SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel

About

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel is a single player casual role playing game with anime and erotic themes. It was developed by Team Eleven and was released on September 22, 2015. It received very positive reviews from players.

SC2VN is a visual novel about the South Korean StarCraft 2 scene. You play as Mach, a foreign semi-pro trying to make it in eSports who soon learns that success in StarCraft takes more than in-game strategy.

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Single-Player

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel screenshot

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94%Audience ScoreBased on 740 reviews

story179 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story that realistically portrays the struggles and emotional journey of aspiring eSports players, accessible even to those unfamiliar with Starcraft II.
High-quality art and music, including authentic Starcraft audio and visuals, that effectively create an immersive atmosphere.
Free to play with approximately 3-5 hours of content, featuring likeable and well-developed characters and included glossary and tutorial to aid newcomers.

Short length and abrupt ending, leaving players wanting more and hoping for a sequel.
Limited player choices with mostly linear gameplay and minimal impact on story outcomes reducing replayability and interactivity.
Heavy use of Starcraft jargon and some dated or unrealistic gameplay depictions which may confuse or alienate players without prior knowledge.

story
425 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The story is a well-written, engaging visual novel centered on a protagonist striving to break into South Korea's competitive StarCraft II esports scene. Praised for its authentic portrayal of esports culture and relatable characters, it offers a compelling narrative despite its short length and limited branching choices. While some find it predictable or abrupt, many appreciate its emotional depth and hope for a longer sequel to further develop the characters and plot.
- “The game is a bit short, but with good writing, interesting characters and story, which introduces us to the not very well known world of professional gaming in Korea.”
- “This is a really solid story about a foreigner trying to make her (or his) way in the competitive world of StarCraft 2 leagues.”
- “While it does not necessarily offer the most original or in-depth story, what really draws you in is how seamlessly the novel ties realistic representations of the Korean esports scene with meaningful plot progression.”
- “The game was very short, the story was bland, and the characters were all one-dimensional. You can easily finish this game in 1 hour at best, but what really disappointed me the most was the lack of choice; you were built into one choice line and that was basically all there was to it.”
- “5/10 problems: weak plot, glorification of pro gaming and StarCraft 2 that anyone with experience can tell you is BS; weak characters (for anyone aside from the main character) and character relations; story felt very weak even in short visual novels where this amount of content would normally be 1/3 or maybe 2/4 of the story.”
- “I actually found myself feeling let down only because the story ends rather abruptly.”
music
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
4%
The game's music is generally well-received, praised for effectively setting moods, evoking nostalgia (especially through StarCraft tracks), and enhancing the narrative experience. While some find it catchy and fitting, occasional mismatches with scene tone and some repetitiveness are noted, though the soundtrack overall is considered a strong complement to the art and story. The ending song and VSL theme receive particular acclaim for their impact.
- “The game has a great and polished anime art style, with some movement that does the job of reading the characters' expressions and mood changes. All the characters are very well developed and likable and/or relatable (or dislikable) in more than one way. The soundtrack is on point in setting the mood for what situation is developing on screen, especially during the SC2 matches, where at one point I caught myself on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.”
- “If you enjoy anime/esports, you'll appreciate this heart-warming story and enjoy "learning about," as TotalBiscuit says, "how competitive StarCraft works." Very engaging, epic soundtrack, etc. 10/10”
- “The beautiful artwork and flawless music tie everything together to make a unique experience.”
- “The musical score doesn't sound out of place, but it isn't very memorable.”
- “Some music doesn't match the mood.”
- “The music is slightly repetitive, but it's not annoying; Starcraft music included offers in-game breaks that help.”
graphics
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The game features polished, high-quality anime-style artwork that is visually appealing and distinct from typical visual novels, with well-designed characters and immersive backgrounds. While facial expressions per character could be more varied, the overall graphics are consistently praised for enhancing the narrative and atmosphere. The soundtrack complements the graphics effectively, creating a cohesive and engaging audiovisual experience.
- “The game has a great and polished anime art style, with some movement that effectively conveys the characters' expressions and mood changes. All the characters are very well developed and likable or relatable in more than one way.”
- “The artwork in this game is really high quality with a good number of locations in game. The beautiful artwork and flawless music tie everything together to make a unique experience.”
- “You follow the life of Mach, a protagonist trying to make his own as a competitive StarCraft II player. The artwork is clean and top-notch, and the background sound does a great job maintaining the atmosphere of what's going on. The story is immersive, and the characters are well fleshed out, detailed, and relatable.”
- “The graphics are okay for a visual novel but I think there could’ve been more than 3 facial expressions per character.”
- “Graphics/art: passable.”
- “- Lots of graphic and music assets re-use.”
- “The artwork wasn't the best, but it was still a pleasure to observe.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
78%
8%
The gameplay primarily consists of typical visual novel mechanics, involving minimal interaction beyond clicking through dialogue and making limited choices, with little impact on the story. While it offers some strategic elements reflecting StarCraft II tactics, these are often superficial and not deeply integrated. Overall, the gameplay serves mostly as a vehicle for the narrative and esports concepts rather than providing engaging or substantial interactive experiences.
- “It is a really good introduction to a bunch of concepts and mechanics from SC2, so if you're even remotely interested, give it a try.”
- “If you’re an SC2 fan like me, the references to real-life people and events, along with the detailed gameplay sections, obviously add extra appeal, but I think the core story is just good enough to work for someone without such knowledge.”
- “The gameplay mechanics involve strategic decision-making during key matches, reflecting the tactical nature of Starcraft II.”
