Sci-fi military visual novel Torch and Trigger follows two child soldiers forced to pose as a family and raise a five-year-old genius

Visual novel fans who like suspenseful sci-fi stories might want to keep an eye on Torch & Trigger. Developed and published by Japanese solo developer Shibuki Harataki, the story follows a child soldier who slowly overcomes his apathy and distrust of humanity, thereby regaining his will to live.

Torch & Trigger is set in a near-future Japan ruled by artificial intelligence and overrun with machines. The story follows Jin Tokishiro, the top-ranking student of Plantation, a facility that trains children to fight against the oppressive machines. During a scouting run to an uncharted cabin, Jin and second-ranked student Mikana Kujo stumble upon Tsumugi, a five-year-old girl with poor eyesight and hearing. After taking her in, Jin and Mikana are ordered by their superiors to act like a makeshift couple and treat Tsumugi as their daughter.

Jin isn’t exactly what you would call father material. After losing his brother in a mission, he became withdrawn and apathetic. Though Jin’s combat skills have earned him the highest rank available for a student in Plantation, he tends to isolate himself from his peers.

Mikana Kujo, on the other hand, is quite popular with her fellow students. Apart from her combat skills, she is also confident in her cooking abilities. However, she suffers from insomnia due to the secrets that she keeps to herself.

At the center of it all is Tsumugi, whose eyesight and hearing are miraculously restored when she comes into contact with Jin (a fact that might be integral to the overall story). Tsumugi is highly intelligent for someone her age and is always eager to learn. She is especially interested in electrical engineering.

As the three characters live life as a family, Jin slowly rediscovers his humanity and the warmth of connecting with others. He also learns of the Plantation’s dark secrets, which probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone considering it’s a facility that trains child soldiers. The game features multiple endings based on your choices.

Torch & Trigger is set to release in December for PC (Steam). A free demo that allows you to play until the game’s second chapter is available on Steam and itch.io.

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