Steam Prison

About

"Steam Prison" is a single-player romance visual novel game with an interesting plot, taking place in a steam-punk world with stunning graphics and wonderful music. The game offers full immersion with a Japanese voice cast and the ability to name your character, while your choices determine the course of the wholesome story, making you laugh along the way. It provides a full-length otome experience in a fantasy setting with multiple endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 423 reviews

story158 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a strong and proactive female protagonist who can hold her own in combat, which is a refreshing change from typical otome heroines.
The story is engaging with a unique steampunk setting, and the character routes are well-developed, providing a variety of endings that enhance replayability.
The art, voice acting, and music are all high quality, contributing to an immersive experience.

The protagonist's naivety and lack of knowledge about romance can be frustrating, making her seem unrealistic for her age and role as a police officer.
Some character routes feel rushed or lack depth in their romantic development, leading to abrupt or unsatisfying endings.
The absence of a route for the character Fin, who is a fan favorite, is disappointing and leaves a sense of incompleteness in the game.

story
506 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The story of "Steam Prison" is noted for its unique steampunk setting and engaging world-building, with multiple routes that offer distinct narratives and character development. However, many reviewers criticize the pacing, character motivations, and inconsistencies in writing, leading to a mixed reception; while some found the plot compelling and immersive, others felt it lacked depth and coherence. Overall, the game is appreciated for its ambitious themes and character interactions, but it struggles with execution, leaving some players wanting more from the narrative.
- “The story was also very enjoyable with a very interesting world premise.”
- “The characters, the story, and the world are all beautifully constructed in a way that even people who have no interest in otome games can enjoy.”
- “The story is so compelling that it pulls you in and before you know it you've been playing for hours.”
- “Took me ages to finish this one, not because I didn't like its story but because it was boring as hell for multiple reasons.”
- “The writing and execution makes so many amateur mistakes that I found the game a chore to get through; not from translation, but simply from making many narrative mistakes and promising a story that isn't delivered on.”
- “The promised premise and plot of the game is ignored 90% of the routes.”
music
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it decent but largely forgettable and repetitive. While some tracks are praised for their fitting nature and emotional impact, others are criticized for being uninspired or lacking variety, with a total of only 30 songs available. Overall, the music complements the game's beautiful art and strong voice acting, but it doesn't stand out as a highlight for most players.
- “The music is gorgeous and the art is also beautiful.”
- “Beautiful music, a clean UI, and gorgeous art round out the atmosphere and make the game easily immersive.”
- “Great art, great music, strong world building and backstory.”
- “The music was also pretty forgettable and nothing special... but hey, I didn't feel like physically cringing while listening to any of them, so it was already more pleasing than what my eyes had to experience with the writing and art.”
- “And uninspiring music with an annoying, repetitive gong sound in the UI.”
- “Music: hmm.... so far only 2 BGM caught my interest, and they don't play much either.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
39%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork, immersive visuals, and appealing art style, particularly within its steampunk aesthetic. However, some critics note that while the visuals are well-executed, they are overshadowed by subpar storytelling and character development. Overall, the game's graphics are highlighted as a strong point, contributing positively to the overall experience despite narrative shortcomings.
- “The art and aesthetics are beautiful, the music is appealing, the setting is interesting, and there are scenes in the game that I think are very well done.”
- “The visuals and music are beautiful and make the story even better.”
- “This, coupled with great artwork, an industrial age setting, and superb voice acting made this an absolute pleasure to play.”
- “If I could give it a neutral score (akin to a 5 out of 10) I would, but since there is no such thing and the visuals, protagonist, story beats, and some elements were subpar, I will go with negative.”
- “There are plenty of amazing visual novels and ones that handle graphic violence so much better (like Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds).”
- “The visuals are well done, but the story and characters are lacking.”
humor
