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About

X-note is a single-player mystery simulation game, combining elements of visual novel and dating sim. As the protagonist Essi, you have 30 days to investigate a murder and disappearance at Xen Institute, where your mother once worked. During this time, you can train Essi's psychic abilities, explore the school, collect notes, and make choices that will determine her fate, all while uncovering the truth behind your mother's mysterious death and the elusive "X-note".

X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
X-note screenshot
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52%
Audience ScoreBased on 300 reviews
story78 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions

  • The game features an interesting plot and well-developed characters, making it engaging for players.
  • The artwork and music are praised for their quality, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.
  • The developer has shown good customer service by reinstating revoked keys and taking responsibility for the issue.
  • The developer's decision to revoke Steam keys for legitimately purchased copies after six years has led to widespread dissatisfaction among players.
  • The gameplay mechanics, particularly the mini-games and stat requirements, can be frustrating and lead to bad endings without clear guidance.
  • The game is considered overpriced for its length and content, with many players feeling it does not justify the cost.
  • story
    194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intriguing plot and character development, particularly the emotional depth and unexpected twists, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic or poorly executed. The narrative revolves around a young girl with psychic abilities, and while it offers multiple routes that enhance replayability, some feel that important plot elements are locked behind these routes, making the overall experience feel fragmented. Despite its flaws, many players found the combination of engaging storytelling and beautiful artwork to be compelling enough to recommend the game.

    • “The first thing to draw me to this game was the art, which is beautiful, but the story and its characters kept me invested in finishing it.”
    • “Weaves together an exciting adventure with a captivating story, filled with mysterious secrets, developed characters, and even unexpected romance.”
    • “The story is well written with lots of incentive to go through all three routes, the artwork is unique but lovely in my own personal opinion, and I'm pretty excited to keep playing and go for Oure's route.”
    • “However, the story is just short and I wish it was longer.”
    • “The story isn't all that compelling, which wouldn't be a problem if it had more gameplay elements.”
    • “There are specific requirements you need to have obtained to 'pass' certain chapters and continue the story; however, the reasoning behind those requirements just doesn't exist and are never mentioned.”
  • music
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as emotional and well-suited to the story, while others find it basic and repetitive. Many players appreciate the atmospheric qualities of the soundtrack, noting that it enhances the mood of various scenes, though some feel it fades into the background. Overall, while the music is generally regarded as decent, it lacks the variety and impact that could elevate the game's experience.

    • “The music is fabulous; it's just utterly wonderful and so emotional and sentimental.”
    • “Hats off to the music in this game; this helped the deliverance of the story.”
    • “This game has wonderful visuals and an amazing soundtrack, with great characters and an interesting story; I would recommend this to a friend.”
    • “For such a small visual novel, I still ended up finding the music mildly redundant.”
    • “The soundtrack is mediocre; there is nothing special about this aspect, some of which are repeated a lot in various sequences throughout the whole game, which I didn't really like.”
    • “It is far too simplistic in everything, music, visual, and story; even the mystery in the game didn't really hold my interest much, and I am normally a sucker for finding out the truths behind mysteries, but it is rather poorly executed in this game.”
  • graphics
    52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful and unique artwork that enhances the overall experience, while others criticize the visuals as low quality and lacking variety. Many appreciate the character designs and cohesive style, but there are complaints about the overall presentation and soundtrack not meeting expectations. Overall, the artwork is a highlight for many, making the game memorable despite its narrative shortcomings.

    • “The artworks are pretty and definitely made the game more memorable for me, but the story and characters are good too.”
    • “This game has wonderful visuals and an amazing soundtrack, with great characters and an interesting story. I would recommend this to a friend.”
    • “The graphics, the characters in particular, were all very pretty and cohesive in style.”
    • “The artwork is nothing special; the unique scenes that are supposed to be a bit better don't look much different, and there is a noticeable lack of variety of locations and music.”
    • “Tldr: low quality visuals.”
    • “The story, artwork, and sound are certainly not worth the price.”
  • gameplay
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily centered around simple mini-games and dialogue choices that enhance character attributes, typical of visual novel formats. While some players find the story and characters engaging enough to recommend the game, others criticize the gameplay for being limited and lacking depth, with some rating it as low as 4/10. Overall, the gameplay serves more as a means to progress the story rather than a compelling experience in its own right.

