Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 444 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • emotional
Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~ Game Cover
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"Nameless ~The One Thing You Must Recall~" is a visual novel game with a full Korean voice-over, targeted at a female audience. You play as Eri, a high school student who collects ball-jointed dolls and finds comfort in them as she feels alone after her grandpa's death. The story explores her relationships with the dolls, which are surprisingly human-like, as well as her everyday life.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 444 reviews
story170 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautifully crafted story that explores deep themes such as loneliness, abandonment, and self-worth.
  • The characters are well-developed, each with unique personalities and backstories that make them relatable and engaging.
  • The voice acting and soundtrack are top-notch, enhancing the emotional impact of the story.
  • There are numerous typos and grammatical errors throughout the game, which can be distracting.
  • Some routes can feel repetitive, especially in the common sections where the same events are revisited.
  • The main character lacks a voice, which can make it difficult to connect with her compared to other characters.
  • story515 mentions

    The story of "Nameless: The One Thing You Must Recall" is widely praised for its emotional depth, intricate character development, and engaging narrative that intertwines multiple routes, each revealing different facets of the overarching plot. Players appreciate the balance of humor and darker themes, with many noting that the storytelling is compelling enough to evoke strong emotional responses, including laughter and tears. While some critiques mention pacing issues and occasional plot holes, the overall consensus is that the game offers a rich and immersive experience that stands out in the otome genre.

    • “The story is well written, I love the structure of this game and how different story elements are used for the storytelling.”
    • “The story had me hooked right until the end; I only wished it were longer.”
    • “Nameless is a beautifully crafted story with interesting and dynamic characters coupled with gorgeous artwork.”
    • “The story is boring too, nothing interesting about it in sight.”
    • “The story was very disappointing - most of the relationships were far darker and far more abusive than Dandelion.”
    • “The main character is the typical next-to-useless heroine whose existence is solely for the purpose of allowing the story to have a point of view to engage the users.”
  • music118 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful composition and ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, with many praising the integration of character themes and the quality of the voice acting. While some users noted instances of repetitiveness or tracks that didn't fit the atmosphere, the overall soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's fairy tale-like experience. The opening and ending songs, performed by the voice actors, were particularly highlighted for their quality and emotional resonance.

    • “I love the characters, the music and art all come together to give you a fairy tale-like experience.”
    • “The soundtrack was amazing and was well used as it made scenes pop; for example, it made happy moments more lively and when things got tense, the music would change to a darker tone and set the mood extremely well in any situation.”
    • “The music was beautiful and suits all the characters so well.”
    • “Music: it's repetitive and sometimes it's completely missing.”
    • “I think music quality is mixed as well.”
    • “Some soundtracks don’t fit the atmosphere while there are some very nice.”
  • emotional102 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with many players reporting intense feelings ranging from joy to heartbreak. The well-crafted storylines and character development evoke strong emotional responses, often leading to tears during pivotal moments. Players appreciate the balance of heartwarming scenes alongside darker themes, making the experience both touching and memorable, with many expressing a deep personal connection to the characters and their journeys.

    • “I love this game but am also emotionally devastated from having played it.”
    • “The story line is very well-written and emotionally moving.”
    • “I cried more than once and after completing the whole game, I hugged all of my stuffed animals and sobbed; this story touched me deeply as I've always felt like my toys had personality and I know I've forgotten at least one or two over the years.”
  • graphics72 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork and unique art style that enhances character engagement and storytelling. However, some users noted inconsistencies in quality between character sprites and CGs, as well as an outdated UI. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, there are critiques regarding anatomical accuracy and color discrepancies that detract from the experience for some players.

