#nobreadstudio

The demo for 304 Seconds is now also available on itch.io!

Enjoy it DRM-free!

⦁ genre: otome, amare, mystery, thriller, drama, comedy, romance, supernatural

SoulSet is one of my favorite visual novels. I've read it before, and for the first time it hit me emotionally so hard, I couldn't stop thinking of it - even three years later. I would like to erase my memories to unravel this breathtaking mystery again. But I can't do it, so I've just erased my in-game progress and gave this novel a re-read.

You awake in a strange gloomy mansion with five strangers and all your memories lost. The only episode from your past that you remember is that your dragon Isshin is dying and to prevent that a strange man (Feathor) casts a spell on you, binding a dragon's soul to yours.

Who are those people? Why are you in this mansion together? Everyone is claiming that they don't remember anything about them, like you. But what if someone is lying? Who can you trust, if anyone at all? Where do you even start? You need to act soon, because around the mansion is a strange barrier that you can't cross. Who made it and how can you get rid of it? But it seems that this isn't even your biggest problem for now…

It is a game that is meant to play several times (about 20 times, actually) to fully uncover the mystery. . Each route reveals just a part of truth, and I should say that reading the novel first time, I didn't get the whole picture until it was presented to me. There are "true endings" for each character, but also the ultimate "true end" which binds together all story lines. In some endings you will find love, in other - gruesome death, but nevertheless each time the game ends, you wake up in the same mansion. And you need to find out why.

I really love how the tension in the game is building in every route, and even after finishing most of them you are still curious what to expect next…There are some complications and small plot inconsistencies, but nothing changes the atmosphere and fact that this story is incredible. Also there is a huge grumpy CAT!

Marco: "Not counting myself, of course" Shira: "Yeah, yeah, You're so powerful, you can barely stand on your own two feet."

The game reminds me of brilliant "Zero Escape" series in several aspects, though I don't want to give major spoilers, but I adore the idea of tampering with fourth wall and the whole visual novel mechanics. Also it has some puzzles.

!This is an adult visual novel and has some sexual content and use of alcohol!

CHARACTERS:

MC Mariko

Even with her memories gone, Mariko' s personality is flamboyant. She is smart, sexy, funny and confident, has an aura of a leader. Also she doesn't remember her past, but Yvonne tells her that she sees that her aura is very dark. Who she was? What did she done? What she forgot and does it really needs to be remembered? Though she doesn't remember how old she is, she feels like a mature woman.

Also in the library there is a portrait of a young girl that looks like her - and it was painted half of a century ago. How could it happen? Mariko is openly showing her affection to the person she is pursuing. She likes to flirt and tease, and the sex for her is the normal part of life. But also she can be caring and attentive.

Mariko DOES some stupid mistakes in bad routes, but that means she's a human with flaws. I like every single thing about her, whatever she does or says is very amusing. I can see why the other characters like her and give her trust.

Likes: having a good time Dislikes: curses Talents: unknown (necromancy)

My rating: 5/5 [probably, my favorite MC]

Lord Mutik

We have a huge black grumpy cat in this game. Feed him sardines! He'll like it. Or will munch your hand instead. Anyway, the game with cat is always better than one without it.

My rating: 5/5

Love Interests (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD):

On the first glance, LIs in SoulSet are look like a strangely arranged diversion of characters, on second glance - nothing about them is as it seems. It is an amare game, and it does have romance and sex scenes (avoidable), but the main point is building trust between characters, and because of that some routes feel less romantic than others. There are poly-amorous options with some characters. The whole game is pretty much LGBTQ+ positive.

Apris's, Yvonne's and Shira's routes can be pursued from the start; other need clues found in other routes to reach true ending. Marco's and Feathor's true routes can be reached only after finishing all other routes.

What would happen if a paranormal game actually worked? That is the question that The Elevator Game with Catgirls, a horror visual novel by NoBreadStudio, presents us with. This tale focuses on Kirin, who accepts a dare from her classmate, Sapporo, to play Elevator to Another World, and what ensues as her girlfriend, Asahi, begins the search for her when she seemingly disappears without a trace. Much to Asahi's dismay, her only hope of finding Kirin is to perform the ritual herself. Steeling her resolve, she returns to the building where her girlfriend disappeared and enters the elevator. The following events can only be described as a nightmare, but Asahi is steadfast in her mission to rescue the woman she loves.

