one night, hot springs
- August 30, 2018
- npckc
Get on Steam"One Night, Hot Springs" is a visual novel where you play as Haru, a young transgender woman, who spends a night at a hot spring in Japan with her friend. The game touches on issues faced by transgender women in Japan and has seven different endings. With its short playtime of around 30 minutes, it is a condensed and personal exploration of Haru's experience.
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Reviews
- The game captures the experience of being transgender and addresses issues like internalized transphobia and societal acceptance in a heartfelt manner.
- The art style is cute and the music is soothing, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
- The multiple endings provide a sense of agency and encourage players to explore different outcomes, making it a replayable experience.
- The game is very short, taking only about 30-60 minutes to complete all endings, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Some players found the dialogue to be heavy-handed or overly simplistic, lacking depth in character development.
- The game may not resonate with those who do not have an understanding of transgender issues, potentially limiting its audience.
- story400 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "One Night, Hot Springs" is a heartwarming and relatable exploration of the everyday struggles faced by a transgender woman, Haru, as she navigates social anxieties and acceptance during a visit to a hot spring with friends. Users praise its cute art style and multiple endings, which enhance the emotional depth and educational value of the narrative, making it a significant representation of transgender experiences in a Japanese context. While some critiques mention a preachy tone, the overall sentiment highlights the game's ability to foster understanding and empathy towards the transgender community through its engaging storytelling.
“At its core, 'One Night, Hot Springs' is a story about acceptance and understanding.”
“The story is incredibly well written and feels very real while also maintaining an overall positive story.”
“This game has a very cute art style, music and story, its touched my heart and brought into light some of my own insecurities based on the decisions I chose and it brought me joy to see Haru make friends with Erika and reunite with Manami!”
“Although this is a free interactive story, this really wasn't worth the time I had spent.”
“But seriously, the story suffers from this preachy attitude like it's designed as a tool to, somehow, be part of a debate rather than to actually have a good story.”
“The story is okay, though the characters don't really show much distinction in personality for most of the dialogue.”
- emotional261 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "One Night, Hot Springs" is overwhelmingly positive, with many players expressing that the game made them cry due to its heartfelt storytelling and relatable themes surrounding transgender experiences. Reviewers highlight its ability to evoke empathy and understanding through its charming art, music, and character interactions, making it a touching and wholesome experience that resonates deeply with both trans and non-trans players alike. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth, warmth, and the way it addresses important social issues with sensitivity and grace.
“This game has the honor to be the first game to have ever made me cry like it has. I had to literally lay down multiple times just to cry, and this is coming from someone who in most other circumstances just shuts myself up when I'm feeling ready to cry. This game utterly threw me to the wall and snatched that part of me away for the time I played this.”
“This game made me feel so seen back when I didn't know I wasn't cis 2/3 years ago :]] <33”
“One night, hot springs is a relaxing yet heartwarming little visual novel about a trans girl going to an onsen with her friend Manami.”
- graphics176 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and simplistic art style, which enhances the overall charm and emotional impact of the story. Players appreciate the cute visuals and soothing music, noting that the aesthetic contributes to a comforting atmosphere that complements the narrative. Overall, the art style is described as delightful and effective in conveying the game's themes, making it a standout feature of this visual novel.
“From its charming pixel art style to its serene soundtrack, every aspect of the game exudes a sense of tranquility that immediately drew me in.”
“This game has an extremely cute art style and is an amazing representation of the struggles transgender people go through.”
“The art style is adorable, and all of the characters are quite likable.”
“The graphics are cute but monotonous.”
“The graphics are serviceable, the gameplay is nonexistent (it's a visual novel), and the writing isn't anything to gawk at.”
“Though the art style has its charm, it really didn't capture my attention as something fantastic and the story tended to drag on with Haru repetitively moping about how nobody will get him.”
- music144 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as cute, calming, and fitting for the visual novel's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While many players appreciate the soothing soundtrack and its ability to complement the art style, some note that the music can become repetitive and simplistic over time. Overall, the combination of pleasant music and adorable visuals contributes positively to the game's emotional storytelling.
“From its charming pixel art style to its serene soundtrack, every aspect of the game exudes a sense of tranquility that immediately drew me in.”
“The music is calming and sweet, the writing and written dialogue is powerful and moving, and the story overall is enriching and memorable.”
“The art style is adorable, the music matches the mood well; you can tell how much love was put into making this game!”
“The looping of the music is very noticeable and can be a bit distracting.”
