start;again
- March 31, 2022
- Two and a Half Studios
Get on Steam"start;again" is a single-player Mystery Simulation game with an intriguing story, fabulous soundtrack, and highly emotional narrative. As Sebastian, uncover the truth behind four strangers' forced participation in a life-or-death escape game within two hours, with over 35,000 words, multiple endings, captivating visuals, and minigames. Experience a blend of romance, mystery, and comedy in this BL/yaoi visual novel.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a captivating and emotional story with unexpected twists that keep players engaged throughout.
- The characters are well-developed and relatable, creating a strong emotional connection that resonates with players.
- The puzzles are enjoyable and accessible, making the gameplay experience fun without being overly challenging.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content and depth.
- Some players found the flowchart navigation and puzzle hints to be confusing or lacking clarity.
- The marketing may misrepresent the game as a typical BL/yaoi visual novel, while it focuses more on mystery and character dynamics.
- story65 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its captivating and emotional narrative, featuring lovable characters and unexpected plot twists that keep players invested. While some users note that the game is more linear than advertised, the storytelling is described as heartwarming and engaging, with themes of love, friendship, and tragedy woven throughout. Overall, it is considered a beautiful and well-crafted experience that resonates deeply with players.
“The story is captivating and the ending was definitely something I wasn't expecting.”
“It was such a beautiful story; these four people finding themselves in bleak situations with amnesia and meeting each other again and again.”
“The story was the perfect amount of sweet and sad, enough to make my heart hurt at times.”
“Also, while user tags say this is a choose your own adventure story and that your choices matter, and both are technically true, this game is very linear.”
“The story is not that great; it is falsely advertised as a multiple choices story as the tale is actually linear.”
“In the beginning, you won't understand the story, but the way everything connects in the end got me sobbing for some time. It has love, family matters, friendship, tragedy, literally everything in a 3-hour game; it's a masterpiece.”
- emotional16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from nostalgia and joy to sadness and heartache. Players appreciate the depth of character dynamics and the impactful storytelling, which often leads to tears and a strong connection to the characters. While some found it less emotionally engaging than expected, many agree that the game delivers a powerful emotional experience, especially towards the end.
“It's a cute, wholesome, but sad story.”
“It made me cry twice; I flailed my hands happily and fell in love with all the characters.”
“The game is short and can easily be played through in a single sitting, but it packs a lot of emotional impact into the time it has.”
- music14 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, creating a memorable atmosphere that resonates with players. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, noting its quality and how it complements the game's visuals and narrative, often evoking strong emotional responses. Overall, the music is considered a vital and phenomenal aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“The soundtrack is amazing and gives the story literally life.”
“The music is hauntingly beautiful and does a great job at setting the mood.”
“This has to easily be one of my favorite visual novels, the story was engaging and the music was amazing.”
“The music?”
“I streamed this and everyone who watched commented specifically on the high quality of the music; I agreed.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a unique blend of art styles that may initially clash but ultimately create a memorable and pleasing visual experience. While some key moments are depicted in beautiful CG art, the overall aesthetic, including character design and backgrounds, evolves positively as players engage with the game. The visuals, complemented by an impressive soundtrack, contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout despite initial skepticism.
“It's grade S angst, with great puzzles, an interesting art style (or rather, a collection of art styles that clash with each other a bit, but it's memorable and pleasing nonetheless), great soundtrack, short and bittersweet, and easy to understand and complete.”
“Everything, from the characters, to the artwork, to the story and to the soundtrack, everything in this game was phenomenal.”
“I personally loved the Van Gogh-esque art style for the background.”
“The art style?”
“When I looked at the promotional images of the game, I was a bit put off by the art style, but as I played, it grew on me a lot.”
“I have to admit, I loved 'The Divine Speaker' by these devs. I was skeptical about the different art style and really thought I wouldn't enjoy it, especially because it is largely puzzle-based, but I thought I'd give it a shot since it was on sale.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by engaging storytelling and a unique progression mechanic that enhances the experience, despite its brevity. Players primarily interact through puzzles and code entry, with a flowchart feature enabling route switching, adding depth to the overall gameplay.
“The story is engaging and well-written, and the mechanic of story progression is an interesting use of Ren'Py that fits well with the story.”
“The flowchart is the gameplay feature that allows you to switch between the routes.”
“The only interactive gameplay is represented by puzzles and entering codes to open doors.”
“Gameplay is short, but it's well worth the time.”
“Puzzles are pretty much the gameplay in start; again.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a surprising blend of humor that evokes both laughter and emotional depth, with many players noting that it exceeded their expectations in terms of comedic moments. Overall, it successfully balances lightheartedness with more poignant themes.
“It made me tear up, which surprised me coming from a game that also made me laugh a bit.”
“And yes, this game has a little humor.”
“I won't lie, it had me laughing a lot more than I thought it would.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's short length, which contributes to its high replayability, allowing them to enjoy it multiple times without feeling fatigued.
“It's also very short, which means it has a nice replay value too.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a painterly aesthetic that enhances the visual experience, allowing the sprite art to stand out vividly against the beautifully crafted backgrounds.
“The backgrounds give a very painterly feel to the overall atmosphere while making the sprite art pop out from the background.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character designs effectively reflect the personalities of the characters, despite some minor critiques regarding proportions and outfit choices.
“The character designs really fit who the characters are, even if their necks might be a little too long and Mika's outfit is still ridiculous.”
“The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their personalities and relationships developing in a believable way.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
“I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
“Despite the interesting premise, the characters remain one-dimensional and fail to grow throughout the game.”