    • “The graphic artist(s) did such a good job! This is my first otome game where the characters' eyes blink and their mouths move while they're talking.”
    • “A beautiful dating sim, the art style is just gorgeous and makes the characters truly stand out from one another.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the interface functionality is a step up from Dandelion, and the background music is not intrusive.”
    • “The UI is pretty outdated, low quality graphically, and I didn't even know you could open a menu full of additional functions until my second route.”
    • “The most disappointing aspect of the artwork is that the CGs for the individual character routes are lower quality than those in the common route.”
    • “Super weird, uninteresting plot and my Christ almighty you would get better visuals if you dripped your head in lava - and whoever the hell signed off on the general presentation of this game should just go home.”
  • gameplay59 mentions

    The gameplay of "Nameless" is characterized as a traditional visual novel format, focusing on narrative choices rather than stat-raising mechanics, which some players found refreshing compared to its predecessor, "Dandelion." While the game offers a substantial amount of content with 30+ hours of gameplay and multiple routes, some users noted a lack of interactivity and meaningful choices, leading to a more linear experience. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging story and character development, despite minor issues like typos and limited character sprites.

    • “I've only finished, I think, 2 routes so far and I've already clocked 17 hours in the game - there are, I think, 6 routes total, so the amount of gameplay available is insane.”
    • “Nameless goes above and beyond the typical otome game genre, involving a mix of diverse characters, great music, many hours of gameplay with replay quality, surprising twists and turns, multiple endings, and a story that you just won't expect.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and it's more of a visual novel than Dandelion is.”
    • “Gameplay: it's a visual novel but it has too much reading and too little interaction, with too few choices that I could make to influence the story.”
    • “The stat leveling was a fun grind in Dandelion, and at first I was bored with Nameless because actual gameplay/choices don't really affect or change anything in the game.”
    • “Like most games of this type, there isn't much gameplay other than reading text and making extremely occasional choices to make the story go in a different direction.”
  • humor57 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and ability to balance lighthearted moments with deeper, more serious themes. Players enjoy the witty dialogue and character interactions, often finding themselves laughing out loud at the antics and dynamics between characters. While the game can shift to darker tones, the comedic elements remain a strong highlight, contributing to an engaging and emotionally resonant experience.

    • “The story is amazing and the humor has made me snort unattractively more than once.”
    • “The individual stories of each character will have you laughing or tearing up at all the right moments throughout the game.”
    • “I laughed so much playing this game and the humor is funny, without being cheesy.”
  • character development30 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and execution, with many reviewers highlighting the emotional backstories and satisfying arcs of both main and side characters. The storytelling is described as masterful, featuring surprising twists and well-crafted individual narratives that enhance the overall experience. However, some players felt that the main character's development was less prominent compared to others, indicating a slight imbalance in character focus.

    • “His backstory was sadder than I expected it to be, and I thought his character development was super satisfying.”
    • “Character development was beautiful and well executed.”
    • “The character development with each person was heartwarming, and the endings were all perfect.”
    • “I felt as though the main character was given the short end of the stick when it came to character development and dialogue.”
    • “Character development throughout this game is huge, with some of the development being immensely surprising, shocking, and disturbing.”
    • “Making up for this is Red's character development, and I can't really fault Eri for not having much of it this route.”
  • replayability14 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its multiple endings and character arcs, encouraging players to explore various routes and outcomes. While some content may feel repetitive, the engaging story and character development make it a worthwhile experience that players are likely to revisit. Overall, it offers significant replay value, making it a recommended choice for fans of visual novels.

    • “I still highly recommend this game, as the story and characters are great, and the multiple endings give it a lot of replay value.”
    • “This game encourages and even requires you to explore all the routes--and even endings, including the bad endings--to piece together the main story, giving you more opportunities to grow affection towards multiple characters as well as giving it great replay value.”
    • “The replay value here is definitely high, with so many different types of endings.”
    • “It might not have an immediately replayable value, but it's that sort of game that will wiggle its way back into your brain and make you revisit some parts of it... it's an experience truly worth your time and $20.”
    • “This gives the game some sort of replay value but on each route you will find a lot of things repeating.”
    • “The replay value here is definitely high, so many different types of endings.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully designed environment, which effectively combines elements of family warmth with darker, gothic undertones. While the soundtrack enhances the experience, some pieces are noted as mismatched, and occasional visual inconsistencies and typos can detract from the overall ambiance. Overall, the game's art, sound, and narrative work together to create a captivating and engaging atmosphere that resonates deeply with players.

