Cage of Roses

About

Cage of Roses is a single player role playing game. It was developed by ebi-hime and was released on February 16, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Meike is the daughter of the noble von Essen family. Once one of the wealthiest families in Germany, the von Essen name has since been tarnished after a string of bad business decisions led them to financial ruin. Desperate to be restored to their former wealth and glory, Meike’s parents try to marry their only daughter off to the self-made businessman Walter Gerhardt. Meike possesses no fond …

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 145 reviews

story53 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features stunning artwork and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the gothic atmosphere.
The story offers a charming and engaging yuri romance between the main characters, Meike and Magdalena, with well-developed relationships.
Despite some pacing issues, the narrative is immersive and filled with emotional depth, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

The writing can be overly verbose and repetitive, leading to a tedious reading experience at times.
The story's pacing is inconsistent, with some sections dragging on while others feel rushed, particularly towards the climax.
The lack of player choices and linear narrative may disappoint those looking for more interactive gameplay.

story
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The story of this visual novel is a dark, gothic vampire romance that captivates with its rich character development and emotional depth, particularly in the relationship between the protagonists, Meike and Magdalena. While many reviewers praised the beautiful art and music, opinions on the pacing and narrative structure were mixed, with some finding it overly drawn-out or convoluted, yet others appreciated its intricate storytelling and engaging twists. Overall, it appeals to fans of yuri and gothic themes, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its lengthy exposition and linear progression.
- “The story is captivating and the mysteries surrounding Magdalena make one want to read on.”
- “Despite starting slow and a meandering pace at a few points, the story manages to achieve, if nothing else, an end more satisfying than could have been expected from what could have been a simplistic human-vampire romance plot.”
- “Additionally, despite the grim setting and sometimes dour subject matter, the story is ultimately hopeful - about finding companionship amidst loneliness and the value of found family.”
- “I would have maybe stuck around but the story is tedious to read through: the writers seem to have little faith in our reading comprehension.”
- “The story is one of the most pedantic and overwritten narratives that I've read.”
- “Despite the strong characters, the story is riddled with issues—from pacing problems, to skipping over things that should be explored, while lingering far too long on moments that could’ve been brief.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
12%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the immersive experience, perfectly complementing the stunning artwork and gothic atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's fittingness to the narrative, with many noting its emotional depth and ability to evoke a romantic mood. Overall, the combination of captivating music and exquisite visuals significantly contributes to the game's appeal, despite some critiques of the writing quality.
- “This game is beautiful; the visual and musical presentation alone made the experience very pleasant!”
- “The artwork is ornate and ravishing, establishing an immersive gothic Victorian atmosphere, additionally supported by the great soundtrack.”
- “The music was so stunning and created a beautiful atmosphere, the art is so gorgeous that I kept losing my place and staring at the prettily painted CGs, and the writing made me feel like I'd picked up some gothic novel of its own in a bookstore.”
- “Lots of gorgeous CGs are present as well as a full-on soundtrack, but no voice acting.”
- “Although most of the music is original, there is a Bach piece, and I'm a fan of music from the Baroque period.”
- “Fantastic art and music, terrible writing.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
5%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their ornate and breathtaking artwork, which effectively creates an immersive gothic Victorian atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and detailed aesthetics, noting that they complement the rich storytelling and evocative soundtrack, making for an engaging overall experience. Despite minor inconsistencies between the writing and visuals, the artwork remains a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal, especially for fans of the gothic and yuri genres.
- “The artwork is ornate and ravishing, establishing an immersive gothic Victorian atmosphere, additionally supported by the great soundtrack.”
- “The art is truly breath-taking, very detailed and simply gorgeous; the same can be said about the aesthetics of the game.”
- “The artwork is gorgeous, featuring ebi-hime's usual beautiful prose, plus some astoundingly good visuals to complement it.”
- “The pointy ears of the vampires in the artwork are completely ignored in all descriptions of the features of vampires.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and fail to capture the gothic aesthetic that the game aims for.”
- “The character models look outdated and lack the detail expected from a modern game.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive gothic Victorian aesthetic, enhanced by ornate artwork and a stunning soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the melancholic and oppressive tone that complements the slow-burn romance, making it feel akin to reading a captivating gothic novel. The combination of beautiful visuals and evocative writing creates a deeply engaging experience that resonates with players.
- “The artwork is ornate and ravishing, establishing an immersive gothic Victorian atmosphere, additionally supported by the great soundtrack.”
- “✨ Cage of Roses is a gorgeous mix of gothic atmosphere, slow-burn romance, and stunning presentation.”
- “The music was so stunning and created a beautiful atmosphere; the art is so gorgeous that I kept losing my place and staring at the prettily painted CGs. The writing made me feel like I'd picked up some gothic novel of its own in a bookstore—I'd read it even if it wasn't a game, and then it being a visual novel just makes it even more wonderful!”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Cage of Roses" is praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, combining yuri and gothic elements that evoke a wide range of feelings, from stress to joy. Players report being moved to tears and captivated by the beautiful art and music, which enhance the heartfelt narrative and the touching relationship between the characters Meike and Magdalena. Overall, the game is celebrated for its exceptional writing and ability to create a profound emotional experience.
- “I cried so much playing this, and it had me stress sweating for most of the game, but at the end of it all, it had a sweet and happy ending.”
- “It made me feel so many emotions and left me feeling very happy to read this.”
- “The best writing so far, especially these emotional talks between Meike and Magdalena. This is another step up.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Character development is praised for its stunning design and attractive visuals, with many reviewers highlighting the beauty of the characters and their relationships. However, some mention that the writing can be clunky, possibly due to translation issues, and that conversations may feel overly lengthy. Overall, the character design and art are consistently celebrated, contributing to an enjoyable narrative experience.
- “The music is lovely and fits well, and the character design is attractive and eye-catching.”
- “The art and character designs are stunning and beautiful!”
- “Also, the character design and art are absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I found the character arcs predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity.”
- “While the character design is appealing, the writing is clunky and the dialogue drags on, detracting from the overall experience.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, with some expressing frustration over the lengthy and overly simplistic storytelling that detracts from their overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became boring.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The gameplay is linear and lacks player choices, leading to a narrative that feels constrained. Additionally, some users find the overall gameplay time of under 7 hours to be insufficient for the price.
- “The gameplay is engaging and keeps you invested throughout the experience.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive, making it easy to pick up and play.”
- “The combat system is fluid and offers a satisfying challenge.”
- “The story feels completely on rails—not in terms of gameplay, but in terms of narrative.”
- “With the gameplay, the story is linear, so no choices are present.”
- “For the asking price, it might be a bit pricey if you look at total gameplay time, as it took me fewer than 7 hours to complete the story.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a promising concept but suffers from significant performance issues, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “Great concept, awful performance.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it frustrating to play.”
- “Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the overall experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unintentional comedic moments, particularly through exaggerated detail and corner-cutting that leads to running jokes among players. While initially amusing, the overemphasis on trivial aspects can wear thin, diminishing the humor over time.
- “It became a running joke for me and my friends: 'Oh look, there's no way it ends there; they're gonna unpack every detail and the color of every piece of fabric for another hour.' It became a lot less funny when they did exactly that.”
- “The corner-cutting is so obvious it becomes unintentionally funny.”