The Shadow You makes presence felt on Windows and Mac

Written by Drew Onia — January 24, 2021 at 10:28

MMORPGs are a great place to make social connections, some of which might even carry over beyond the digital realm. Kiel and Ophelia are two such gamers who not only met online but went on to become sweethearts in the real world. But that doesn’t mean they’ll live happily ever after, as we’ll find out in Topchan Games’ newly released visual novel-styled adventure, The Shadow You.

One night, Kiel and Ophelia are stranded when their car breaks down, launching them into a “mysterious adventure” they never could have imagined. Meanwhile, an unnamed girl wanders the cold and dark world of Gloom, a “place out of time and space filled with mysteries and horrors.” Who is this girl, where or what is Gloom, and how is her fate tied to that of Kiel and Ophelia? This is the transdimensional mystery players will need to unravel for themselves, making key choices along the way to determine how the story plays out.

Blending visual novel conversations and top-down exploration, as well as “Western and Asian art techniques” to depict its two very different (and different-looking) realities, The Shadow You has some Corpse Party vibes with its cute anime aesthetic masking a disturbing horror setup. Players will control different characters in both worlds as the story progresses, and you’ll need both brains and brawn to best the assortment of puzzles and mini-games along the way, plus a cool head to navigate your way through the twists and turns of the story. And with branching decision points leading to three possible endings, every choice matters, some more profoundly than others.

The Shadow You has now been launched on Steam for Windows and Mac, and those not yet sold on this this combination of creepy and cute can check out the downloadable demo available.