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Dark Nights

91%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding, monetization
91% User Score Based on 328 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux

About

"Dark Nights" is a narrative-driven game with four interconnected storylines, offering 16 possible endings and at least 10 hours of playtime. With 60 original backgrounds, 37 soundtracks, and 60 CG arts, the game provides a rich and immersive experience. Each route has its unique storyline and characters, making replayability and exploration of different paths integral to the game.

Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
Dark Nights screenshot
+1

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 328 reviews
story104 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions

  • The game features a very good story with engaging characters and multiple routes, making it highly replayable.
  • The artwork and soundtracks are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.
  • It's a free game that offers a lot of content, including 16 different endings and various choices that impact the storyline.
  • The writing can be inconsistent and at times feels like a poorly written fanfiction, leading to confusion and plot holes.
  • The main character often makes illogical decisions, which can be frustrating for players trying to connect with the story.
  • Some players feel that the romance elements are underdeveloped and lack proper buildup, making the relationships feel forced.
  • story
    236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Dark Nights" is praised for its engaging and intricate narrative, featuring multiple routes that enhance the overall plot and character development. While some reviewers noted inconsistencies and pacing issues, many found the supernatural elements and character backstories captivating, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels. Overall, the combination of romance, mystery, and immersive storytelling, complemented by appealing art and music, contributes to a rich gaming experience.

    • “The plot is really enticing and the more routes you play, the more understanding of it you will have.”
    • “The engaging gameplay and mysterious story make this game worth trying for fans of visual novels with thrilling narratives.”
    • “The story varies a lot between every chosen character, they have some links with some supernatural beings I'm not going to spoil, but every route actually changes the game completely.”
    • “The beginning of this story is boring.”
    • “It's a baffling bit of writing that makes the story frustrating to read.”
    • “It suffers from some plot inconsistencies, especially in some specific routes (like Zeikun) where many things end up not being explained, and there are even things that happen and you wonder why.”
  • music
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players noting its atmospheric qualities and catchy tunes. However, some reviewers pointed out issues with the balance and transitions between tracks, which could occasionally disrupt immersion. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, complementing the game's art and story effectively.

    • “The music is truly amazing and so is the art, writing, story, characters, variety of CGs, many locations, such a deep story, and just so interesting.”
    • “Each route truly is unique, each guy has his own charming personality, and the music does an amazing job setting up the mood and the atmosphere.”
    • “The original soundtrack used for the game accompanied the locations incredibly well and worked to enhance the story beats.”
    • “Which is a shame because the scenery art is pretty and the music, when it's not cutting in and out at odd moments, is atmospheric enough to be enjoyable.”
    • “There were however instances where I found the music to be balanced incorrectly, and so the music ended up making it difficult to read.”
    • “Along with how some music shifts seemed to happen too quickly and could be a tad jarring.”
  • graphics
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their stunning artwork and appealing art style, with many users expressing admiration for the visuals and atmosphere. The artwork is described as sublime and beautiful, enhancing the overall experience of the game, while the soundtrack complements the visuals effectively. Overall, the graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The artwork is absolutely sublime (there's a reason I've shared so many screenshots!), and the score is subtle, yet elegant, with each piece well paired to the scene it's enhancing.”
    • “Pinlin the dev is a master artist, I was in awe at the artwork and was wondering why this game was free.”
    • “I am honestly in love with the art style, it's simply beautiful.”
  • gameplay
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this visual/interactive novel is polarizing; while some praise its smooth mechanics and engaging choices that enhance the narrative experience, others criticize it for lacking depth and featuring poorly written dialogue. Overall, it appeals to fans of the genre who appreciate a variety of choices and endings, despite some negative feedback on the writing quality.

    • “The engaging gameplay and mysterious story make this game worth trying for fans of visual novels with thrilling narratives.”
    • “The writing is wonderful, free of errors, and used to convey emotion and construct the world beautifully, while there is a truly impressive number of choices to make and endings to earn during gameplay.”
    • “As for the gameplay, dark nights has multiple choices that pop up.”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique.”
    • “I have not yet finished the Steam version, so I am basing this off of my gameplay on itch.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a deep emotional impact from the game, often feeling traumatized and yearning for more meaningful endings, as many report frustration with receiving only normal or bad outcomes. While the side characters and their stories are praised for their wholesomeness and depth, some key emotional moments feel rushed, leaving players wanting a more substantial emotional payoff. Overall, the game elicits strong feelings but falls short in delivering a fully satisfying emotional experience.

    • “I'm traumatized after playing for 9 hours... God, I just want to cry and say, 'Why do I always get the normal or bad endings???'”
    • “You only get a line or two at the very end, which is very cute and wholesome, but just not enough.</3”
    • “Each story of the character is really touching, although there's some thrill in the game, such as the countdown to escape the zombies.”
  • atmosphere
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its dark and immersive worldbuilding, effectively creating a scary and engaging experience. The artwork and music contribute significantly to the mood, although some technical issues with the music were noted. Each route offers a unique experience, enhanced by the distinct personalities of the characters and the atmospheric sound design.

    • “What makes this worth playing is the dark atmosphere and worldbuilding.”
    • “It's scary and atmospheric, and some routes hooked me right in.”
    • “Each route truly is unique; each character has his own charming personality, and the music does an amazing job setting up the mood and the atmosphere.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting the depth and growth of both main and side characters, which enhances the overall narrative. The character designs and personalities are considered superb, leading to unexpected favorites among players, such as Sachiro. Additionally, the ability to save and replay scenes adds to the enjoyment of character interactions and development.

    • “Based on character design, I was not expecting to like Sachiro, but he ended up being my absolute favorite.”
    • “Overall, character personality, visuals, and character design are superb. They also let you save multiple scenes so you can replay your favorite moments.”
    • “On top of this world-building, there was character development for not only the main characters but also the side characters, to the extent that I wanted to know more about some of them.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the comedic interactions between characters, particularly the protagonist's friends, Ikuya and Lioji, who are described as "epic and funny." Players also appreciate the amusing titles of achievements, which add to the overall lightheartedness and charm of the game, enhancing the narrative experience.

    • “The titles of the achievements are so funny and made me laugh.”
    • “I definitely recommend playing this game all the way; the extra stuff is cute, funny, and gives the story a bit more perspective.”
    • “[b] Achievements: funny as hell [/b]”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening the experience to a drawn-out reading process where players must click to progress through lengthy narratives, detracting from the enjoyment of the story. The repetitive nature of this format can make even engaging plots feel laborious and overly time-consuming.

    • “Each route is very, very long and tedious.”
    • “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy for the DLC is praised for its effective advertising approach, suggesting that it successfully engages players and promotes additional content.

  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game highly immersive, contributing to its strong replayability, as many are eager to experience the story multiple times.

    • “The story is immersive and there is a good deal of replayability.”

Buy Dark Nights

10h Median play time
10h Average play time
4-16h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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