though, I quite liked it! (And that’s coming from someone who usually hates political palavers in otome games). It’s probably because I enjoyed the romance and the back-and-forth between Alfred and Aprose, the heroine.

Alfred is extremely pragmatic and logical in everything he does (and he stays consistent like this throughout the game). He’s always the one with a contingency plan for every single thing, and this route really highlights that trait of his. It’s kind of amusing how this mirrors Aprose, who also sort of tends to make backup plans for everything. Their personalities really complement each other (me thinks), and it’s fun watching them constantly try to one-up each other (at least in Aprose’s POV).😆 On a side note, this is also a decent route that highlights the heroine’s drive for revenge.

LUCAS SULLIVAN

• tsundere 🥺
• best boi!🤧

Lucas is the expected head of the Sullivan House and a descendant of the Will-o’-Wisp.
He’s a peculiar pessimist who shows little interest in the political affairs of the Five Houses, and his desire is to only to become a purefae. Though he’s a noble, he detests political strife and speaks to others with a cold, detached tone. He does, however, show a kinder side to those he’s close to although he can also become quite belligerent.

I freaking love this route! 😭 First of, tsun tsun Ryota Suzuki, is an auto-biased-by-default! (cackles) But I was really floored by how this one even surpassed my expectations. The romance was so stinking good! The way the scenario in this route naturally set up and built the relationship between Lucas and Aprose was so perfect. I think it’s also probably one of the few routes in this title where the MC and LI’s bond just naturally developed organically, instead of the story enforcing it.🥹

Lucas was also a really endearing character.🥺🤲 You can tell he’s always thinking of Aprose’s best interests. He’s sincere and kind, and even outside his route, he continues to support the heroine, even if he doesn’t always explicitly show it. His “Astray” End was also one of my favorite endings in this game for reasons! 🤭Definitely a great LI and a great route all around! 10/10 would replay it again!

LINUS WARD

• sunshine boy but….👀
• not a genki
• my actual stance on Linus

Linus is the next head of House Ward, descendants of the Cu Sith. He has such a bright and friendly personality that even his childhood friend, Edward describes him as someone who’s like a ray of sunshine. He’s deeply loyal to his clan and also devoted to the Queen, a trait inherited from his Cu Sith blood. Once he immerses himself with work, he tends to forget to sleep or eat. He still can’t seem to let go of his first love, and romance plays a passive role in his life.

Linus is another character who, by chance, I ended up really loving (to the point of brainrotting).😂 I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this LI as much, but here we are. It’s kind of interesting because, on the surface, Linus seems like your typical vibrant LI (cute, sweet, cheerful… you know the type!) But dont be fooled! His route brings a lot more to the table than you’d expect. Personally, this worked really well for me (hence my brainrotting lol), but I can definitely see how it might not land the same way for others. 👀 Also, Umeda, his VA was unbelievable! I hope we get to hear him voicing more otome LIs in the future!

EDWARD BERNSTEIN

• soft
• daddy issues

Edward is the next head of House Bernstein, descendants of the Sylph. He’s honest and fair, refuses to conform to Grand Albion’s classist ideals, and always treats everyone as an equal. He believes that those with power should help those who lack the same privileges. Polite to everyone regardless of status, Edward also has a strong dislike for conflict.

This route was… maybe a little too all over the place, if I’m being honest. I didn’t dislike it, but at the same time, it wasn’t one of the stronger ones in terms of plot and narrative pacing. Aprose, wasn’t at her best here either. Unlike in previous routes, her drive for revenge was more toned down, and perhaps it’s influenced by Edward’s kind-hearted nature?

Speaking of which, what really redeems this route for me is Edward himself. What a soft and genuinely kind-hearted guy! I could never bring myself to dislike him. Plus, his VA is one of my comfort seiyuus!🥺 Some might find him too vanilla or boring, but I just love how level-headed and consistently kind he is (maybe even a little too kind). Edward’s story also unravels some key pieces of the game, so I appreciated the reveals thrown in here as well. I’d definitely do this route first before Ascot’s, otherwise, Edward’s plot-revelations won’t have as much impact.

ASCOT LINDELL

• “i can fix him”
• Ascot McRaunchy Lindell
• literally puts the ass in Ascot

Ascot is the representative head of House Lindell, descendants of the Puca. A handsome young man with a reputation as a womanizer in high society. A lot of women flock to him and want his company. Despite his responsibilities as head of his house, he does as he pleases and, most of the time, comes across as unserious.

