With countless games released on Steam every single day, Japanese games from smaller independent devs tend to get lost in the shuffle, but there’s no shortage of unique titles featuring original ideas with their own distinct identity. So, AUTOMATON has recently decided to start “Steam gems from Japan you might be missing out on”, a new series which aims to shine a spotlight on these overlooked indie gems by highlighting one game per article and sharing its appeal.
A thought-provoking sci-fi visual novel that offers an overhead view of the self
For the second article in this series, I’d like to introduce 2236 A.D., a visual novel from the doujin circle Chloro. The game was first released in 2015 as an adult title for PC, but later received an all-ages version alongside an English translation in 2018. The prequel spin-off 2236 A.D. Secretary Stories, which centers on conversations between the Personal A.I. Secretary System (PASS) Masuko and the protagonist Yotsuba from the main game, highlights the worldview and unique dialogue of 2236 A.D. Given that it’s a free title, it’s likely that many fans discovered the 2236 A.D. series through this spin-off.
The story of 2236 A.D. unfolds while alternating between two timelines, one taking place in the year 2231 and the other in 2234. In the world the game is set, a new form of communication known as telepathy has become widespread, allowing people to communicate directly with each other’s minds. In the 2234 segments, the high schooler Yotsuba participates in the experiment club with Hime-senpai, who has doubts about their telepathic society, and Masuko, the A.I. While drawn to the eccentric Hime-senpai, Yotsuba reminisces about a certain girl he met in 2231 and the events that unfolded that year.
Meanwhile, the 2231 scenes depict Yotsuba in middle school, where he notices the existence of a girl who cannot use telepathy named Shion Haru in his new class. One day, finding himself strangely drawn to an abandoned building near his home, Yotsuba meets another girl who has the exact same name and appearance as Shion Haru, but she is only able to communicate via telepathy. At first glance, this seems like a slice-of-life story set in the near future, but as you continue reading it blurs the lines of time, memory, and reality, gradually morphing into a sci-fi tale interwoven with mathematics, quantum physics, and philosophical conundrums.
Set in a society where widespread telepathy enables the complete understanding of others, this title explores themes such as “lack of mutual understanding” and “individuality.” However, its developments are centered around events in the protagonist’s personal life, posing the questions of “what happened in Yotsuba’s past?” and “why are there two girls who call themselves Shion Haru?” Despite its heavy sci-fi themes, the narrative is structured in a way that makes it easy to get invested in by following characters’ relationships and emotional developments.
2236 A.D.’s underlying theme is the question of what it truly means for people to understand each other. A world where telepathy is commonplace, allowing people to directly communicate without words, seems like a society that has achieved the ideal form of communication on the surface. This is precisely what gives rise to questions about the meaning of existence and connections with others, and as the description of “a visual novel that gives a bird’s eye view of the self” suggests, the story develops into a work that examines humanity and the individual.
What’s interesting about this title is the story’s ability to depict extremely personal emotions against the backdrop of a high-concept sci-fi setting. Even in a future where science and technology have grown advanced enough to give us access to unlimited information, having desires or feelings for others doesn’t necessarily mean that reality and our relationships would go as we’d hope. Although it was first released in 2015, this game’s themes feel more relevant than ever in today’s world, where developments in social media and AI have completely altered the way we engage with each other and absorb information. More than a decade after its original launch, the ending and the questions it leaves us with still resonate deeply with me.
2236 A.D. is available on Steam in English. The 18+ version is also available in English via Denpasoft.
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