Dark Nights

Nothing is what it first appears. You live in a small, peaceful village. Every day is the same as any other; boring. Right when you wish for something exciting to happen, strange things start to occur, stemming from the nearby forest. If that isn't enough, the locals have begun disappearing. At the same time you meet four mysterious guys. Will you discover the truth before becoming the next targe…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 164 reviews

story52 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a captivating story with multiple routes and endings, keeping players engaged and eager to explore all possibilities.
The artwork and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and immersion in the game's world.
Characters are well-developed and likable, with unique personalities that contribute to the depth of the narrative.

The writing can be inconsistent, with some dialogue feeling awkward or cringey, and certain plot points lacking clarity.
The main character's decisions often seem illogical, leading to frustration for players who expect more rational behavior.
Some routes may feel overly long or padded with unnecessary details, which can detract from the pacing and overall enjoyment.

story
118 mentions
44 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Dark Nights" is praised for its depth and engagement, featuring multiple routes that enhance the overall narrative and character development. While some players found the pacing slow and noted inconsistencies in certain storylines, many appreciated the intertwining plots and supernatural elements that kept them invested. Overall, the game is recognized for its captivating storytelling, appealing art, and strong character arcs, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels.
- “Everything about Dark Nights is great: story, soundtracks, art, and characters (especially Kurato and Chain, I'm just in love with them as much as with the whole game!).”
- “The plot is really enticing, and the more routes you play, the more understanding of it you will have.”
- “The engaging story is a good balance between mystery and romance, and just bundles of fun!”
- “The writing, characters, story, and background are all just kind of meh, nothing really keeping you invested.”
- “The start of the story is a bit slow, as we're introduced to Miyoko and her everyday routine.”
- “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
35 mentions
60 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
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. While some users pointed out issues with the balance and transitions between tracks, the soundtrack is generally considered a highlight, complementing the game's art and story effectively. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the emotional depth and immersion of the game, making it a standout feature for many players.
- “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
16 mentions
81 % positive mentions
19 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork and appealing art style, with many users expressing admiration for the visuals and atmosphere. The combination of beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, players find the artwork to be sublime and a significant reason for their enjoyment.
- “But gosh, the very fabulous artwork and the catchy music had me tuning in to this visual novel every single day until I got the last achievement.”
- “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.”
- “I am honestly in love with the art style; it's simply beautiful.”
gameplay
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual novel is polarizing; while some players find it engaging with smooth mechanics and a wealth of choices leading to multiple endings, others criticize it for lacking depth and featuring poorly written dialogue. Overall, the experience varies significantly depending on the player's expectations and appreciation for narrative-driven gameplay.
- “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?'”
- “As for the gameplay, [i]dark nights[/i] has multiple choices that pop up.”
- “Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional impact from the game, often feeling traumatized and yearning for more meaningful endings. While the side characters and their stories are appreciated for their depth and wholesomeness, some pivotal emotional moments feel rushed, leaving players wanting a more substantial emotional payoff. Overall, the game evokes 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???'”
- “Each story of the characters is really touching, although there's some thrill in the game, such as the countdown to escape the zombies.”
- “You only get a line or two at the very end, which is very cute and wholesome, but just not enough.</3”
atmosphere
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its dark and immersive worldbuilding, complemented by unique routes and character personalities. The artwork and music contribute significantly to the overall ambiance, although some technical issues with the music were noted. Overall, the atmospheric elements effectively enhance the gameplay experience.
- “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 guy has his own charming personality, and the music does an amazing job setting up the mood and the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
- “Despite the potential, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The game tries to create a dark atmosphere, but it ends up feeling more cliché than captivating.”
character development
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth, extending beyond the main characters to include well-crafted side characters, which enhances the overall narrative. Players appreciate the strong character designs and personalities, with some characters, like Sachiro, unexpectedly becoming favorites. The ability to save and replay scenes further enriches the experience, allowing players to engage more deeply with the characters.
- “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.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and lacking depth, which made it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the characters didn't evolve in a meaningful way, making their journeys feel unimportant.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the comedic interactions between characters, particularly the amusing dynamics of the protagonist's friends, Ikuya and Lioji. Players find the achievement titles to be particularly hilarious, contributing to an overall lighthearted and entertaining experience that enhances the story.
- “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.”
- “So the characters, you have her two BFFs Ikuya and Lioji, who are very epic and funny.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where players must click to progress through lengthy routes, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “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, 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.”
- “Each route is very, very long and tedious.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the DLC is praised for its effective advertising approach, suggesting that it successfully engages players and promotes additional content.
- “The monetization strategy feels more like a cash grab than a fair system.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly immersive, contributing to its strong replayability, as they are encouraged to experience the story multiple times.
- “The story is immersive and there is a good deal of replayability.”
- “Each playthrough offers new choices and outcomes, making it hard to put down.”
- “The variety of character builds and strategies keeps the game fresh every time you play.”