With countless games released on Steam every single day, Japanese games from smaller independent devs tend to get lost in the shuffle. So, AUTOMATON 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 indie gems by highlighting one game per article and sharing its appeal.

The have-nots of Belgrade’s Underground

In this installment, we will be introducing Children of Belgrade Metro, a visual novel developed by the indie team Summertime. Released in September 2020 for Steam as a “psychic battle psycho suspense visual novel,” the game features a pixelated visual style reminiscent of PC-98 games. By combining backgrounds based on photos which the author Reizoko actually took in Serbia with electronic music, the game evokes a unique and decadent atmosphere.

The story is set in Belgrade, the capital of former Yugoslav state Serbia. In the year 20XX, the existence of psychics was discovered throughout various locations in Serbia, and the government soon enforced a law to punish anyone who used their abilities. Ten years later, Cyzki, a boy without superpowers who had just moved to Belgrade, runs away from home and gets lost in the abandoned subway system of Belgrade Metro, whose construction was long halted. The Belgrade Metro was turned into a place where the outcast psychics gathered and spent their days with too much time on their hands. Posing a threat to them was the “psychic hunt,” led by Golden Dawn, a mega corporation which has the city in the palm of its hand. So, as Cyzki interacts with the psychics, he finds himself dragged into a series of incidents.

One distinctive aspect of Children of Belgrade Metro is that it doesn’t depict superpowers as objects of envy. The game features characters with completely different personalities and positions in society, all of which are burdened with their own shortcomings and insecurities. For example, there’s Dejan, who can use psychokinesis, Mariya, the daughter of a corporate giant, and Nedelka, a girl belonging to an ethnic minority. On the other hand, Cyzki does not have any superpowers, and is just seen as a “normal person” among those who gather in the Metro.

While such a setting might give the impression that this is a traditional coming-of-age story, the visual novel depicts something a bit different from the classic heroic tale of “somebody gaining special powers and making a name for themselves.” Rather, it uses the concept of psychic abilities to expose the feelings of inferiority that stem from comparing what you lack with what someone else possesses, and the desire to be recognized by others.

This is exactly why Cyzki decides to step into the world of psychics, and makes an effort to stand alongside them – even though they possess abilities, there are also circumstances which are beyond their control. By bringing together such a cast of characters, the story emphasizes that “whether or not you possess special powers,” and “whether you’re valuable as a person” are two separate issues.

On the flip side, the story doesn’t just end with dark psychological portraits. It also features many major entertaining elements, like the battles between psychics, their clash with the giga corporation and the relationship between Cyzki and Mariya. What’s more, as you progress through the novel, you’ll be able to unlock newspapers, letters, diaries and other various documents that talk about Belgrade’s psychic problem.

The game is structured so that, asides from reading the main story, players can gather documents scattered throughout the narrative to learn about the world’s lore. This adds a strong element of suspense to the story, as players gradually piece together the full picture of a large-scale incident. So, while it depicts the structure of a society with psychics in it and the characters’ inner worlds,’ it also maintains the feeling of suspense that makes you want to keep reading. Just like the “suspense + psychic visual novel” genre descriptor suggests, instead of existing separately, the two elements work in tandem to drive the story forward.

Children of Belgrade Metro is a work about battles between psychics, a coming-of-age ensemble drama about children on the fringes of society, and a suspense story set in Belgrade. However, what leaves the biggest impression after you’ve finished reading it are the earnest feelings hidden behind the words of “I want to become someone special” – the desire to be needed by someone, the desire to feel that you’re worth something, and the desire to find a place where you belong.

These kinds of emotions are shared by many people regardless of whether they are psychic or not, so the readers will be able to see their own emotions through the lens of the characters’ sense of inferiority and loneliness. I believe the greatest thing about Children of Belgrade Metro might be its willingness to fully depict the vulnerable side of humans, extending beyond its flashy, eye-catching premise.

Children of Belgrade Metro is available for PC (Steam/BOOTH). There is no English support for the game as of writing this article.