Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos

About

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos is a single player casual role playing game with anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Dischan Media and was released on September 26, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos," you play as a mediator tasked with resolving conflicts in complex, often chaotic societies. Though the game boasts a richly developed world, the gameplay primarily revolves around visual novel-style dialogue choices. The narrative tackles themes of social justice and societal inequality, but its impact is limited due to the game's simplistic mechanics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos screenshot

Skip User Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 654 reviews

story257 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The art style is beautiful and the soundtrack is excellent, enhancing the overall experience.
The story is intriguing and thought-provoking, exploring complex themes of morality and decision-making.
The characters are well-written and relatable, particularly the protagonist Winter and her mentor Cyrus.

The game is extremely short, lasting only 1-2 hours, which may leave players feeling unsatisfied.
There are very few choices to make, with most of the gameplay consisting of reading dialogue.
The game ends abruptly, leaving many plot points unresolved and making it feel more like a prologue than a complete story.

story
695 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The story of "Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos" is described as intriguing and well-written, featuring a unique premise centered around a young mediator named Winter and her mentor navigating political conflicts across different worlds. However, many reviewers express disappointment over its brevity and the lack of meaningful choices, as it serves primarily as a prologue to a larger narrative that will likely never be completed due to the developer's discontinuation. While the art and music are praised, the unfinished nature of the story leaves players feeling unsatisfied and yearning for more depth and resolution.
- “A very well written story featuring a student and their mentor counselor from another dimension - descending to this planet to prevent fatal conflicts stemming from political issues.”
- “The worldbuilding is really well made, the interactions between characters feel realistic so you feel dragged into the story; you live with Winter what happens to her, you feel what she feels.”
- “The story is well written and interesting.”
- “Unfortunately, it is merely a prologue to what should have been a bigger story, and the story will probably never come to be because the studio is no more.”
- “The story took so long to actually kick in, and through that beginning you don't get any choices, not even smaller ones affecting just the dialogue.”
- “I didn't like the characters at all, and didn't feel invested in the story, so I just don't think I'll be finishing this, even if it's just the first episode (will there even be any more?).”
music
321 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The music in this visual novel is widely praised for its quality and emotional resonance, with many reviewers highlighting the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. The inclusion of the soundtrack in both MP3 and FLAC formats is seen as a significant bonus, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the genre. Overall, the music is described as atmospheric, fitting well with the narrative and art, contributing to an immersive storytelling experience.
- “The music is beautiful, the story is engaging, the characters are interesting, the art is great.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic, make sure to get both!”
- “The art and music are simply beautiful, and the storyline and characters are engaging.”
- “You know it's gonna be a wonderful adventure when in the first 10 seconds you're assaulted by Tumblr art style and the no-sound, no-music pinnacle of Ren'Py engineering.”
- “The music is not really good, and there's no voice acting.”
- “A lot of the music is forgettable, and you may not want to listen to it in your car or on an iPod.”
graphics
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics of this visual novel are widely praised for their beautiful artwork and unique art style, which enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the high quality of the visuals, noting that they are both immersive and well-composed, although some mention that the graphics can be sparse in certain areas. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a fitting soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some criticisms regarding the limited number of backgrounds and character designs.
- “The artwork was beautiful and the soundtrack was great.”
- “The art style is unique and the soundtrack is captivating.”
- “The artwork and presentation is very standard of a visual novel, in that it looks gorgeous and sounds great, and the character's text is very fluent and well edited.”
- “The graphics are anime looking and the story is clever and well done.”
- “It's got lazy artwork; there were only a handful of backgrounds used, only 5 characters drawn (a few others had lines but the conversations took place out in a hall or something so you are left staring at an empty background for 10 minutes).”
- “Now, it is a Kickstarter campaign to 'finish' the game; it was supposed to be 5 chapters in total, but now it is going to be just 3, which is kind of disappointing. The game is going to get finished, but I cannot change my review because of the new art style. Maybe this sounds rude, but the new art is nothing compared with the old one.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The gameplay in this visual novel is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through dialogue with very few decision points that influence the story. Many users noted the lack of traditional gameplay elements, emphasizing that the experience is heavily narrative-driven, which may not appeal to those seeking more interactive mechanics. While the art and music received praise, the overall gameplay was often described as lacking, with ratings reflecting a general consensus of disappointment in this aspect.
- “A good story is something that I truly appreciate, but you have a good story with great gameplay, and I'm in heaven!”
- “The gameplay is influenced by the choices you make, but for the most part, it is a story being told to you.”
- “Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos is one of the most engaging games I've played in a long time, despite there being little 'gameplay' in the conventional sense.”
- “Beyond the lack of any actual gameplay in this game, I can't even recommend it as a visual novel.”
- “The gameplay isn't much: you spend most of the game clicking through dialogue, with only a few decisions (can be as few as one depending on your first choice), and one instance of accessing the codex.”
- “Over an hour of 'gameplay' and I made one choice through it all.”
emotional
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
14%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its compelling narrative and well-developed characters, which evoke a range of feelings from humor to deep attachment. Players appreciate the thought-provoking journey and the emotional weight of choices, even if the overall story remains linear. The combination of strong writing, stunning art, and an evocative soundtrack enhances the emotional experience, making it a memorable and impactful visual novel.
- “I still recommend this though because it's a very thought-provoking and emotional journey of a little girl who just wasn't prepared.”
- “The story leaves me emotionally involved and wanting more.”