- “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?'”
- “It is simply not a gratifying way to present choices that the player can easily reload and correct, leading to what becomes more of a roadblock than actual gameplay.”
- “Some of the stuff mentioned was not really relevant anymore in SC2, talking specifically about mechanics and the like, and I was kind of disappointed that you couldn't make any significant choices in the final showdown, but the story was well enough told it had me biting my nails at the very end.”
emotional
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its touching, heartwarming story that effectively captures the highs and lows of esports and competitive gaming. It resonates deeply with players, evoking nostalgia and genuine emotional investment through relatable characters and thoughtful storytelling. While some note minor flaws like limited impact from choices and a sudden ending, the overall emotional experience is compelling and memorable.
- “Don't be discouraged if you don't know much about e-sport, this is a very good visual novel that tackles the topic in a very relatable and outsider-friendly way, while delivering an emotionally engaging and satisfying story.”
- “Sc2vn presented an outstanding introduction to esports and Starcraft alongside a classic and emotional story that I couldn't put down.”
- “A heartwarming story of a young individual risking their future for their passion, touching on several issues experienced by professional Starcraft 2 players both in the competition and the drama behind the scenes.”
- “Overall, though the art is quite good, other aspects of this game fall short with a boring story and weak characters.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its wit, well-written characters, and consistently funny dialogue, with standout moments like the bar scene. It blends clever, tongue-in-cheek, and nerdy references that appeal to players, creating an engaging and often laugh-out-loud experience. The humor complements the story and character interactions, making the game both entertaining and emotionally touching.
- “The characters are well-written and the dialogue is very witty and funny at times.”
- “That's the high point of this game by the way: the characters are really funny, and the bar scene is the best.”
- “The humor in this game often is on point and I burst out laughing throughout my playthrough many times, even though I barely played any StarCraft 2 myself.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Character development in the game is generally praised for being well-executed, captivating, and integral to the story, with strong character designs enhancing individuality. While some note it could be deeper given the game's short length, overall it successfully develops main characters without unnecessary sideplots.
- “Character development is good, and the game avoids useless sideplots and instead takes interesting paths in developing the main plot and the characters along the way.”
- “The storyline and character development were beyond expectation and the art-style brings the immersion of the game.”
- “Character development could have been better, but for a short visual novel, it was alright.”
- “The character designs help establish each character, only with the help of coloring to set each individual apart.”
- “Its strengths lie in its storytelling and character development, though its brevity may leave some players wanting more.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is immersive and well-crafted, combining clean, top-notch artwork with consistent background sound and music that perfectly complement the story. The detailed characters and engaging narrative enhance relatability, drawing players into the competitive StarCraft II esports scene even without prior knowledge. Overall, the atmosphere effectively supports the game's inspiring and enjoyable experience without distracting or mismatching its genre.
- “You follow the life of Mach, a protagonist who is trying to make his own as a competitive StarCraft II player. The artwork is clean and top-notch, and the overall background sound does a good job of maintaining a consistent atmosphere with what's going on. The story is immersive, and the characters are well-fleshed out, detailed, and relatable in the situations that transpire over the course of the game.”
- “All in all, while SC2VN is more something one reads than plays, its wonderful atmosphere and fun, inspiring story more than make up for its shortcomings.”
- “I didn't know much about StarCraft and especially the esports scene in Korea, but the game drew me in and made me enjoy its atmosphere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Grinding in this game is often seen as tedious and slow-paced, likened to clicking through a visual novel sentence by sentence rather than smoothly progressing. While some players found it motivating enough to persevere past initial hesitation, many ultimately found the repetitive nature exhausting and stopped.
- “You’ll need a second life just for grinding.”
- “I stopped bothering with this after a while as it got tedious.”
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or 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.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Replayability is considered limited due to the short length, few meaningful choices, and lack of multiple endings, which may reduce the incentive for multiple playthroughs. However, the experience is still enjoyable despite these drawbacks.
- “My only criticism would be that there is not a lot of replayability and there are few actual decisions for you to make, but it is still amazing and I would definitely pay money for it.”
- “My only criticism would be that there is not a lot of replayability and there are few actual decisions for you to make.”
- “It's short, there is no real replay value and there are only a handful of choices.”
- “The limited choices and lack of multiple endings may reduce replayability for some.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s optimization appears to be subpar, resulting in poor performance for some players, which can hinder the overall experience despite their enthusiasm to play.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a completely free experience with no microtransactions or monetization pressures, allowing players to enjoy and complete it in a single sitting without interruptions.

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3h Median play time

14h Average play time

3-32h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel is a casual role playing game with anime and erotic themes.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel was released on September 22, 2015.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel was developed by Team Eleven.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel for its story but disliked it for its character development.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel is a single player game.

Similar games include Wolf Tails, Lucid9: Inciting Incident, Sepia Tears, ACE Academy, Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos and others.

SC2VN: The eSports Visual Novel

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story

music

graphics

gameplay

emotional

humor

character development

atmosphere

grinding

replayability

optimization

monetization

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