I… don’t know how I feel about Ascot, tbh. He is an a$$cot for sure! Admittedly, I started this route with a grin on my face. Like dead serious, who could resist Fukujun’s eccentric teasings, hmm? But that grin almost instantly turned into furrowed brows because this route was an absolute hot mess!🔥🗑️👌

For one, (after clearing his story) I could kind of see what the writers were going for here (read spoilers to expound this point). But something about how the route was written, paced, and pieced together just completely threw me off. By the end, I couldn’t take Ascot’s route seriously. I mean, I didn’t hate it, and I still enjoyed all its absurdities if anything. I guess it’s one of those routes that’s so bad, it’s actually good!🤣

JOHN

• the goat
• wears Burberry and designer perfume

John is Aprose’s attendant and childhood friend who diligently accomplishes any task without error. He is very skilled in both literary arts and combat, and was the one who taught Aprose basic self-defense when she was younger. He’s very cautious and studies his surroundings as he aids Aprose in her quest for revenge.

John is definitely a goated character… too bad his route is not! It was however, a very interesting run because it didn’t follow the structure of the previous LI routes, Ascot’s aside. I’m a huge fan of Shiraimu, so maybe this is my biased brain talking, but I love John.🥺 He’s a great character, in fact! Smart, capable, badass in combat, and always able to accomplish whatever tasks Aprose asks of him with ease, no questions asked. He’s always there for the heroine, come hell or high water, and I think he had a really solid character development arc in this game. I can’t really fault him for the fact that his story’s pacing completely took a nosedive.

APROSE E. RANDOLPH (Main Heroine)

• cant cook 😭
• Aprose to the haters

After dealing with a few disappointing MCs this year, playing Aprose was such a delight! I love this heroine. She’s always guarded, highly proactive, and very efficient. I can’t really stress enough how efficient this MC is. She really be doing A LOT! -like, finishing an all-day chore in just an hour, running around spying on LIs, chasing pick-pocketers, fighting bad guys, climbing trees, doing embroidery…among many, many other tasks, all while sporting her infamous poker face!

She’s also a really good critical thinker and 99% of the time has predominantly navigated the story on her own, with very little help (maybe a bit from John and Goneril). She has a backup plan for everything and can think on her feet in perilous situations.

I guess the only thing she can’t do, and is terrible at, is cooking! The girl can’t season food to save her life! 😭But she’s so oblivious to how bad her dishes are that it’s actually hilarious. We love an overconfident queen who thinks she’s Gordon Ramsay!😂

I also really loved how stern and uptight Aprose is at first, but as the story progresses, you can slowly see her walls coming down. What’s great is that she reflects on all her experiences, both old and new, which makes her growth very satisfying, to me. I also really appreciated her bonding moments with the girlies Evelyn and Charlotte. 🥺 It’s really nice to see this more human side of her when she’s with them, the part that isn’t too focused on revenge. I think Aprose really needed this type of connection, girlfriends she could confide in, and let her guard down so she can be more of herself. The friendship she has with the girls is such a lovely, heartwarming layer to her character.🥹

Perhaps my little quibble with the entire game is that Aprose’s drive and motivation for revenge greatly vary in every route. She sort of lost her fire in the last three routes (me thinks). In contrast, she was much more on top of things and determined with the first three LI routes, and was completely dead set on what she wanted/ willing to do anything to achieve her goals. I guess I could chalk this up to inconsistent writing rather than paint it as a flaw of the heroine.🤷‍♀️

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SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

The shard exploration can be a mixed bag. Initially, I did like how it lets you roam around the Bernstein mansion, investigate different areas, collect clues, and eavesdrop on conversations between characters and other NPCs. But the repetition of these segments quickly became tiring for me. Especially the last exploration. I think the fourth one took forever to finish. It wouldn’t have hurt to cut the exploration segments in half, as I feel it was the only thing dragging the common route for hours.

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TRAILER

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OVERALL THOUGHTS

Mistonia’s Hope -The Lost Delight- took me around 60–65 hours to finish. The common route, with all its exploration segments, took roughly 3–4 hours, while each love interest route ran about 5–6 hours to reach an ending, give or take. I also played mostly in docked mode for the majority of my playthroughs and had it on auto-play most of the time. 

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Aprose’s Journey: Came for Revenge, Stayed for Love

While the story introduces the theme “revenge”, what makes it interesting to me is how the heroine actually navigates her own desires and emotions for revenge. You see, not all revenge is cold; it can take many forms, whether grandiose or subtle. And its kinda interesting that the game explores those nuances through Aprose’s journey.

It’s also curious, because as Aprose grows as a person, makes friends, spends time with her LI, and develops her feelings for them, she will also start to question herself. Is this really what I want? There’s that constant push and pull within her, so in turn, sometimes she’s determined to see her plans through, and other times her resolve wavers. I think I really enjoyed this part of the protagonist actually, because it makes her feel so human. Sometimes we think revenge will give us closure, but when we’re finally facing it, we realize it’s not what we truly want.

