X-note

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".

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story39 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features an interesting plot that keeps players engaged, with emotional depth and character development.
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 issues.

The developer's decision to revoke Steam keys for legitimately purchased copies after several years has caused significant frustration 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, leading many to recommend waiting for a sale or bundle.

story
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
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. Many reviews highlight the beautiful artwork and music that enhance the storytelling experience, but some express frustration with the pacing and the necessity to replay routes to fully understand the narrative. Overall, while the story has its flaws, it remains engaging for those who appreciate visual novels and character-driven mysteries.
- “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.”
- “The story is not really good, in my opinion, also.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its emotional depth and suitability to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the storytelling experience. However, some players find the soundtrack to be simplistic and repetitive, lacking variety and occasionally fading into the background. Overall, while the music is appreciated for its mood-setting qualities, it is seen as a somewhat inconsistent aspect of the game.
- “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.”
- “The story line is engaging and the music blends nicely.”
- “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.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful and unique artwork that enhances the overall experience, while others criticize the visuals as low quality and lacking variety. Many players appreciate the character designs and overall aesthetic, though some feel the soundtrack does not match the quality of the visuals. 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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is primarily centered around simple mini-games and dialogue choices that influence character attributes, but many reviewers find it lacking depth and variety. While the story and characters are praised, the gameplay mechanics are seen as basic and somewhat restrictive, with some players feeling that the gameplay does not significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is considered average, with a focus on skill milestones rather than engaging mechanics.
- “Interesting gameplay”
- “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
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of relatable experiences and absurdity, with moments that evoke genuine laughter, particularly in character interactions. While some find the humor effective and endearing, others feel it can be out of place or poorly integrated with the drama, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, the comedic elements range from cute and playful to intentionally ridiculous, appealing to a variety of tastes.
- “Anon’s good end is also my favorite if only because it was so funny and gave a real 'true end' vibe because it was so hard to get.”
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 enhance the emotional experience, leaving players eager for future installments.
- “Also, another note: make sure to keep something to wipe your eyes with because when I first started this game, I wasn't thinking that I was going to see all of this emotional stuff, but I did, and I cried. So make sure you have something to help with that.”
- “The music is fabulous; it's just utterly wonderful and so emotional and sentimental.”
- “I like how touching the story is and how many aspects are still mysterious no matter what character you choose to go with.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere in 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 enhance the gameplay, striking a balance that avoids overwhelming players with fear.
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that grinding is essential for enjoyment, as progressing without it is nearly impossible. The minigames can be challenging, and repeatedly replaying routes to unlock different endings becomes tedious and frustrating over time.
- “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 increasingly tedious and frustrating when you replay routes to see other endings.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game features multiple endings influenced by player choices, significantly enhancing its replayability and adding depth to the overall experience. This element not only encourages players to revisit the game but also enriches the narrative's mystery.
- “Offers multiple endings based on choices made in the game, giving it a high degree of replayability.”
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is noted for its unique creepiness, effectively conveyed through intricate character and location design, although it may not fully meet the high standards set by *eden. Overall, the execution is praised as wonderfully done.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having their own unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly reflect their growth and struggles.”
- “The attention to detail in character design and development is impressive, creating a memorable and immersive experience.”