Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison

Sound of Drop has an unfortunately disappointing story held up by surprisingly great presentation. The themes presented are entertaining, and many of the plot points have potential to be a part of something great, but the short runtime of the story proves to be quite a hindrance.

79%Game Brain Score

story, music

gameplay, monetization

84% User Score Based on 291 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by aiueoKompany and was released on October 30, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison" is a first-person horror adventure game. Players explore the Aya Institute, solving puzzles and uncovering its mysterious past. The game features a unique narrative system where choices impact the story and multiple endings. Atmospheric settings and sound design create a chilling experience as players delve deeper into the institute's secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison screenshot

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 291 reviews

story110 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
The story is engaging with multiple endings, providing a sense of mystery and intrigue as players navigate through choices.
The horror elements are well-executed, creating a chilling experience that keeps players on edge.

The translation quality is inconsistent, leading to awkward phrasing and occasional confusion in the narrative.
Some choices feel arbitrary and can lead to frustratingly abrupt bad endings, detracting from the overall experience.
The pacing can be uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others rush through important plot points.

story
414 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intriguing premise and emotional depth, particularly in its exploration of horror and mystery within an aquarium setting. However, many reviews highlight issues with convoluted plotlines, pacing problems, and a lack of character development, leading to confusion and frustration for some players. While the game offers multiple endings that enrich the narrative, the execution often falls short, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction despite its potential.
- “The story is gripping, the artwork and OST are top-notch, and it gave me serious everlasting summer and corpse party vibes.”
- “The story is interesting, although a tad predictable.”
- “The story has a fantastic line of progression, revealing just enough to enable you to follow the story, but keeping enough info hidden that you crave the next answer.”
- “Unfortunately, the story is drawn out to agonizing length and is awkwardly written, making everything else difficult to bear.”
- “The story doesn't have a very long run, being around 5-6 hours long excluding the bad ends, but I'd say around 3-4 hours of that is just the game basically spoon-feeding you the entire plot.”
- “It felt like they threw in a bunch of plot twists just for the sake of being like 'ooooo plot twist!!!!!!!111!!11!'”
music
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The music in "Sound of Drop - Fall into Poison" has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, effectively conveying emotions ranging from dread to nostalgia. While many tracks are praised for their quality and fittingness to the narrative, some players noted that certain pieces can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many reviewers expressing a desire to purchase it separately.
- “The soundtrack is fantastic, like the title track 'Sound of Drop' with its piano and light choir, which conveys the despair when Mayumi lost Mari, and then when the little chimes similar to a music box show up, it's like a somber reunion.”
- “Every song was perfect for each scene, delivering the exact emotion needed to make the scenes memorable and impactful.”
- “The music and sound effects are very well achieved, contributing to the general feeling of fear, although unfortunately there is no voice acting.”
- “The music is the main driving force behind the atmosphere, but it can only do so much without the good writing to back it up.”
- “The soundtrack was pretty neat for the most part, except on the calm/slice of life scenes, where it was pretty much generic, the kind of soundtrack you hear in many slice of life Japanese visual novels.”
- “Even though the music is very well done, a few of the songs are a little repetitive and can get a little tiring to listen to.”
graphics
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, featuring stunning artwork, vibrant backgrounds, and well-designed character sprites that enhance the overall atmosphere. While some users noted that certain visuals, particularly in bad endings, could be repetitive or lack impact, the overall aesthetic quality and the accompanying soundtrack received high marks, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience. Despite some critiques regarding the quantity of artwork and the effectiveness of certain graphic scenes, the visuals are generally considered a standout aspect of the game.
- “The visuals speak for themselves—aren’t they stunning?”
- “The art style and the music are absolutely gorgeous, and I loved how unique each of the characters were.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the translation is perfect, and the story is written exceptionally well.”
- “Considering it was the first work of the devs, I wouldn't be surprised by the lacking aspect of art style and writing compared to their recent works, which is 'Fatal Twelve'.”
- “For bad endings, there are several simple animated visuals that repeat for different bad ends.”
- “The visuals of the CG scenes, character design, and backgrounds add to the good plot, though in the end, I would have wished for more horror CG scenes as those fall kind of flat compared with the others.”
atmosphere
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, effectively combining haunting music, detailed visuals, and a moody setting to evoke feelings of dread and anxiety. While some players noted that the character development could be lacking, the overall aesthetic and sound design contribute significantly to the game's psychological horror experience, creating a genuinely creepy environment that resonates with horror enthusiasts. Despite some mixed opinions on the music's consistency, the atmospheric elements are generally regarded as a strong point, enhancing the narrative and emotional depth of the game.
- “As a horror enthusiast, not a lot unsettles me, but the atmosphere here is just genuinely unnerving.”
- “The music has been used as an atmosphere-building tool to great effect and amplify feelings of dread, sadness, and happiness alike.”
- “The details of the rooms, from the disposition of furniture and fish tanks to the dominant environment color, amplify the atmosphere's power very well.”
- “Overall, this visual novel just really doesn't give you enough time to build relationships with the cast or establish its own atmosphere, which is a very big no-no when it comes to horror.”
- “The art of the characters is something simple and not very consistent with the theme of the game; however, the art of the backgrounds and the CGI are of high quality and help a lot to achieve an adequate atmosphere.”
- “Given the nature of Manten Aquarium, the atmosphere can change from slightly unsettling to downright scary (ah, the damn red water...) in a few seconds.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a blend of heartwarming and spooky elements, with many reviewers noting its ability to evoke strong feelings, ranging from joy to sadness. While some found the emotional depth compelling and impactful, others criticized it for lacking sufficient description and emotional resonance, suggesting that certain dramatic moments felt unearned. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storyline and character dynamics, making it a recommended experience for fans of emotional narratives.
