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The Mermaid of Zennor

The Mermaid of Zennor Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
98% User Score Based on 55 reviews

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The Mermaid of Zennor Game Cover

About The Mermaid of Zennor

The Mermaid of Zennor is a single player action game with drama and anime themes. It was developed by ebi-hime and was released on April 8, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A short, dark visual novel about a young girl's destructive obsession with her older brother.

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The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
The Mermaid of Zennor screenshot
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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 55 reviews
story16 positive mentions
  • The game offers a realistic and respectful portrayal of a 13-year-old autistic girl named Lilac, capturing her internal struggles and emotions in a compelling and empathetic manner.
  • The atmospheric presentation is enhanced by haunting music, expressive art, and a setting that complements the story's emotional weight, creating an immersive reading experience.
  • The narrative tackles difficult themes such as bullying, depression, familial neglect, and obsession with nuance and maturity, delivering both heartbreaking and hopeful endings that resonate deeply.
  • The story is relatively short and some players feel that it could have benefited from additional length and character development, especially for side characters and certain plot points.
  • Some viewers find the pacing slow or repetitive at times, with a tendency towards explaining rather than showing events, which may affect engagement for some readers.
  • There are minor criticisms of sprite design and limited character portraits, as well as the scarcity of music tracks, which some players found distracting or wished were more abundant.

  • story

    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    24% positive mentions, 71% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The story of "The Mermaid of Zennor" is a deeply emotional and harrowing tale centered on Lilac, a lonely, flawed protagonist struggling with bullying, family issues, and unrequited love, portrayed with realistic nuance and immersive first-person narration. Despite its short length, the narrative is well-executed, balancing a heavy, somber tone with moments of hope and delivering a thoughtfully layered, symbolic experience enriched by subtle foreshadowing, atmospheric visuals, and a haunting soundtrack. Fans of grounded, melancholic storytelling will find this visual novel impactful and memorable.

    • “The Mermaid of Zennor paints an emotionally driven story that shows the struggles of a protagonist in a realistic world.”
    • “Being provided subtle impactful characters with tons of foreshadowing, colors and art that paints a heavy dramatic tone, along with a fantastic soundtrack to enhance situations to the highest possible potential, The Mermaid of Zennor is a story that is written with immense care.”
    • “It's a 2-3 hour somber read, but the narration is so immersive and Lilac's psychology is depicted so well that it's easy to end up empathizing with the main character and losing yourself in the story.”
    • “Now this VN really doesn't focus much on her feelings for her brother as much as I thought it did, not in the way I thought at least, and really it's because the main meat of this story is Lilac and how isolated and lonely she feels, the root of all of that, which is not having a good enough support system and people in her life to truly understand her enough to help her.”
    • “The happy ending is perhaps too happy too soon, but it feels like a fitting resolution to Lilac's impossible dilemma and it develops all the characters, while the bad ending just crashes the story into a wall, imo.”
    • “The music continues this tone all throughout the story, with disharmonic electronic sounds that I honestly had to mute at some point to not drown in the feeling of depression.”

  • music

    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    46% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and emotional depth, effectively enhancing the story's somber and eerie tone. Its ambient and haunting soundtrack reinforces the narrative's mood, closely aligning with character emotions and key moments, creating an immersive and impactful experience. While some found the music intense or challenging at times, overall it is considered a crucial and well-executed element that deeply enriches the game's atmosphere.

    • “The sense of atmosphere is reinforced by the choice of music and the character art.”
    • “I also adored the music as it does a great job with conveying Lilac's emotions and current state.”
    • “Without the music, it would've been a missed opportunity, but gladly to say that it just extensively enhances not only the mood but the gravity of a situation.”
    • “I do have one major issue with this game and it's the music.”
    • “The music was a bit hard to listen to.”
    • “The music continues this tone all throughout the story, with disharmonic electronic sounds that I honestly had to mute at some point to not drown in the feeling of depression.”

  • emotional

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The visual novel delivers a profoundly emotional experience, evoking deep empathy and multiple heartfelt tears with its realistic portrayal of bullying and emotional struggles. Its storytelling, supported by evocative visuals, balances heartbreaking and hopeful moments, offering a touching, authentic narrative that resonates strongly with players.

    • “Lilac is bullied, but the bullies aren't doing the stereotypical bullying seen in media like shoving in lockers or beatings. Instead, it shows how much bullying, especially toward autistic people or those perceived as different, is a slow process that destroys a person's perspective and emotional state to where they don't feel anything.”
    • “I have never been in her shoes but feel a deep sense of empathy for her and felt emotionally invested in her well-being.”
    • “One is totally heartbreaking (I was afraid it was coming to that) and another is heartwarming, full of hope I needed so much!”

  • atmosphere

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 27% negative mentions

    The atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, achieved through a harmonious blend of character art, ambient music, and writing. The use of somber, eerie, and sometimes dark tones, complemented by carefully chosen soundtracks, creates a unique and compelling mood that deeply engages players. This distinct atmospheric approach sets the work apart and enhances the overall emotional experience.

    • “This visual novel does an amazing job at atmosphere in a way which very few media have been able to capture.”
    • “The writing, music, and art all work together to create a somber, slightly eerie atmosphere that drew me in from the beginning.”
    • “The pressuring atmosphere created by background music and art characterized by the usage of cold tones is also a very refined touch to the offered experience.”
    • “The art of this novel is stunning; on par, or perhaps even better than “Rituals in the Dark.” The music creates a grimy atmosphere that underlines the world seen through Lil's eyes.”
    • “Lilac is in love with her older brother, who happens to be her only source of light and hope amidst a heavy atmosphere that constantly weighs on her during what are supposed to be “regular daily moments” of a young scholar.”
    • “The pressuring atmosphere created by the BGM and art, characterized by the usage of cold tones, is a very refined touch to the offered experience.”

  • graphics

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    75% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their expressive, beautiful, and distinctive art style that complements the story well. Reviewers highlight the visuals as immersive and enhancing the overall experience, often paired with a fitting and atmospheric soundtrack.

    • “Undoubtedly it's easily recommended: gorgeous visuals, immersive music, wonderful writing, low price, powerful contrast endings for any taste.”
    • “The visuals and music nicely complemented the story.”
    • “I also love the artstyle and the art in general in this one.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The character development is praised for its realistic portrayal, particularly of the protagonist, who can be infuriating but evolves meaningfully, especially in the good ending. Users appreciate the depth and growth shown throughout the story.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Mermaid of Zennor is a action game with drama and anime themes. Common tags for The Mermaid of Zennor include indie, lgbtq+, psychological, emotional, 2d and others.

The Mermaid of Zennor is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

The Mermaid of Zennor was released on April 8, 2021.

The Mermaid of Zennor was developed by ebi-hime.

The Mermaid of Zennor has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked The Mermaid of Zennor for its story.

The Mermaid of Zennor is a single player game.

Similar games include Lynne, Juniper's Knot, Narcissu 1st & 2nd, nothing & nowhere, Asphyxia and others.