The sentiment I take from all of this is that Aprose’s pursuit of revenge is closely tied to her path of healing…and I think this reinforces the game’s underlying message “that love can heal even the most painful scars.” After finding and accepting love, Aprose gradually lets go of the hatred in her heart, allowing herself to slowly heal and move forward.

Tangy Bad Ends

That’s not to say our girl doesn’t get her cold revenge served in the game, because oh, they definitely happen! And you’ll find them all in these juicy BAD ENDINGS. It’s funny how the game is cloaked in shiny glittery fairy dust, but the bad ends can really hit hard with some seriously dark stuff when you least expect it!

It surprised me even by how much I enjoyed all of them. I’m normally someone who only does bad ends out of due diligence of being a completionist 😂(hey, can’t be the only one!). Maybe curiosity got the better of me, because I’ve seemingly picked up the habit of looking forward to unlocking the “Astray” and “Clown” endings in this game.🙈These endings can spiral into something that’ll get you clutching your pearls to scenes that are just outrageously raunchy. The raunchy endings were a hoot ngl! Admittedly, I enjoyed every single one of them.😝

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Shakespearean References and Celtic Myth Inspired Characters

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As for the overall story, I actually like that the game has a plot structure where each LI has, in one way or another, a connection to the heroine’s tragedy. And if you play the routes in a certain order, the story kind of just unpacks little by little on its own. Each route also contributes something that shapes the overarching plot in the game. Highlight for minor spoilers >>> I‘d say Alfred, Lucas, Linus and Edward’s routes give you more insights on the Eltbeak incident, while Ascot and John’s routes explore more of the game’s fantasy setting.<<<

This title, to me, was pretty solid, thematically. It stayed true to what it initially set out to be and didn’t try to become something it wasn’t. Although, I do have to say that the execution of some routes and certain storylines fell a bit short of my expectations. The routes definitely vary from being great, to mediocre, to “what the heck is even going on?” 😭 There were also plenty of plot inconsistencies that, at one point, I just kind of gave up, turned off my brain, and went “well, okay, fine...”😅 So yeah, if you’re very particular about plot consistencies and a stickler for pacing, some of these routes will tick you off for sure!

I’d say the characters were definitely the heart of this game and what kept me invested all the way to the very end of the finale. I loved the main cast, and I thought the side characters played important roles in the story as well. Aprose, the MC, was astounding and quickly earned a spot in my fav MC shrine‘!

As for the LIs, Lucas snatches “best boi” title in my book! I also thought his route was among the best-written in the game. Linus came barreling in second place, and this actually surprised me! To tell you the truth, I brainrotted on Linus for a few days before moving on…🫠 Idk, something about the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” trope always gets my knees buckled. I’m such a sucker for this trope it’s not even funny!😭 John was an amazing LI as well, though I wish his route could’ve been paced better. On the other hand, I had a love-hate relationship with Ascot and his route, but by the end of the game, my opinion of his character hopped onto the more favorable side.🙂‍↕️ (thankfully!)

💖LI RANKING: Lucas > Linus > John > Edward = Alfred > Ascot

📝ROUTE RANKING: Lucas > Linus > Alfred >>>> John > Edward > Ascot

For the romance, I found the game decently romantic. I was smitten by Aprose’s chemistry with her guys.🥺The sweet, sugary moments between them were also woven naturally into the plot, which kept me glued to the story the whole time. I also loved that this title utilizes LI rivalries in every single route! It really cranks up my love-triangle guilty pleasures, which is also why I couldn’t bring myself to skip a single bad ending. (cackles)🫣😂 And as for the spice, there are a couple of suggestive scenes, some even with accompanying CGs. So I think anyone who loves a little extra heat will definitely get their fix in this game.

Do I recommend this game? YES.
I was actually very taken and fully immersed throughout my entire playthrough of this title. The plot wasn’t grand, and it certainly had its share of glaring flaws at times, but Aprose, the LIs, and the rest of the cast made this game truly a worthwhile experience. I’m also a fantasy-girlie, so this was an easy read for me.

I definitely think you will enjoy Mistonia’s Hope -The Lost Delight- if you: love fantasy/dark-fantasy settings, mysteries and revenge plots, a capable MC who’s determined to achieve her goals, a mixed cast of lovable and *twisted* love interests you’ll want to add to your collection, Shakespearean nods scattered throughout the game, and some really (emotionally) beautiful art that hits you right in the feels! If you tick all these boxes above, you’re in for a real treat with this otome title! Definitely don’t even think about passing this game up!

***That said, I will actually be partaking in Otomate’s Winter Market merch war this year. Gotta get my hands on those new Mistonia merch! All import tariffs be damned! 😤

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