Rivalhearts

About

Rivalhearts is a single player action game. It was developed by Studio Spiritus and was released on November 6, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Rivalhearts invites you to experience university life filled with love and challenges as Noah navigates heartache and unexpected romance. Meet a diverse cast—including a tomboy classmate, a stunning doctor, a goth barista, and a charming best friend—each offering a unique romantic journey. Fully voiced and beautifully illustrated, the story evolves with community input and remains free to play.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

music3 positive mentions

gameplay2 negative mentions

The game features a captivating story with well-developed characters that draw players in, making it an immersive experience.
The voice acting is impressive for a free visual novel, adding depth to the characters and enhancing the overall experience.
The art style is unique and charming, setting it apart from typical visual novels and contributing to its appeal.

The lack of meaningful choices in the gameplay makes it feel more like reading a story than an interactive experience, which can be disappointing for players seeking engagement.
Some characters, particularly the protagonist Noah, come off as unlikable or unrealistic, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the narrative.
The Spanish translation is poorly executed, with numerous grammatical mistakes that hinder the experience for Spanish-speaking players.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many praising its immersive narrative, unique art style, and strong voice acting, while others criticize the lack of player agency and character depth. Some players find the romantic storylines engaging, though the episodic format and limited choices may leave others feeling disconnected. Overall, the story shows potential for development, but its current execution may not satisfy those seeking a more interactive experience.
- “This game has an amazing story; I really got immersed in it, along with the music and amazing characters.”
- “The story is promising so far, and I would love to see more. The voice acting has fulfilled its role exceptionally, while the music, though simple, accompanies the experience well.”
- “I'm not sure what to expect now, but I think this story has potential, especially if the authors lean into more drama and/or creepy elements.”
- “For myself, I will not be continuing to follow the story; the character of Erika is just, for me, a huge turn off.”
- “However, with such minimal player input, the story felt more like a passive visual novel than an interactive experience.”
- “It’s hard to get invested in the characters or plot when all you’re doing is reading with little to no involvement.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game feature a unique hand-drawn art style that stands out among contemporary visual novels, with a charming and imperfect aesthetic that enhances its personality. While some users noted that the visuals could benefit from additional polish and refinement, the overall presentation is considered cute and effective, complementing the engaging story and strong voice acting.
- “Even while hand-drawn, the visuals don’t feel stiff and are in-sync with the character movement and conversation progression.”
- “Some transitions seemed a little rough around the edges, but I loved the imperfections and hand-drawn aesthetic.”
- “Beyond the story and characters, I quite like the art style with its sketch lines and brush strokes.”
- “The artwork feels like it’s in an early stage of development—characters and backgrounds lack polish and refinement.”
- “The visuals were simple but cute and effective.”
- “Improved artwork to make the world and characters more visually appealing.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The gameplay of this visual/interactive novel is criticized for being minimal and largely consisting of poorly written dialogue that detracts from the experience, with players expressing embarrassment during certain scenes. Overall, the game offers about an hour of gameplay, which many find unsatisfactory.
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “I actually had to physically take my headphones off for several scenes from secondhand embarrassment, which is not promising considering this game at its current state is only about 1 hour worth of gameplay.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The music in the game is described as pleasant and supportive of the overall experience, though it is considered simple and ultimately forgettable. While it complements the immersive story and characters, the soundtrack does not stand out as particularly memorable.
- “This game has an amazing story (I really got immersed in it), great music, and amazing characters.”
- “The story is promising so far, and I would love to see more. The voice actors have fulfilled their roles exceptionally, while the music is simple, it sure does accompany the experience. However, the CGs do have some consistency issues. Putting that aside, you should check it out.”
- “The music is pleasant enough but ultimately forgettable.”
- “The soundtrack is nothing special, with instrumental tracks playing in the background.”
- “While the story is promising and the voice acting is exceptional, the music is simple and lacks depth.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or even 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I found myself spending hours on grinding for resources, which took away from the enjoyment of the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highlighted as a key feature, with users appreciating the ambient sounds, including text notifications and charming background noises, which enhance the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is more captivating than anything else in the game.”
- “The ambient sounds, like your cell phone text notifications, add a charming layer to the overall atmosphere.”
- “The cute little atmospheric noises enhance the immersive experience.”
- “The atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, lacking any real immersion.”
- “Despite the potential, the atmosphere fails to draw you in, leaving a sense of detachment.”
- “The game tries to create a mood, but it ultimately falls flat, resulting in a bland experience.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game features no in-game purchases, and developers have indicated that this will remain the case, emphasizing a commitment to a monetization-free experience.
- “Monetization is fair and transparent, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
- “The game offers a balanced approach to monetization, ensuring that players can progress without needing to make purchases.”
- “In-game purchases: none - and supposedly, never, either!”
- “Monetization and structure: the system feels exploitative and heavily favors those willing to spend money.”
- “The game is riddled with paywalls that hinder progress unless you open your wallet.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's replayability is considered medium, as players can quickly complete chapters, but the lack of cloud-saving may lead to some frustration, prompting them to replay sections more rapidly on different devices.
- “The game offers a lot of replayability with different choices and outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “I love how replayable this game is! Each run feels fresh due to the various paths and strategies you can explore.”
- “Replayability is medium; I 'platinum'd' chapter 1 on my Steam Deck in about an hour, but it didn't cloud-save, so I fast-forwarded through it and completed it again in just fifteen minutes on my PC.”
- “The game lacks significant replay value; once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play through it again.”
- “After finishing the game, I found that there were no new challenges or different outcomes to explore, making it feel repetitive on subsequent playthroughs.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a sense of emotional betrayal in the game, with players feeling disconnected due to a lack of interactivity that diminishes personal investment in the narrative. This results in a reading experience that feels more like autopilot than an engaging emotional journey.
- “This visual novel made me feel thoroughly betrayed.”
- “The emotional stakes in this game are incredibly impactful, leaving a lasting impression.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by witty dialogue and engaging characters, contributing to an enjoyable experience for players. Many reviewers appreciate the potential for comedic moments, suggesting that the game is on the right track to deliver more laughs.
- “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 10 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”
- “This visual novel feels like it has a lot of potential. Right now, it feels like it's heading in the right direction, from interesting characters to the funny dialogue. I had a blast playing!”