“The only thing I found annoying was the soundtrack, that got very repetitive at some point.”
“The music kind of grates on the ears after a while.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on narrative choices typical of visual novels, featuring multiple endings influenced by player decisions. While the game is short, with less than an hour to complete all endings, it offers a clever mechanic where emotional states affect gameplay, enhancing the experience. Overall, the gameplay is straightforward and light, appealing mainly to those invested in the story rather than seeking complex mechanics.
“The visuals and music are simple and pleasant, and the gameplay pretty much has all the features you would expect from a visual novel.”
“A beautiful piece of art, with a very clever gameplay system: the more you lie or keep things to yourself, the more tired you get.”
“Occasionally, you will be presented with a choice, and that’s where the only real gameplay comes in with multiple endings (seven in total, some good, some bad) depending on the choices you make, and seeing all story routes gives you a better appreciation of the characters and an opportunity to play out different scenarios from that person’s perspective.”
“Less than an hour of gameplay to finish all endings, easy skip option which doesn't let you skip unread dialogue, cute art style and music.”
“Very light on gameplay, even for a visual novel.”
“The graphics are serviceable, the gameplay is nonexistent (it's a visual novel), and the writing isn't anything to gawk at.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming artwork and soothing soundtrack, which together create a cute and relaxing environment. Reviewers highlight the gentle melodies and endearing character relationships that enhance the overall experience, making it both enjoyable and educational, particularly regarding cultural nuances. Overall, the atmosphere is described as sympathetic and tender, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“I loved the soundtrack and the artwork of the game; it has a nice atmosphere.”
“I enjoyed the soundtrack; it had a very sympathetic and tender feeling that added to the game's atmosphere.”
“The music was calming and fit the story/atmosphere perfectly.”
“Atmosphere: 3/5”
“It doesn't interrupt the story to talk about some of those cultural norms of 'reading the atmosphere' (it is a faux pas to talk about anything that might be unpleasant or uncomfortable for anyone, even if ignoring the elephant in the room is even more uncomfortable and things never get resolved and just fester into worse problems due to never just talking things out), which would probably make someone who doesn't already have some grasp of the nuance of Japanese social customs miss some of the subtext.”
“Very cute, relaxing atmosphere.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its multiple endings, making it enjoyable to revisit despite its short length. Players appreciate the cute animation and the engaging exploration of trans experiences, which enhances the overall replay value, especially considering it is a free game.
“Very cute animation, short but sweet, lovely delve into a day-to-day struggle of trans people, easy to replay.”
“It is a short game, but it has great replay value to unlock different endings. Keep in mind it is a free game, so I usually don't expect hours upon hours of gameplay from a free title.”
“It's super cute, short and sweet, and very replayable for the different endings.”
“It is a short game, even with the replay value to unlock different endings. Keep in mind it is a free game, so I usually don't expect hours upon hours of gameplay from a free game.”
“Which makes the replay value smoother and less annoying.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally strong, with users noting it is mostly bug-free and feature-rich. However, there are minor screen flash glitches on PC that may pose a concern for players with epilepsy.
“Not only that, it's surprisingly full-featured and bug-free.”
“There are small screen flash glitches on PC, so keep that in mind if you are epileptic.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I've experienced multiple freezes and lag spikes that ruin the overall experience.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as mediocre, though some moments, particularly in the dialogue and interactions between characters like Haru and Manami, evoke a bittersweet emotional response. The story's buildup and certain poignant quotes contribute to a sense of warmth and nostalgia, enhancing the overall experience despite its shortcomings.
“My favorite part was the little quote in one of the endings: 'Honesty is like a gift.' The buildup, dialogue, and character development made me feel a bittersweet sense of anticipation, and the nighttime setting with Haru and Manami sitting together and talking evokes that warm fuzz we're all familiar with, which I'd be lying if I said didn't stir my soul a little.”
“Thus, the story made for character development mediocre at best.”
“The buildup, dialogue, and character development made me feel a bittersweet sense of anticipation, but overall, it fell short of my expectations.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite demanding, with some suggesting it requires an excessive time commitment, while others note that it can feel tedious at times.
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It's a bit grindy sometimes.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a funny short story that adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the overall experience, engaging players with its wit and charm.
“The game is filled with hilarious short stories that keep you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the humor is woven into the gameplay, making every moment entertaining.”
“The witty dialogue and funny scenarios had me chuckling from start to finish.”
