This Starry Midnight We Make

About

In "This Starry Midnight We Make," create celestial objects using the Star-seeing Basin as you follow overserious clergywoman Hamomoru Tachibana's journey. After meeting Chuuya Shingoh during a night festival in early 20th century Kyoto, Japan, Hamomoru becomes intrigued by his star-growing experiments and joins him, leading to a unique celestial growth simulation adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

story8 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a unique and charming art style, complemented by a calming soundtrack that enhances the meditative gameplay experience.
Players appreciate the freedom to experiment with the game's mechanics, allowing for creative problem-solving and exploration.
The story is engaging, with well-developed characters and a narrative that intertwines with the gameplay, providing a sense of purpose.

The lack of guidance and hints can lead to frustration, as players may find themselves stuck or unsure of how to progress.
The game can become tedious, especially when waiting for stars to evolve or when trying to complete specific tasks that require a lot of trial and error.
Some players have reported issues with the visual presentation, including motion sickness from certain character designs and a clumsy interface.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
73%
8%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some praising its charming characters and unique setting in 1910s Japan, while others find it slow-paced and lacking depth compared to previous titles by the developer. Although the narrative is delivered through engaging visual novel-style cutscenes, some players feel the overarching plot is ham-handed and not as compelling as the character-driven elements. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it effectively supports the gameplay and provides a sense of purpose.
- “Great translation, awesome Taisho-era aesthetic, entrancing story as always from Cavyhouse.”
- “The story is even deeper than it looks at first glance (because of the true story at the end).”
- “I also like how they use the story to drive the progression of the game, give you hints for certain types of stars, and provide an overall sense of purpose.”
- “While I liked Cavyhouse's previous game, Forget Me Not: My Organic Garden, this one falls short in terms of story and gameplay.”
- “The game is let down by some ham-handed and poor writing in the overarching story aspect - especially with the game's endings - but this is very much an unavoidable problem with the original script rather than any fault in localization.”
- “It's a slow-paced and rather boring puzzle game, gating a slow-paced and rather boring storyline.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay is characterized as meditative and creative, allowing players to experiment with mechanics and build structures, reminiscent of alchemy-style games. However, some users find it tedious and frustrating due to a lack of clarity in mechanics and the time-consuming nature of certain tasks, such as completing the compendium. While the game offers a charming atmosphere and a variety of mechanics, it could benefit from additional speed options and clearer guidance to enhance the overall experience.
- “The gameplay here is very meditative; there is a small tutorial and tips throughout the game about how to create structures needed for your quests, but it only shows you the very basics of gameplay mechanics. Everything else is up to your imagination and ability to experiment.”
- “Compelling zen gameplay.”
- “To briefly describe the gameplay, if you've ever played the 'alchemy' type of games where you mix multiple elements together to create more elements, this game is almost like that.”
- “While I liked Cavyhouse's previous game, Forget Me Not: My Organic Garden, this one falls short in terms of story and gameplay.”
- “Starting off, you've got about 15 minutes before the title, and only 2-3 minutes of that time is gameplay.”
- “However, the gameplay can become tedious.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique and ethereal art style, which effectively enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While the visuals are generally beautiful and well-executed, some players have reported issues with motion sickness due to certain character animations. Overall, the combination of appealing aesthetics and dynamic elements like lip-flapping and flowing hair contributes to an engaging visual experience, despite occasional crude drawings.
- “Great translation, awesome Taisho-era aesthetic, entrancing story as always from Cavyhouse.”
- “This game has a fairly unique art style overall, which I think adds to the 'ethereal' mood.”
- “Beautiful visuals and music.”
- “The graphics give me a mixture of motion sickness and headaches due to the moving patterns on certain characters.”
- “The drawings can be a little on the crude side occasionally, but it still fits within the distinct art style.”
- “Hmm, anime style with not too shabby graphics; this may keep me playing...”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is described as calm and unobtrusive, effectively enhancing the relaxing and meditative experience. While it may not be particularly memorable, it successfully conveys the game's tone and complements the beautiful visuals. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a good fit for the game's mood and style.
- “The music is calm and not annoying, which really makes it a relaxing meditative game about throwing pebbles into the pond.”
- “The music likewise is very good and matches the mood and style of the game very nicely.”
- “Beautiful visuals and music.”
- “The soundtrack usually doesn't stand out, but does a good job of conveying tone.”
- “The music is fairly decent, but it lacks memorability.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially towards the end when specific star combinations are required, leading to frustration if mistakes are made. While the game allows for multitasking with evolving stars, the slow regeneration rate of beginner stars can make progress feel painfully slow and repetitive.
- “Moreover, it’s definitely very tedious towards the end, when you have to combine many stars just to get a specific cluster and, if one star is wrong, everything just stops working.”
- “The only negative aspect this game has is that it’s very grindy towards the end.”
- “It gets tedious as soon as you are set to get this one star that completes a sequence and you need like 20 or 50 of these beginner stars which only regenerate at a snail's pace.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking, with players finding both the storyline and gameplay to be slow-paced and unengaging, leading to a sense of boredom rather than emotional investment.
- “It's a slow-paced and rather boring puzzle game, gating a slow-paced and rather boring storyline.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers praise the character designs for their memorability, highlighting that the visual aspects contribute positively to the overall character development in the game.
- “I absolutely adored the character designs; most of them are quite memorable in my opinion.”
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”