Legendary 4chan-user-made VN Katawa Shoujo is Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam with over 800 reviews only four days after launch 

12 years after it was developed by passionate volunteers on 4chan’s anime-dedicated board, the acclaimed free-to-play visual novel Katawa Shoujo got its Steam and Itch release on August 16. In the few days the title has been out, it has accumulated over 840 Steam reviews, 98% of which are positive. 

With all the markings of a Japanese bishojo game, Katawa Shoujo is a dating sim slash visual novel that deals with the topic of disabilities. The hero, Hisao Nakai, is a teenage boy forced to transfer to a new school after a congenital heart condition turns his life upside down. In the new environment, Hisao encounters five different girls, each carrying their own trauma or disability. The game has five main routes corresponding to the 5 heroines that explore how their relationship with the protagonist plays out. 

Katawa Shoujo also contains erotic elements, which have been mostly edited out of the Steam version. On the other hand, the Itch version of the game fully contains the sexual scenes, and the platform also hosts a patch that modifies the Steam version for players who wish to access the adult content. 

Over the years, Katawa Shoujo has earned praise for its heart wrenching twists and the compelling way it portrays disabilities and the people who live with them. With its recent  Steam release, the title is bound to reach an even wider audience, especially with how it’s being love-bombed with Positive reviews immediately upon launch.