VARLET

About

VARLET is a single player role playing game with drama and science fiction themes. It was developed by FURYU CORPORATION and was released on August 27, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

VARLET is a single-player drama role-playing game centered on self-discovery within the mysterious Kousei Academy. Players navigate a school where otherworldly creatures appear, engaging with characters wrestling with their true identities. This immersive experience blends school life and supernatural challenges, inviting deep personal growth through connection and struggle.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 33 reviews

story5 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features a stylish presentation with striking art, expressive portraits, and solid voice acting, enhancing the overall experience.
The combat system, particularly the Timeline Command format, offers strategic depth and becomes more engaging as players progress, especially on higher difficulties.
The character interactions and story, while not groundbreaking, provide enjoyable moments and a sense of charm, particularly for fans of the genre.

The pacing is slow and the gameplay can feel monotonous, with repetitive tasks and a lack of meaningful rewards from side activities.
Many systems, such as the Triad Parameter and SSS activities, feel disconnected from the core gameplay loop, leading to a lack of cohesion in the overall design.
The combat lacks challenge due to the absence of traditional RPG mechanics like SP/MP management, making encounters feel trivial and unengaging.

story
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
74%
10%
The story is generally seen as enjoyable but not groundbreaking, with characters that resonate well despite some pacing issues and a lack of momentum in the plot. While the narrative features familiar themes of friendship and escapism, it often struggles with weak transitions and an underwhelming buildup to key events, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, players appreciate the character interactions and music, but many feel the storytelling could benefit from tighter writing and better pacing.
- “The story’s early pacing is restrained, taking time to reveal the protagonist’s and the organization’s background.”
- “For players who appreciate character depth within a school setting, strategic turn-based battles, and audiovisual storytelling that prioritizes quiet resonance over flashiness, this offers plenty to savor.”
- “But if you’re here for Furyu’s style, story, and music, with personality-based dialogue that makes the experience feel more personal (whether it leads to bigger narrative changes or not), it delivers.”
- “I know some folks like that, but when I can't exaggerate about cutting 60% of the writing and it only improving the game's story to no detriment, then your game is overwrought.”
- “Firstly, the story has no real momentum and doesn't even begin to address the central mystery until the penultimate chapter.”
- “The writing felt incredibly hollow, and while I was interested as to where the story might go, I wasn't interested enough to sit through what little else the game had to offer.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the character-specific themes and emotional insert songs that enhance key moments, while others find the general background music forgettable. While the soundtrack showcases strong production values and appeals to fans of the genre, it lacks the cohesive design that would elevate the overall experience. Ultimately, the music is a highlight for some players, but opinions vary on its lasting impact and memorability.
- “The soundtrack features vocal themes and character-specific BGM, with insert songs that amplify emotional peaks.”
- “Character theme songs set the mood; boss tracks get nods even from skeptics.”
- “The production value is clear: strong art, solid voice acting, and character songs that set the mood.”
- “Even the music, which was my favorite part of those other games, was so forgettable I do not remember there even being background music.”
- “They clearly went all-in on presentation — music, art, voice acting — but without a cohesive design philosophy tying it all together, the gameplay loop ends up hollow.”
- “The music for the first boss fight wasn't bad, so to speak, but all it did was make me crave Caligula Effect 2, so maybe I'll go finish that one before I continue with this.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the turn-based combat mechanics and character interactions, while others criticize it for being monotonous and lacking innovation. Many noted the absence of essential RPG elements like enemy variety and resource management, leading to a feeling of underdevelopment. Overall, while the game offers a chill JRPG experience with strong presentation, it may not satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay mechanics.
- “The voice work is top-notch and the gameplay systems are well-designed.”
- “I'd strongly encourage anyone who enjoys Monark or Caligula 2 to go into this with an open mind and allow it the time to reveal more of its narrative and mechanical depth. I've personally found it to be really rewarding, only getting more interesting with each new system and wrinkle the combat adds.”
- “On the gameplay side, the turn-based system has some merit.”
- “Boring ass monotonous school life gameplay, no single-player/multiplayer system = easy mode, useless currency in-game, no equipment system.”
- “The main issue with it is really lack of enemy variety, both in a gameplay sense and especially from a visual standpoint.”
- “The gameplay is boring and doesn't even try to innovate.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about grinding in this game; while infinite respawn enemies in dungeons provide a way to level up without frustration, the sss activity system is criticized as a tedious grind with little reward. Overall, the repetitive gameplay and lackluster level design contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to disappointment among players.
- “The biggest issue is the sss activity system, which is just a grindy chore loop with zero meaningful rewards.”
- “I don't recommend this game; it's very bland, consisting of the same formula stretched over 7, actually 8 chapters. The devs wanted to pull a Nier and have fakeout credits, but without any of the impact. All chapters play the exact same way, going back and forth between the same screen on repeat. Some of them don't even matter, going to a bland dungeon three times with mind-numbing level designs and tedious, stale combat, while engaging with character writing that is average at best. Varlet is a disappointment, and I'd really hoped to see better from Furyu, especially at that price point.”
- “The infinite respawn enemies in dungeons are a game-changer for story-focused players who want to level up without grinding frustration.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for feeling tedious and repetitive, as players engage in mundane tasks like posting ads and collecting items to progress. While there are options to skip some activities, the overall experience is described as disjointed and lacking meaningful engagement, with players often feeling compelled to perform these tasks to advance in the game.
- “What that amounts to is mindlessly wandering around using a sonar for lost items, literally putting up ads, and wandering into random fights.”
- “Day life joins errands—posting ads, picking up trash, pinging a sonar for hidden bits—then the story yanks you between the yard, mall, and glitches.”
- “The whole experience feels weird; I start my day and then go straight to the school yard, throw ads, pick up trash, then spam sonar. At least the voice isn't bad to listen to. After you get your party members, you find battles in the courtyard. Note that you don't have to do all that; you can just do the bare minimum and move on.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are generally considered satisfactory, with players appreciating the art style and overall vibe, though some feel the pricing does not match the quality.
- “The graphics are stunning and truly immersive.”
- “The art style and visual design are captivating, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “The graphics create a vibrant atmosphere that complements the gameplay perfectly.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the game's character development, highlighting the beautiful character portraits, impressive designs, and strong voice acting that enhance the overall experience.
- “The portraits in the game are beautiful, and the character designs and voice acting are great.”
- “Character design is truly impressive, adding depth to the overall experience.”
- “The attention to detail in character development enhances the emotional connection to the story.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact is heightened by a powerful soundtrack that includes vocal themes and character-specific background music, particularly during key moments. As the narrative approaches its climax, it effectively explores the central theme of identity, providing a satisfying emotional resolution to the player's journey.
- “The soundtrack features vocal themes and character-specific background music, with insert songs that amplify emotional peaks.”
- “Toward the finale, the narrative converges on the core theme of 'Who am I?', giving emotional payoff to the journey.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized for performance, particularly excelling on handheld devices like the Steam Deck, where it runs smoothly. Its focus on direction, music, and character acting enhances the overall experience without relying on visual spectacle.
- “It's a grounded, performance-driven school RPG that showcases its appeal through direction, music, and character acting rather than spectacle.”
- “Perfect for handheld gaming - Steam Deck performance is smooth.”