- “The quality of writing in this visual novel is its primary strength, bringing Winter and Cyrus's thoughts and feelings to life in a way that is touching, humorous, and fun.”
- “The story is too simple and ultimately boring.”
- “I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters.”
- “The game failed to evoke any real emotions during key moments.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
23%
18%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional music and sound design that enhance the mood and immerse players in the narrative. The art and ambient tracks contribute to a captivating, dystopian ambiance, making the experience engaging despite some narrative limitations. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as carefully crafted and effective in drawing players into its world.
- “Music is atmospheric; it doesn’t stand in the way though does its job well to enhance the mood at key moments.”
- “The music is very atmospheric as it contains some great ambient and electronica tracks which heavily lend to the dystopian-esque atmosphere that the visual novel is going for.”
- “Wonderfully atmospheric sound design makes you feel the mood of every scene.”
- “Waverly came as a welcome surprise--I did not expect the game to continue for so long after the big climax, but I liked that it did. My only complaint is that the atmosphere got weirdly jovial in one ending, but the other one was much better.”
- “The problem is, the nuke became self-sustaining and became a star and blew up the atmosphere, killing everyone.”
- “If winter's plan is carried out instead (don't kill the president but suggest to simply detonate the bomb away from the mainland as a showing of power or even come up with a new plan entirely), the end result is that, thanks to the fact they haven't done the proper testing, the atmosphere ends up burned again and everyone dies.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
17%
18%
Overall, character development in the game is praised for its depth and effectiveness, with many reviewers noting that it successfully engages players despite a relatively simple plot. While some characters, like the mentor, lack sufficient backstory to foster empathy, the game excels in creating interesting character arcs and emotional connections throughout the playthrough. The art style and character designs are also highlighted as strong points, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The core plot holds no great weight in all of this, being a tool to spark conversation but without much depth in and of itself, but it’s a short outing that manages a great amount of character development before then closing in a scene that, while not perfectly finite, feels complete.”
- “However, the story is rather deep with a good sense of innocence that really drives the character development.”
- “This medium is a very intricate work of character development and storytelling.”
- “The mentor seems to have a dark past, but there is a lack of proper character development for us to really empathize with him.”
- “Character development, although it throws you in somewhat quickly, is done rather poorly.”
- “The story is set in a sort of suspension, making us wonder what's going to happen next, and perhaps we will get some proper backstory and character development.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by witty and engaging dialogue that balances light-hearted moments with serious themes, particularly around war and personal relationships. While some players appreciate the humorous interactions and character development, others feel that the humor can be inconsistent and overshadowed by the more serious narrative elements. Overall, the writing is praised for its ability to evoke both laughter and thoughtfulness, making it a mixed but generally positive aspect of the game.
- “Their dialogues can get heated, but developer dischan media does a fantastic job leveraging this between brief moments of humor (such as winter trying her first bear) to create a very personal, relatable feeling to every interaction.”
- “As an up-side to the short length of the story, each choice tree provides almost completely different dialogue than their comparatives, filled with witty, humorous writing.”
- “The quality of writing in ltmc is its primary strength, bringing winter and cyrus's thoughts and feelings to life in a way that is touching, humorous, and fun.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the potential to explore different endings typical of visual novels, many find the experience too short and limited in meaningful choices, resulting in minimal incentive for multiple playthroughs. The branching paths offer some replay value, but the brevity and lack of significant decisions detract from the overall experience.
- “Replay value: it's a visual novel, of course there is replay value to see all the endings!”
- “It's able to squeak out 7 hours after multiple replays; the story is good enough to call replayable but unfortunately never lifts off the ground despite much promise.”
- “The seemingly branching path does add some replay value, but using a save is much easier than wading through the text wall that leads up to the 3-5 questions, as nothing mentioned is necessary or even relevant to your responses.”
- “I genuinely liked this game, but it was very, very short, and as far as I can tell, there is little replayability since there was only one real choice to make.”
- “This story is short, probably only an hour and a half or two in length, depending on how fast you rush through it, and there’s not much in the way of replay value.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by lengthy, tedious dialogue and unengaging characters, leading to a frustrating experience for players. While some appreciate the intricate coding behind the choices, many find the overall narrative excessively drawn out and lacking in meaningful content, with little to no traditional grinding mechanics present. Overall, the game suffers from a skewed balance between story length and player agency, resulting in a monotonous experience.
- “Spend 15 minutes only with text and long discussions about tedious topics and uninteresting characters.”
- “The ratio of number of choices to length of story was horribly skewed in the wrong direction, but I can respect the amount of tedious coding it would've taken to link everything together the way it was done.”
- “Finally, the episode ends on a particularly weak note, where you switch to someone else's experience, and have their experience of hallway conversations that are just tedious and meaningless.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a stable experience with minimal issues, noting only two minor glitches, which is considered acceptable for a game.
- “I only saw two actual game glitches.”
- “Not bad, as far as glitches go!”

Skip Game Offers

Buy Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos

4h Median play time

4h Average play time

3-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos

70%1.8kreviews

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York

2019

Role Playing

73%652reviews

The Detail

2014

Action

91%1.4kreviews

Fault Milestone One

2014

Simulation

82%2kreviews

Soul Gambler

2014

Role Playing

95%608reviews

The Crown of Leaves

2018

Action

More games like Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos is a casual role playing game with anime and science fiction themes.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos was released on September 26, 2013.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos was developed by Dischan Media.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos is a single player game.

Similar games include Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York, The Detail, Fault Milestone One, Soul Gambler, The Crown of Leaves and others.

Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos

Platforms

Buy Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos