Today visual novel publisher Sekai Project hosted a panel at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, and they had plenty of interesting announcements to make, including updates on ongoing projects and a couple of things that explored beyond the visual novel genre.
Starting with updates to known projects, we hear that The Witch’s Love Diary has passed review on steam and is coming “Soon.”
A Clockwork Ley-Line’s trilogy had its localization work finished, while engine work is in progress. The goal is to release the remaining games by the end of 2019.
Baldr Sky is currently in review at Valve and Sekai Project hopes to release the game in Q3 or Q4 2019.
Rewrite+’s translation is 67% complete, but there will be a Kickstarter campaign to fund physical copies. The release date is currently TBD.
Muv-Luv Photonflowers is finally coming to Steam this summer.
Speaking of new announcements, 9-nine:Episode 3 focusing on Haruka Kosaka will have its localization work started soon, and doesn’t yet have a release date.
“Shiromitsugawa City: an academic city with no other particular features.
A large earthquake hits the city, damaging the sacred treasure in the Hakuda Tsukumo Shrine, and causing strange items appear from a parallel world. These “artifacts” grant strange powers to their owners, with incidents of an owner abusing their powers and turning people into stone.
Having learned of the item that causes this petrification, the “Evil Eye Artifact”, Niimi Kakeru teams up with his classmate, Kujou Miyako, and his sister, Niimi Sora, to investigate and put a stop to the culprit.
During the investigation, they find themselves at odds with “Rig Veda”, an organization of artifact users. Among their members, they spot their upperclassman in school, Kosaka Haruka. 9-nine-: Episode 3 is the latest chapter in this series of supernatural mystery visual novels with the focus now shifted towards a new heroine, Kosaka Haruka.”
The Ditzy Demons are in Love with Me Fan Disc is currently in translation, and it also doesn’t yet have a release date. The publisher promised to “somehow” try to publish it on Steam.
“Those ditzy demons are back once again in the fan disc for The Ditzy Demons Are in Love With Me. The fan disc contains a series of after stories featuring all the lovable heroines from the original game. What kind of antics will Riria and the rest of these ditzy demons get into?
The Ditzy Demons Are in Love With Me – Fan Disc once again features the beautiful designs of character designer, Sayori, famous for work on the NEKOPARA franchise. Please note that while the base game is not required to play the Fan Disc, it is recommended to have played the base game before playing the Fan Disc to avoid spoilers.”
Amatsumi by Purple Software is also coming and the translation is n progress. No release date has been announced just yet.
“Our hero, Makoto, possesses the power of “kotodama” which allows one to control people with the power of one’s voice. Having an interest in the outside world, he leaves the hidden village he has lived in all his life.
However, he found himself woefully unprepared and collapses on the side of the road in a small town almost as remote as his village. Just as he’s resigned himself to death, he’s saved by Oribe Kokoro, a girl whose family runs a cafe in that town.
Using his kotodama powers, Makoto becomes a part of the Oribe family and begins attending school with Kokoro. He soon meets several girls who each have their own special circumstances. Will Makoto be able to use kotodama to help these girls? And what is the true nature of kotodama?
This is a story of the words that weave the ties that bind… Amatsutsumi is the 2016 release by Purple Software, the same developers of Chronoclock among other notable visual novel titles and features character designs by Koku and Hiro Tsukimori.”
The Seventh Sign – Mr. Sister – by Sweet & Tea has also been announced. The translation is 60% complete, and once more, the release date is TBD.
“Good morning, Big sis!” Vividly blonde hair and cat ears – – the beloved half-sister, Aoba Erika, once again visits the room of Reiji – – her male sister.
Yes, male.
Reiji is her older brother, unquestionably a man, but he is also her older sister. And her cat ears are indeed the genuine article — ones that appear and disappear thanks to a certain impetus, and can’t be taken off. There are certain, complicated circumstances that led to this, but Reiji himself has accepted it. He neither corrects her, nor does he speak effeminately, as he continues his life.
Regardless, this isn’t exactly the daily routine of the Aoba household. Obviously a sister should refer to her brother as a brother, and her cat ears shouldn’t even exist.
It all started when a cat-eared girl named Fuuko saved Reiji’s life. She claimed that she was a god and that three fragments of her divine powers are trapped inside him. As it turns out, those fragments are not a good thing to be inside ordinary humans and unless they get those fragments out of him and back into Fuuko, they’re both doomed to die.
It’s a life-or-death race against the clock for Reiji and Fuuko! And maybe after this is resolved maybe he can figure out what’s going on with Erika as well.
This is the third release by developer Sweet & Tea and features character designs by illlustrator, Suimya.”
Love’s Sweet Garnish 2 by Canvas+Garden is also in translation (the project has just begun), with a TBD release date.
“Months after the reopening of the cafe, Milk Hall Caramella, the season now shifts to summer. It is a time that is much loved by the people who live in this town. Thanks to promotion from magazines and television, the cafe becomes very popular.
With a need for more staff, soon underclassmen Ciel and Koron have come to help out at Caramella as well. With everything going on, our hero Asaki’s grandmother gradually becomes well again and is able to visit the cafe after it’s reopening.
She is deeply moved by the bustling business inside the cafe. It’s at that moment that she approaches Asaki to not simply continue to run the cafe for her but to formally have him be the successor to the cafe. No longer unsure of what to do, Asaki is steadfast in his goal to protect Caramella.
From developer Canvas+Garden comes the sequel to their first game title which features their many mascot characters. The focus of the sequel shifts to that of Ciel and Koron while also adding in an after story for the heroines of the first game, Rira and Richer.”
Undead Darlings ~no cure for love~ by Mr. Tired is in development and it’s going into its QA phase “very soon.” It’s coming to PS4 in Q4 2019.
Alice Escaped! by Illucalab featuring character design by PICPICGRAM is in development and will come down the line. You can see some gameplay below.
“It was the end of summer vacation. In order to finish up their homework, Usada and Kotora come upon an old library. However, though she was hardly done with her homework, Usada came across a massive book with a mysterious aura to it.
A piece of paper fell out and on it were the words “Find Alice.” “Alice…?” The moment they looked at each other, a bright light shot out of the book and engulfed the two of them. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in an unknown world. They also noticed that they wore cute and frilly dresses now.
Suddenly, they both saw a mysteriously rabbit like creature dart through the grass in front of them. “I bet it knows something about all this!” Gripping their weapons, the two of them journey through this Alice in Wonderland-like world and give chase.
Alice Escaped! is a platoon style Metroidvania action game which follows the adventures of Usada and Kotora as they chase after Alice. Despite it’s cute looks, this is a game that’s bound to challenge both newcomers and veterans of the genre alike. Alice Escaped! is a collaboration between game studio Illucalab and character designer PICPICGRAM.”
Tobari 2: Dream Ocean by Desunoya with character design by Desunoya is also coming at some point down the line with its translation 90% done.
“Tobari is back in the latest action platformer from indie developer, Desunoya. Use that staff and smack around your enemies for their magic as you traverse the Dream Ocean. Seek out the mysterious voice that calls to you from beyond the sea as you journey with Tobari into this unknown new world.
Utilize over 30 types of magic and explore different stages with their own fair share of challenges. Have a fear of falling into pits? There’s even an Easy Mode that allows you to return to a moment before in the game.”
Victory Project by 33paradox is currently in testing and it’s coming in Summer 2019 on various platforms excluding Steam (from which the game has been banned).
“Ramon was serving a life sentence for helping politicians to launder money. After spending two years in jail however, an amnesty provides a new opportunity for him to lift him from his despair. He is sent to Hive Island to work as a volunteer but rather than expecting further imprisonment or hard labor, he is surrounded by beautiful girls!
However behind that peaceful life was a conspiracy. One that will pull him and his love from their peaceful existence down a far more sinister one. Victory Project is the first title by developer 33paradox and is a visual novel with puzzle game elements. This title is slated for release on a GOG, Nutaku, Denpasoft and will also be a launch title on SekaiProject.com.”
Nekopara Vol. 4 by Neko Works is in development and will come at some point down the line. More about it will be revealed on Saturday during the premiere of the anime series.
Clannad by Kei is coming to Nintendo Switch “very soon” in a physical edition in collaboration with Limited Run Games. There will be both a standard and a limited edition.
Below you can check out all the videos showcased during the panel.
