Demo makes waves for Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Full version of anime-inspired psychological thriller due out this summer on PC

How we deal with our personal pain and trauma doesn't just affect our emotional well-being, it also shapes the way we see and interact with the world around us. Normally its impact is subtle, but it'll be much more direct and obvious in Dank Hearts's upcoming psychological thriller Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo.

In this game, "Noise" refers to any painful memories from the past that continue to haunt us and can manifest themselves physically in the present. Noise Scramble City is a decaying, "maze-like metropolis reminiscent of Tokyo," where six teenagers struggling with inner demons awaken to find themselves with no memory of their arrival, trapped in "a mental prison of their own making." The only way out now is through, as each of the protagonists must unravel "intricate mysteries to piece together fragments of their pasts." Only by confronting the secrets and suppressed fears that have been plaguing them can they hope to survive and "ultimately escape this enigmatic alternate reality."  

Type-NOISE is a combination of anime-inspired visual novel and escape room-style sequences, challenging players to "navigate surreal, dreamlike environments filled with layered logic puzzles, unexpected twists, and emotional depth." In first-person slideshow fashion, you'll explore many varied city environments that have been "twisted by [the] characters' inner Noise." A scan function will help you identify clues and items needed to solve puzzles ranging from inventory combination, "color-matching and music theory to courtroom-style logic battles." Along the way you must also scour for shards of Noise, which could be hidden anywhere. These are no mere collectibles, as once you collect enough shards you can piece them together in classic jigsaw fashion to unlock new memories, which in turn will allow you to "interact with previously unavailable objects, expanding exploration." With six different "intertwined stories about trauma, memory, and identity" to complete, players can expect a good 15-20 hours of gameplay on the way to one of multiple possible endings. 

The full version of Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo isn't due out until sometime this summer, but you can already get your feet wet – literally and figuratively – in the playable demo available on Steam for Windows PC. The demo is actually two sample slices in one, the first from the beginning as "two strangers – a boy and a girl – wake up in a sealed underground tunnel" with water rising fast, and the second taking place much later on to introduce the other playable characters.