Heaven Will Be Mine

About

"Heaven Will Be Mine" is a queer science fiction visual novel set in 1981, where the dream of human habitation in space has been abandoned. Players control one of three defiant pilots who reject Earth's decision and continue to fight for their space-born existence, each with their own Ship-Self robot. The game is from the creators of "We Know The Devil."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 960 reviews

story98 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The writing is beautifully dense and metaphorical, exploring complex themes of identity, relationships, and the nature of humanity.
The characters are well-developed and engaging, with strong dynamics that evoke deep emotional responses.
The art and music create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience of the game.

The narrative can be confusing and overwhelming, with a lack of clear exposition that may alienate some players.
The gameplay is primarily text-based with limited interactivity, which may not appeal to those looking for more traditional gaming mechanics.
Some players may find the abstract writing style and heavy use of metaphor difficult to engage with, leading to a disconnect from the story.

story
398 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
4%
The story of "Heaven Will Be Mine" is a complex and abstract narrative that explores themes of identity, queerness, and the human experience through the lens of mecha pilots in a surreal sci-fi setting. While some players find the writing poetic and intellectually stimulating, others struggle with its vagueness and lack of clear exposition, leading to confusion about the plot and characters. Overall, the game is praised for its innovative storytelling and emotional depth, appealing particularly to those who appreciate nuanced narratives and queer representation.
- “A story about existing in a world that sees you as less than human, living with a countdown before they come to kill you, and finding hope and purpose in a hopeless situation.”
- “The three factions each present a compelling argument, and each of the three characters can end up siding with any of the three factions, so no matter where your story goes it'll end up in a place that tugs at your heart.”
- “It's a story about what we lose when we are cut off from the rest of the world, and what we gain.”
- “The problem is that it's pretty much entirely left up to the reader to figure out, because most of the surface story doesn't really make sense, nor is it satisfying without the metanarrative level to it.”
- “It's incredibly difficult to get immersed in this game because it makes no attempt to have you understand the world or plot beside the utmost basics (which even then, is only in a vague manner that I couldn't explain properly to someone else at all).”
- “There is little to no explanation to help set up the story.”
music
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers praising its emotional depth and atmospheric qualities. The soundtrack features a diverse range of styles, from ambient and contemplative to catchy and intense, effectively syncing with the narrative and character moments. Overall, the music is described as a standout element that significantly contributes to the game's immersive storytelling and aesthetic appeal.
- “The music perfectly complements the story, evoking various emotions as you read.”
- “The music in-game shifts with the mood of the scene, my favorite example being the track 'Oxygen Ocean' and how it evolves and mutates through its own messy emotions and feelings.”
- “The writing, characters, music, and art are all amazing and it's exactly the sort of tone and themes I want to be explored in sci-fi/mecha stuff!!”
- “Writing is confusing and way too verbose for its content, art is meh, music is not to my taste, giving characters names of places is a weird choice, you only get like 8 choices during a storyline, some controls only work with mouse, others work fine on a gamepad.. well, at least it didn't crash.”
- “The game dumps so much half explained lore on you while screeching background music makes it impossible to parse what is written on the screen.”
- “I was left wanting more on pretty much everything from the story, dialogue, visuals, music, etc. the game is nothing offensive, but I wouldn't recommend it.”
emotional
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with many players reporting intense feelings ranging from joy to sadness, often leading to tears. The writing and character development resonate deeply, particularly for those with queer experiences, creating a heartfelt narrative that explores complex relationships and personal traumas. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to evoke genuine emotions through its storytelling, art, and music, making it a memorable and touching experience.
- “The ending was beautiful and made me cry - so optimistic and pessimistic about humanity and love at the same time.”
- “The emotional core of this game is impossible to miss and drips with pathos.”
- “It's deeply personal too, with characters that each deal with their own traumas and flimsily work to try to understand each other in relationships that draw between romantic, heartfelt, and deeply serious.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The graphics in the game are praised for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, which enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While some players find the visuals evocative and engaging, others note that they can be vague or simplistic, potentially detracting from the experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, particularly for those who appreciate the game's specific themes and narrative style.
- “The artwork is gorgeous, the characters feel real, and the dynamics and interactions between them are top notch.”
- “It's a really amazingly written visual novel with beautiful visuals.”
- “There is a richness of visuals, a depth of lore, a polish to the experience that simply wasn't there in its predecessor, and the audio is still great.”
- “The artwork is more an accompaniment to give your eyes something to look at aside from text, suggestive and evocative rather than detailed, but even if the art is somewhat bare-bones it serves its function.”
- “I was left wanting more on pretty much everything from the story, dialogue, visuals, music, etc. The game is nothing offensive, but I wouldn't recommend it.”