- “A wonderful, compact visual novel that merges horror, mystery, and heartwarming love into an absorbing read I could not put down.”
- “Finally, the story is heartwarming; despite being a horror story, it's ultimately about pure human love.”
- “So emotional I was so close to crying at times and other times overflowed with joy. The story is great, the characters are great, and by looking at the credits, it was a three-person game, which is amazing. This game gives you a whole lot to look at while you're on its emotional roller coaster.”
- “After 8 hours of playing this game (which is mostly reading) just to finish the entire story (and most side ventures), I can easily say, without fabrication, this is definitely not a boring storyline.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is primarily narrative-driven, focusing on choice-based mechanics that guide players through a semi-linear story, reminiscent of classic literature. While the mechanics are easy to grasp and the production values are high, some players feel that the pacing issues and lack of a strong villain detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers about 10 hours of engaging content, particularly appealing to fans of visual novels and supernatural horror themes.
- “I only wish that the gameplay were a bit longer, because it’s so fantastic!”
- “The mechanic is easy to understand, and you rely on picking the choices given throughout the game if you want to jump into a particular route.”
- “Mechanically, it's a path-based visual novel, and I'm sure that's not going to be new for anyone, but the high production values, the original setting, and the quality writing all add up to a quality product.”
- “The main villain didn't even feel like a main villain, as you honestly spend more time listening to some random character monologue about the mechanics of the aquarium than time building a relationship with the villain.”
- “As I mentioned above, the bad endings seem to come out of nowhere, but the game does finally present a why and how you've been dying once you learn the mechanics of the aquarium, which seemed like a pacing problem to me.”
- “The gameplay for these games basically is the story because the game has its own intuition and decides what actions are actually prudent via a semi-linear story (i.e., you second guess the game, not necessarily use real-life common sense or knowledge the game provides you with).”
character development
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the growth seen in certain characters and the intricate plot, others criticize it for being shallow or inconsistent, with some characters feeling forgettable. The visuals and character designs are generally praised, but many feel that the overall development lacks depth and fails to cultivate meaningful relationships. Despite its shortcomings, some players find the character arcs engaging, particularly in specific routes, though the execution can feel forced at times.
- “The plot within this game is also really intricate and layered, especially with all the endings you can get, but there is a lot of character development too which makes it so much better.”
- “I'd say the character development was pretty neat, since at the end of each route you could see the character's growth in most of them, though some routes develop some characters more than others.”
- “Compared to the more massive, 30+ hour visual novels, this game doesn't have such an amount of world building and character development, but it's quite well executed how Sound of Drop packs so much in 4~ hours (first playthrough).”
- “The characters are forgettable as the character development is non-existent and the relationships between characters aren't cultivated, likely due to weak plot progression and forced horror elements.”
- “When it comes to character development, it's full of holes and completely unconvincing, lacking basic research or common sense.”
- “Both story and character development is slim to none.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, featuring 31 endings—27 bad and 4 true—encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. With a high replay value rating and the ability to skip previously read content, players can easily revisit the game to uncover all possible outcomes and achievements. Overall, its engaging story branches and multiple endings make it a standout choice for those seeking a game with lasting replay appeal.
- “But the replayability is amazing; it has 31 endings, 27 bad endings, and 4 true endings.”
- “The sheer amount of endings, with only four of them being good, gives it a lot of replay value, and there are enough save slots to ensure you will be able to see everything.”
- “There's some pretty big storyline branches that lead towards the various ending options, which lend themselves well to replayability, with the nice touch that you can skip at near lightspeed over passages you don't feel like re-reading if you're simply playing to discover a new ending that time around.”
- “There is a replayability factor with the multiple true endings and achievements available.”
- “But this can easily be overlooked considering the relatively cheap price tag and replayability.”
- “+ a lot of replay value even after finishing the main story.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is praised for its smooth performance, particularly for players familiar with visual novels, indicating a well-optimized experience that meets expectations.
- “Everything runs smoothly and will be familiar if you've played other visual novels.”
- “The optimization is top-notch, ensuring a seamless experience even on lower-end devices.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs; it loads quickly and runs without any hiccups.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cash grab, particularly linked to a Halloween theme, suggesting that it may prioritize profit over quality or player experience.
- “It's likely a Halloween cash grab by Sekai Project.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “I feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully, which ruins the experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its convoluted explanations, which often lead to more confusion, while the character Himeno brings a quirky and outgoing comedic flair that adds to the overall comedic experience.
- “What's funny is that the more they explain things, the more convoluted it becomes.”
- “Himeno, on the other hand, is your outgoing, social butterfly, with a weird sense of humor.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game rewarding due to the engaging branching paths that encourage replayability, making multiple playthroughs enjoyable rather than tedious. However, the experience can vary significantly, with some players encountering uneven pacing that leads to moments of tedium.
- “Only con: exposure varies from very little to very much, resulting in sometimes very tedious chunks or rapid flow in the story.”

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68%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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9h Median play time

8h Average play time

8-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison is a action game with horror theme.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison was released on October 30, 2015.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison was developed by aiueoKompany.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison is a single player game.

Similar games include The Letter, Return to Shironagasu Island, 7'scarlet, Nightshade／百花百狼, Tokyo Dark and others.

Sound of Drop: Fall into Poison

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