    • “This game has a beautiful, very immersive atmosphere and design.”
    • “So brace yourself for a dark atmospheric otome visual novel which makes you ponder about so many things in life.”
    • “The music and the sprites are gorgeous and the atmosphere really does suck you in.”
    • “The only critiques I feel I have to give about 'Nameless' are about the CGs that sometimes look kind of weird and off proportions, and the numerous typos even in moments that are supposed to be touching, ruining the atmosphere a bit.”
    • “I'm unsure if the music in 'Nameless' was composed specifically for the game, but it is stunning and does an excellent job in setting the tone, giving a romantic atmosphere when needed, eerie and creepy feeling when called for, and the vocals in the opening and ending sequences are well-done.”
    • “The music and the sprites are gorgeous, and the atmosphere really does suck you in.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Overall, players appreciate the reduction or elimination of grinding mechanics in the game, finding it a refreshing change from the tedious and repetitive stat-raising often found in similar titles. Many enjoy the focus on storytelling and character development without the distraction of grinding, allowing for a more engaging experience. The option to skip previously experienced content further enhances the gameplay for those who prefer a faster-paced narrative.

    • “The game strikes a perfect balance, allowing for progression without feeling overly grindy.”
    • “I appreciate that the stat builders don't require excessive grinding to be effective.”
    • “Grinding feels rewarding rather than tedious, making the experience enjoyable.”
    • “Tedious and boring.”
    • “Even though I liked these games too, that mechanic felt repetitive and tedious at times, because I just wanted to find out what would happen next in the story.”
    • “The gameplay was a bit different than what I was used to: no stat grinding/leveling up/etc. The stat stuff is okay at first but then it just becomes a hassle whenever you get into the storyline.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant glitches that required restarts and backtracking, while others noted minor issues that did not severely impact gameplay. Overall, while there are reports of typographical errors and visual glitches, many users found the problems to be annoying but not game-breaking.

    • “The game was glitchy; I had to backtrack due to glitches a few times and restart my computer a lot.”
    • “Too many glitches.”
    • “My wife and I like to play dating sims together, but this one was not very good at all - two hours in and we have zero options to make decisions, abundant typographical errors, a few visual glitches, and just overall not very interesting.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its heavy reliance on microtransactions, overshadowing the potential of the otome genre. Reviewers feel that the game serves more as an advertisement for a doll company than a compelling narrative experience, leading to disappointment in both the story and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the focus on commercial interests detracts from the game's artistic and thematic integrity.

    • “Game mechanics: doesn't have any of the junk tactics used in mobile (i.e., nothing based on luck or in-game purchases).”
    • “It's a shame that Cheritz is focusing more on microtransactions with their recent games, because Nameless really showcased what a Korean otome studio could do.”
    • “We are both avid ABJD fans and were hopeful for an interesting representation of the hobby, but it really disappointed us in its presented information - it felt like nothing more than an advertisement for the company, which isn't surprising but still didn't impress us.”
    • “I like how only a few times it peeked through that this was an advertisement for Crobi dolls and some other café.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for a poorly designed user interface that does not accommodate larger screens, leading to text overlap and immersion issues. Additionally, the unconventional use of commas instead of dashes in stuttering text detracts from the overall presentation.

    • “The UI is also terribly sloppily made and not optimized for bigger screens, with the text messages only barely distinguishable and overlaying the message boxes in the most immersion-breaking of ways.”
    • “I've noticed that stuttering has been translated with commas instead of dashes (e.g. 'wha, what' vs 'wha-what'), which looks out of place.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~

Play time

38hMedian play time
37hAverage play time
30-61hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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