    • “The actual gameplay is simple; every day you play a minigame to raise one of three psychic abilities, and every so often you pick between choices—standard visual novel stuff.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the game relies on both choices and mini-games which boost stats.”
    • “Rather than influencing the path the story takes, the skills mechanic only seems to serve as milestones you absolutely have to reach before a certain point in the story, or else it's game over.”
    • “The story isn't all that compelling, which wouldn't be a problem if it had more gameplay elements.”
    • “But literally the only gameplay is picking an attribute to increase, and dialogue/story choices.”
  • humor
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as very funny, with moments that resonate with players' experiences, particularly in Anon's storyline, which is noted for its comedic elements and challenging "true end" vibe. However, some reviewers find the humor inconsistent, with instances of unrealistic character behavior and poorly mixed drama, while others appreciate the cute and quirky aspects typical of Japanese humor. Overall, the game offers a mix of effective and out-of-place comedic moments.

    • “Anon slotting back into bestie to Oure would be so sweet after all they've been through, and I bet he would tease Yuon extremely enthusiastically once they met. Yuon totally wouldn't be able to handle that, so it'd be really funny, and then Oure would feel like he has to intervene. He's such an inept cutie; there's no way that would work unless Anon started feeling bad and eased off on his own or Essie intervened to lay down the law herself.”
    • “There is a hilarious parody of a particular O/S that is quite funny, in my opinion.”
    • “The kawaii desu manga-male characters in this are cute and funny (oh, that Oure is a yumyum one) and it makes use of the natural Japanese 'OMG-what-a-perv' sort of humor.”
  • emotional
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently highlight the game's profound emotional impact, often leading to tears due to its touching narrative and sentimental music. The story's depth and mystery, regardless of character choice, enhance the emotional experience, leaving players eager for future installments.

    • “Make sure to keep something to wipe your eyes with because when I first started this game, I wasn't expecting to encounter all of this emotional content, but I did, and I cried. So be prepared for that.”
    • “The music is fabulous; it's utterly wonderful and so emotional and sentimental.”
    • “I like how touching the story is and how many aspects remain mysterious, no matter which character you choose to follow.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique and immersive qualities, effectively blending horror themes with well-executed music and lighting to create a memorable experience. While some scenes may feel awkward, the overall vibrance and ambiance compensate for these shortcomings, enhancing the player's engagement without resorting to overly frightening elements.

    • “The atmosphere is really well done here and each scene has its own unique feeling.”
    • “Atmospherically, the combination of horror themes, music, and lighting were done well and used sparingly to create dramatic effect during those scenes.”
    • “While some scenes are proportionally awkward, the vibrance and atmosphere compensate for any shortcomings in the piece.”
    • “I was getting heavily into it during my first playthrough when I died, and the atmosphere around it while playing is creepy enough to set a memorable stage without it being one of those annoying horror games that has you lying awake at night.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when attempting to max out stats or replay routes for different endings. Many feel that without cheats, enjoying the game becomes nearly impossible due to the excessive grinding required.

    • “Without cheats, it's impossible to have fun without grinding.”
    • “- The minigames were somewhat difficult when you try to max out the stats, and it gets ever more tedious and frustrating when you replay routes to see other endings.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features multiple endings influenced by player choices, significantly enhancing its replayability and adding an element of mystery. This design encourages players to explore different paths and outcomes, making each playthrough unique.

    • “Offers multiple endings based on choices made in the game, giving it a high degree of replayability.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes encourages players to experience the game multiple times.”
    • “Offers multiple endings based on choices made in the game, giving it a degree of replayability.”
    • “It adds to the replayability and enhances the mystery.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is noted for its unique creepiness, effectively conveyed through detailed character and location design, although it does not reach the high standards set by *eden. Overall, the artistic execution is praised for its effectiveness in creating an unsettling atmosphere.

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