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of light-hearted and dark elements, featuring quirky dialogues and amusing interactions, particularly between characters like Eltcreed and Ulrik. While some moments are genuinely funny and wholesome, others can become frustrating, especially when the player character's cluelessness about romance leads to irritating situations. Overall, the comedic aspects are well-received, with players enjoying the mix of humor and emotional depth throughout the story.
- “Either way, his character gave me the most laughs besides hilarious moments between Ulrik and Eltcreed.”
- “You get to see much more of their interactions in Ulrik's route and it's honestly hilarious.”
- “+ humor (perhaps it's Shirai Yuusuke's shenanigans lmao, but the comedy is peak with Eltcreed and Ulrik. Even in the grand route when all the boys interact, it is hilarious).”
emotional
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with players experiencing a range of feelings from laughter to deep sadness. While some characters evoke strong emotional responses, particularly through their tragic backstories, the protagonist's emotional detachment has left some players wanting more vulnerability. Overall, the game effectively engages players' emotions, making them feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.
- “It's not too fast paced nor too slow, and it gave me both laughter and made me cry at a few points!”
- “What a heartbreaking game.”
- “When the story focuses on the emotional relationships between its characters, that’s when it truly shines.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay features a branching mechanic that allows players to influence affection meters through their choices, leading to multiple character endings and additional non-route endings. Players appreciate the smooth mechanics, detailed design, and the engaging art, which contribute to hours of immersive gameplay.
- “The gameplay was smooth, the characters are wonderful, and the art is great.”
- “Gameplay: the game shows affection meters that go up and down after choices the main character makes.”
- “Steam Prison is full of detail and comes with hours and hours of gameplay; there are character endings and even extra non-route endings.”
- “I love the branching mechanic over the selected route mechanic.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is described as immersive and epic, setting it apart from typical otome games. With beautiful music, stunning art, and vivid voice acting, it effectively conveys emotions and enhances storytelling, drawing players into a thrilling narrative where the heroine seeks to restore justice. Overall, the combination of these elements creates a captivating and enjoyable experience.
- “Beautiful music, a clean UI, and gorgeous art round out the atmosphere and make the game easily immersive.”
- “Such an atmosphere does not result in your typical otome game; instead, it results in an epic tale with the heroine seeking to restore justice to society.”
- “The characters will make you feel, and the atmosphere will easily whisk you into a thrilling, enjoyable tale.”
- “The voice acting and the sound effects are very vivid, bringing across the emotions and atmosphere more strongly.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Character development in the game is notably lacking, with some players feeling that the characters do not evolve significantly despite facing intense challenges. However, the character design and voice acting received high praise, with some characters being particularly captivating and memorable, even if their personalities can be frustrating at times. Overall, while the aesthetic elements shine, the depth of character growth leaves much to be desired.
- “His character design and his voice captivated me right from the start, but I also love his personality as well. Even though towards the end there were moments I wanted to slap him, I'm glad that the heroine did slap him!”
- “The story, art style, and voice acting were all fantastic, but the character design was the highlight.”
- “+ The character design, voice acting, the concept, and music are great.”
- “Very little character development despite all the horrors she endures.”
- “His character design and his voice captivated me right from the start, but I also love his personality as well. Even though towards the end there were moments I wanted to slap him, I'm glad that the heroine did slap him.”
- “The character development felt lacking, especially considering the potential for growth given the circumstances.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers significant replayability due to its added scenes and the unique substory and personal narratives of each character, encouraging players to explore all content. Players highly recommend experiencing the game multiple times to fully appreciate its depth.
- “Due to the added scenes and different sub-stories/personal stories of each character, this game definitely has replay value.”
- “I totally recommend going for all there is, not only for the above mentioned reason.”
- “Replayability is infinite; I totally recommend going for all there is.”
- “Due to the added scenes and different substory/personal stories of each character, this game definitely has replay value.”
- “Replayability ∞: I totally recommend going for all there is (not only for the above mentioned reason).”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to run smoothly, indicating effective optimization that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- “Game runs smoothly.”