In The Elevator Game with Catgirls, the player assists Asahi in her investigation, directing her actions through dialogue choices and point-and-click elements. As she scours the Otherworld for clues, the player will have to solve the occasional puzzle which reveals pertinent information needed to progress the game, or collect red and silver notes to shed light on what else may be occurring. On top of that, Asahi quickly learns that the alternate universe is unforgiving to those who wander its grounds. Danger lurks around every corner, and Asahi is bound to meet her doom in various bad endings. If the player uses their wits and thoroughly examines their surroundings, they can also uncover secret endings, Easter eggs, and other elusive details. Unearthing all of these carefully hidden mysteries can make completing the game feel much more rewarding.

Although the premise of this visual novel is already eerie, the unsettling atmosphere really emphasises that sentiment. From the very beginning, the game does a stellar job establishing a feeling of dread, evoking immersion as Asahi herself is gripped with an unshakeable fear. Stranded in an unfamiliar world, her unease is evident through her thoughts and actions, which only serves to heighten the tension the player feels when navigating the Otherworld. The elevator rides in particular expand upon this dread, with the apprehension building as you arrive at each new floor, unaware of what may be behind the next door. Since the scenery subtly shifts after each new discovery, it keeps the player vigilant for any impending frights. Taking these factors into account, the horror never really feels stale or predictable, and though some plot points may be easily foreseeable, every bit of polish that goes into this visual novel feels fresh and maintains interest until the end.

The well-rounded characters are just another aspect that complements the content of the game. Each character serves a unique purpose, and due to the Otherworld's sinister nature, it casts doubt on whether they seek to help or harm Asahi. Such questionable motivations add intrigue to the experience and, as the game progresses, the true nature of the people she knows becomes less muddled.

Providing voice acting for these characters also significantly enhances the experience. The chosen voice actors are suitable for their roles, and lend their own unique charm to their characters. The delivery of the lines never sounds stilted or misdirected, rather genuine and realistic for the given situation. Having high quality spoken dialogue makes scenes more impactful, especially during the game's emotional moments.

Another beautifully executed element is the art. The rough, sketch-like art style blends in nicely with the dismal backgrounds, forming a distinct flair. Even the 3D-modelled assets feel lovingly crafted, combining with the 2D character art to create an allure that is seldom found in mainstream visual novels. The one flaw we ever found within this game was that the falling snowflakes seemed to have minor visual stuttering whilst moving the mouse, but that hardly impedes the enjoyment.

Lastly, the music plays an instrumental role in highlighting the atmosphere—from scary encounters to poignant scenes, the composition from OddTillTheEnd is masterful, to say the least. The theme song of the game, Masks and Illusions, plays at just the right time as well, sweeping the player up in overwhelming emotion and punching them right in the feels. And that's just what NoBreadStudio does best with their games—taking your breath away.

Commission for @nayruart / @nobreadstudio , courtesy of Xolf <3

The Steam Next Fest is now live, and 304 Seconds is taking part! Now's the best time to check out the demo if you haven't already!

The demo for 304 Seconds is now available on Steam!

It focuses on Asher and Violet's side of the story, and shows around 60-90 minutes of gameplay.

The full version of the game will also have subtle but deliberate plot-related differences compared to the demo, so it's advised to play both in order to get the full picture of the story.

I've mentioned in my personal post last December that most of 2025 has been pretty rough for me as well as the rest of NoBreadStudio, and truth to be told I've been beating myself up for 304 Seconds taking me such a long time to make... but when I stopped to think about it, I realized that this demo version took nearly the same amount of work as Blankspace did. It might not be as long as Blankspace, but it's actually very similar in terms of assets made. I suppose this is the curse of being a creative person - when you learn more, you want to do more, and to do it better. We constantly strive to make better games, but they also take more time to develop. And I think I might have gone a little bit overboard with the CG count, especially for such a short part of the overall story.

Either way, I hope you enjoy the 304 Seconds demo!

I will also post it on itch.io next week.

Big news today, everyone! We are happy to announce that Blankspace is now available on consoles! A big thank you to Penguin Pop Games who made this possible!

I've been a huge Nintendo fan since my childhood days so having my own project available on a Nintendo console is so mind-blowing to me… This honestly feels surreal and a real dream come true!