Developed by Japanese indie doujin game and audio works studio Cynical Honey, Summer Snow. (the period is part of the title) is an upcoming mystery visual novel that follows high school sophomore Akira Setouchi. After being betrayed (i.e., cheated on) by his girlfriend, Akira feels suffocated by his school relationships and returns to his seaside hometown for summer vacation. Little does he know that his life is about to be thrown into a (time) loop.
As Akira distances himself from his childhood friends and stepsister for fear of being betrayed again, he encounters a strange young girl who asks him to “grant a certain girl’s wish.” After going to bed, he wakes up to discover that the previous day has repeated, and a mysterious MAZE app has been installed on his phone. With only a cryptic warning telling him to “avoid the confession” and a bunch of missions from the app, Akira must search for an “exit key,” using his memories and emotions to break out of the time loop.
Just like the initial warning, the missions you receive from the MAZE app are quite vague. To complete them, you must pay attention to the hints and conditions given and find clues that progress the story. Since this is a visual novel, you know you’re going in the right direction when your choices lead to subtle changes in dialogue. As you piece together the narrative using locations, keywords, and connections, Akira slowly recalls memories of his hometown and friends.
While the main objective is to break out of the time loop, your journey leads Akira to learn more about the people around him (some friends learn about your looping predicament and will help you). Your choices can end up hurting others or Akira himself. Though there are no bad endings, the day will continue to loop until you find a way forward.
Summer Snow. is set to release in 2027 for Windows (Steam). The game features a fully voiced Japanese script and English localization.
