South Korean solo developer and publisher 5J6B Works has released a Steam demo for their upcoming choice-driven psychological thriller visual novel Anti-Anti. Scheduled to release on October 27, the game features multiple points of view (POVs), a keyword-based conversation system, and quick time events.
Set ten years after the world was devastated by slime monsters, Anti-Anti follows an unwilling participant in Next Bright – an audition hosted by the StartLight.ENT company. StarLight.ENT is responsible for creating Light, a legendary idol who brought nations together and helped society rebuild itself ten years ago through their performances. After being abducted by the company, you and nine other contestants compete in Next Bright to become the next idol and earn a massive cash prize. Along the way, you uncover the secrets behind StarLight.ENT, the idol Light, and the post-apocalyptic world.
Gameplay involves using keywords acquired throughout the narrative to infer characters’ inner thoughts. You then make appropriate dialogue choices based on the relationship between the character you are currently controlling and the person they are speaking to. Different character perspectives are unlocked depending on your choices, altering the story and how certain events are perceived.
Anti-Anti has 12 main characters, meaning you’ll want to play through the game more than once to see everyone’s perspectives. Six endings are planned for release: one true ending, two normal endings, and three bad endings. The estimated playtime for a single run that leads to the true ending is roughly six hours.
For those who aren’t fans of quick time events that build tension, the game’s easy mode lets you enjoy the story without having to worry about your reflexes. Playing through successive runs is also made easier thanks to a Choice History feature that lets you keep track of the decisions you’ve made, as well as a Skip feature that lets you bypass any previous scenes you’ve encountered.
Though it isn’t a dating sim, Anti-Anti has romantic elements that include mature content. The developer has described this content as being “equivalent to a 17+ age rating,” so discretion is advised when playing the game with family members around.
Anti-Anti was created entirely by human hands and includes over 229 CG illustrations, 57 backgrounds, and 16 background music tracks.
Anti-Anti is set to release on October 27 for Windows (Steam) and Stove. A free demo is available on Steam.
