Dead Wishes
- January 31, 2019
- VIOLET
Get on Steam"Dead Wishes" is a narrative-driven game that explores themes of depression, love, and morality. Players must navigate through 12 character routes, each with their own subplots, as they try to escape poverty and tragic pasts. The choices made will determine the protagonist's fate, with possibilities ranging from finding love and happiness to dying a terrible death. The game encourages multiple playthroughs to fully experience the interconnected stories.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a diverse cast of characters and 12 unique routes, providing a rich and immersive experience for players who enjoy dark otome narratives.
- The writing is engaging and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters that evoke a range of emotions, from discomfort to fascination.
- The art style and music enhance the overall atmosphere, making it a visually appealing and immersive experience.
- Many routes contain triggering themes and dark content, which may not be suitable for all players and can be overwhelming for some.
- The routes are relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more depth and additional endings for each character.
- The game has limited save slots, which can be frustrating for players trying to navigate multiple routes and endings.
- story66 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Dead Wishes" is structured as a traditional visual novel, where player choices significantly impact the narrative and character outcomes, leading to a variety of dark and immersive routes. Each character is well-developed, with complex motivations that add depth to the storytelling, while the overarching plot ties all routes together, enhancing replayability. Despite some graphic content that may feel gratuitous, the engaging plot and unique character dynamics make it a compelling experience for fans of intense and twisted narratives.
“The story of Dead Wishes is formatted like a traditional visual novel in which the player plays through a short intro prologue that will help determine the character route they end up in.”
“Your decisions throughout the story will dictate whether you find love and happiness, or face a dire outcome, but playing through all the routes will piece together the full story.”
“Not only is it extremely immersive, the story is fascinating and really makes you want to keep on playing to find out the truth of the plot.”
“The amount of violence and sexual assault sometimes feels like it's being done just for shock value instead of fully forwarding the story or deepening the horror.”
“He wears a suit of armor that even he barely seems aware of, and in every story route you never really see underneath for more than a brief moment, and in order to get his 'best' ending, the main character has to remain willfully ignorant of his worst traits, as they do in a lot of routes.”
“Still, I can appreciate the scriptwriter for taking the time to explain the character motivations for killing someone, giving each character variable shades of grey in their personalities, and allowing the main character to change that character for the better to add a further degree of immersion into the story.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in "Dead Wishes" is praised for its ability to enhance the emotional depth of scenes, with a well-crafted background score that features distinct tracks for each character. Reviewers highlight the seamless transitions in the music, which effectively match the tension of the narrative, and many express enthusiasm for the soundtrack, recommending it especially for fans of darker or horror-themed visual novels. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature of the game.
“The music helped to elevate scenes or draw attention to more serious moments when it would die out before starting back up again.”
“The background music is decent, with each character having their own musical track. Over the course of the story, there is a mix of pleasant, sinister, or fast-paced music appropriate for the amount of tension in the scene.”
“Great visual novel, incredible soundtrack, highly recommended to anybody looking for a darker or horror-themed visual novel!”
“The music helped to elevate scenes or draw attention to more serious scenes when it would die out before starting back up again.”
“I never felt like the music stopped abruptly as it would often naturally die out as the scene became more serious.”
“The background music is decent with each character having their own musical track, and over the course of the story, there is a mix of pleasant, sinister, or fast-paced music appropriate for the amount of tension in the scene.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their unique art style, particularly appealing to fans of anime and horror elements. The use of black screens during intense story moments enhances the impact of the narrative, allowing players' imaginations to fill in the gaps. However, the graphic content may not be suitable for everyone, especially those sensitive to themes of violence.
“I think if you like the art style and are looking for something with horror elements, it's worth checking out!”
“I loved the art style and the writing.”
“I'm also more than fine with disturbing themes, and I enjoy the art style as I also enjoy anime.”
“The times where the screen is black generally follows graphic story content that holds more power when left to the players' imagination.”
“The demonic woman's voice who narrates the very beginning of the game will break the fourth wall and act as a brief trigger warning on some occasions, but if you know you have triggers to graphic violence or other themes given in the warnings section, I'd avoid it to be safe.”
“I think if you like the art style and are looking for something with horror elements (or 'torture porn'), it's worth checking out!”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging plot and the ability to explore multiple endings for all 12 characters, including a surprise post-ending story. While it lacks Steam achievements and is rarely discounted, players who appreciate the genre will find the replay value justifies the purchase.
“As the story progresses, the mysterious person on the title screen will show themselves and reveal a surprise and additional post-ending story for all 12 characters, giving that motivation to attempt all the endings and enjoy the high replay value in the game, despite the absence of Steam achievements.”
“Although this visual novel is hardly ever discounted on Steam to attract attention from players who only buy discounted games, the engaging plot, diverse cast of characters, replayability, and playing time is worth buying anytime if you like this genre of storytelling and can forgive a few minor issues in the game.”
“Although this visual novel is hardly ever discounted on Steam to attract attention from players who only buy discounted games, the engaging plot, diverse cast of characters, and replayability make it worth buying anytime if you like this genre of storytelling and can forgive a few minor issues in the game.”
- character development6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through unique and visually striking designs that evoke strong emotional responses, with some characters being described as eerie yet captivating. While most designs are praised for their beauty, there are mixed feelings about specific characters, such as Mateo. Overall, the character designs contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere and player engagement.
“I love the character designs.”
“The character designs are very pleasing and beautiful to look at.”
“Hated it (compliment), his whole character design is eerie and the little giggle gives me the creeps.”
“I love the character designs, minus Mateo maybe lmao.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth and thought-provoking narrative, particularly appealing to fans of visual novels and psychological horror. It evokes strong reactions, with some players experiencing physical discomfort due to its intense themes, highlighting its impact on those with emotional struggles. Overall, it is recognized as a hidden gem that deserves more attention for its powerful storytelling.
“I think Dead Wishes absolutely deserves more recognition for being one of the most emotionally powerful and thought-provoking dating sims I've ever read.”
“As a huge fan of both visual novels and the psychological horror genre, I have to say this game is a hidden gem and I truly recommend that anyone that is a fan of either plays this, unless you're the squeamish type because this game is definitely not for the faint of heart - I'm personally not a squeamish person at all yet one of the routes in the game made me feel physically nauseous.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report encountering a rare bug that causes the game to crash, resulting in temporary freezes of their computers. This issue, while not common, can significantly disrupt gameplay.
“Rare bug that causes the game to freak out, which also temporarily freezes your computer while the app crashes.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively establishes a compelling atmosphere, particularly appealing to players interested in morally ambiguous characters and choices. Its immersive environment enhances the overall experience, making it a recommended choice for those seeking depth in narrative and character development.
“This game excels at creating a fitting atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a game with morally questionable characters and choices.”