- “The art style was off-putting for me at first but I got used to it.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The gameplay of this visual novel is minimal, primarily revolving around character choices and faction alignments, with players selecting one of three protagonists at the start. While it lacks traditional gameplay mechanics, the engaging narrative, diverse characters, and unique art style contribute to its appeal, making it a favorite among players despite its simplicity. Recommendations suggest experiencing the Pluto route last for a more satisfying uncovering of the game's mysteries.
- “The game features a diverse cast of characters, each belonging to one of the factions, and you choose one of three possible protagonists (Saturn, Pluto, or Luna-Terra) at the start of a run. During gameplay, you can also choose which faction to align with (stay loyal or betray) as you navigate through the story.”
- “My recommendation, gameplay-wise, is to do Pluto last; it makes the process of uncovering the game's mysteries more satisfying.”
- “On its own, however, 'Heaven Will Be Mine' has a thoroughly unique art style and aesthetic among visual novels, and makes excellent use of the game mechanics themselves to advance the narrative.”
- “Now, yes, it is a visual novel, and there's nothing in the way of mechanics that really spices that up.”
- “Well, you can see how much play time I have in this game :D I consider it my favorite game, though of course it doesn't really have much gameplay because it's a visual novel.”
- “Not much to it gameplay-wise, but what makes it shine is the characters, setting, and story that has been created; visual novel was the best way to convey those ideas.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
27%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its exceptional music, visuals, and overall aesthetic, creating a unique and immersive experience. While many appreciate the surreal and melancholic elements, some find the lengthy dialogues and certain soundtracks distracting. Overall, the combination of art, sound, and writing contributes to a compelling atmosphere that resonates with fans of atmospheric and surrealist narratives.
- “Great music that builds the atmosphere incredibly well.”
- “It's also incredibly atmospheric, with amazing use of music and the artwork that goes along perfectly with the cryptic writing.”
- “By the time I finished the Pluto Loyalist route, I found myself enjoying this game just as much as 'We Know the Devil', thanks to the subtle way the atmosphere was crafted by the slowly panning backgrounds, slow changes in the music, and even the position of the character portraits.”
- “The surrealist atmosphere immediately threw me off, paired with science lingo that made me cringe and the lack of choice and direction of the characters was kind of frustrating.”
- “I for one didn't like the melancholic atmosphere of this game.”
- “I found it hard to believe that even this game could live up to the powerful writing and atmosphere of its predecessor.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring witty dialogue reminiscent of Twitter, and a playful, flirty tone that enhances the storytelling. The protagonists are described as refreshingly flawed and funny, contributing to the game's overall charm and depth. With a blend of smart background lore and engaging chat logs, the humor is both human and thought-provoking, making it a unique and enjoyable experience.
- “It's also a very funny game, with some very good Twitter-style dialogue.”
- “The art and music are fantastic; the chat logs are very funny and the background lore really smart and engrossing.”
- “The three protagonists are refreshingly flawed, funny, and have awesome chemistry.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging writing and the dynamic relationships between the three playable characters, encouraging players to explore different pilots and multiple endings. Players appreciate the depth of the story, which invites varied interpretations and enhances the desire to replay the game to uncover all possible outcomes. Overall, the combination of character choices and narrative complexity significantly boosts the game's replay value.
- “The writing is genuinely beautiful, the relationship dynamics between the three playable characters are a lot of fun, and there's a lot of replayability in choosing a different pilot each time and working towards different endings.”
- “And here's where I start to get anxious and wonder if the years I spent reading Eva analysis has gotten the better of me and if my take on this game is accurate at all. I know for sure that I misread and misinterpreted elements of the story, but I think that only makes the game more replayable.”
- “So the replay value is enough that you'll want to do all three characters with all three endings in whatever combination you feel works.”
- “And trust me, the replay value is high as you'll want to explore all three characters and their multiple endings.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features exceptional character designs that effectively convey emotions and personalities without dialogue, enhancing the overall narrative experience. The art style is a striking blend of high-detail character visuals and a dreamy, lower-detail background, which complements the character relationships and adds depth to the storytelling. Overall, the polished presentation and dynamic visual effects contribute significantly to the character development aspect.
- “The character designs are fantastic and expressively pop really well, without constantly blotting the screen, while the scenarios themselves are mainly done with a much lower detail quasi-acrylics style that makes them almost dreamy and surreal by comparison, occasionally switching styles and using new effects as the tone demands.”
- “The art, character design, character relationships, and soundtrack were excellent and it looked very polished.”
- “Good character designs that convey a lot before anyone has said a single word.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability on Linux, with users consistently reporting smooth performance.
- “Runs great on Linux!”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lengthy and often confusing dialogue filled with poetic metaphors. The lack of quality of life features, such as the ability to skip already-read text, further exacerbates the grind, making it difficult to stay motivated over extended play sessions.
- “After 15 hours of reading often-confusing and contradictory dialogue, 90% of which consists solely of poetic metaphors, it was quite hard to motivate myself to keep going, especially considering the fact that the game was made in Unity and is lacking some quality of life features, like skipping already-read text, which makes replays very tedious.”