Official Website: English | Japanese
Where to Buy: Digital | Physical
Read the review: Slow Damage BL Game Review – Beauty in the Macabre
ROUTE TIPS & NOTES
- Taku and Rei‘s routes are available from the start of the game.
- Each route has a Euphoria end and a Madness end, along with a few early Game Over ends.
- Slow Damage doesn’t follow the usual visual novel gameplay. Gameplay is split between Exploration and Interrogation modes.
- In Exploration, you can visit various locations and interact with other characters to collect key phrases that will be used during Interrogations.
- In Interrogation, you can confront a character and get them to reveal their true desires by presenting the key phrases you collect during Exploration.
- In lieu of traditional visual novel choices, you will react to situations by choosing Positive or Negative. These choices will shift the story towards either Euphoria or Madness.

Taku Route Walkthrough
Chapter 1: Fraise
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic violence, blood, gore, body harm, self harm, knife play, graphic CGs
Directed Exploration (Nov. 9 Noon)
Select: Move
- Murase Clinic:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Select: Move
- Towa Atelier:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Select: Move
- Shopping St.:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Select: Move
- Tajima’s:
- End Exploration > Yes
Free Exploration (Nov. 14 Noon)
Select: Move
- Murase Clinic:
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “No problem for you” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- Yanagawa Café
Select: Move
- Shopping St:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “Like” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- ROSE:
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative
Select: Move
- Emoto Central Park:
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “What’s gotten into you” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- Towa’s Atelier:
- End Exploration > Yes
Free Exploration (Nov. 15 Night )
Select: Move
- Murase Clinic
Select: Move
- Residential Area:
- “It’s all over” Palette Acquired
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Select: Move
- Shopping St:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Select: Move
- Emoto Central Park:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “Don’t hold back” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- Kokinoko Bridge:
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “I feel you” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- Hagoita St. (Dist. D):
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “screwed” Palette Acquired
Select: Move
- Roost:
- End Exploration > Yes
Directed Exploration (NoV. 23 NIGHT)
Select: Move
- Murase Clinic:
- End Exploration > Yes
Directed Exploration (NoV. 23 NIGHT)
Select: Move
- Emoto Central Park
Select: Move
- Kouou St.
Select: Move
- Abaro Alley:
- End Exploration > Yes
Interrogation – Talk to him and calm him down
*Here you’ll use some of the inspiration phrases you collected previously
Save for Ikuina Madness Ending
- Choose Negative (…Provoke him a little?)
- I feel you
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- Say nothing
- Choose Negative (Provoke him?)
- Say nothing
- What did Ikuina use for his art? > Select Flowers (page 2)
Interrogation – Gotta Expose his Secrets
- Choose Positive (Press him further?)
- No problem for you
- Choose Negative (Bait him?)
- Don’t hold back
- Say nothing
- Choose Positive (Say it plainly?)
- Like
- Choose Negative (Make him sweat?)
- What’s gotten into you?
- The symbol of his desire is… > Select Scars (page 2)
Chapter 2: Doctor
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic violence, blood, gore, body harm, self harm, child abuse (implied), pedophilia (mentioned), graphic CGs
Free Exploration (Dec. 21 Noon)
Select: Move > Murase Clinic
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “hilarious” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Emoto Central Park
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “can’t tell anyone” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Hagoita St. (Dist. D)
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “hiding something” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Kouou St.
- Choose Positive
Select: Move > Nightlife District
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “how you really feel” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Takanokuchi Hospital
Select: Move > Tajima’s
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “the same” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Towa’s Atelier
- End Exploration > Yes
Interrogation – Provoke him to find out what kind of person he really is…?
- Choose Positive (Observe his reaction?)
- the same
- can’t tell anyone
- Choose Negative (…provoke him a little?)
- can’t tell anyone
- how you really feel
- Choose Negative (Provoke him?)
- Choose Negative (Dig around?)
- hilarious
- What other topic might interest Asakura? > Select Same college as Taku (page 1)
Interrogation – Fluster him until he starts talking
- Choose Positive (Relax)
- Choose Negative (Press him)
- hilarious
- how you really feel
- Choose Negative (Question him?)
- hiding something
- He won’t let anything slip that easily? Which means… > Select Past incidents (page 2)
Free Exploration (Dec 25 Night)
Select: Move > Hagoita St. (Dist. D)
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “It’s a secret” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Kouou St.
- Choose Positive > “what matters most” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Abaro Alley:
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “can I ask why?” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Nightlife District
Select: Move > Roost
- End Exploration > Yes
Directed Exploration (Dec 27 Night)
Select: Move > Takanokuchi Hospital
- End Exploration > Yes
Interrogation – Press him and make him admit his desires…
- Choose Positive (Show affection)
- can I ask why?
- Choose Negative (Provoke him?)
- say nothing
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- say nothing
- Choose Negative (Provoke him more?)
- … I should be plain and upfront with him. > Select Hayato (page 2)
Interrogation – Gotta Get him to trust me so he’ll open up about his secret desire
- Choose Positive (Show affection)
- the same
- it’s a secret
- Choose Positive (Bait him?)
- can’t tell anyone
- Choose Positive (Find out for sure?)
- can’t tell anyone
- what matters most
Save for Asakura Madness Ending
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- it’s a secret
- can I ask why
- Choose Negative (Answer as a god would?)
- Asakura’s true desires > Select Angel (page 3)
Chapter 3 – Murase Takuma – Nostalgia
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic physical violence, blood, gore, body harm, self harm, drug use, sexual violence, graphic CGs
Free Exploration (Jan 6 Night)
Select: Move > Murase Clinic
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “don’t see it” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Shopping St
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “are you interested” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Emoto Central Park
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “what exactly do you want” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Kokinoko Bridge
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “might die”
Select Move > Kouou St
Select: Move > Police Station
- End Exploration > Yes
Directed Exploration (Jan 7 Noon)
Save for Mayu Madness Ending
Select: Move > Kouou St
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative
Select: Move > Towa’s Atelier
- End Exploration > Yes
Interrogation – Ask for details
- Choose Negative (Respond rationally?)
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- might die
- what exactly do you want
- Choose Negative (Joke around a little?)
- don’t see it
- are you interested
- Ask Rei what’s been bothering him? > Select Studying (page 1)
Interrogation – Maybe I’ll talk to Taku a little longer
- Choose Positive (Ask another question?)
- are you interested
- Choose Positive (Kiss up a bit?)
- what exactly do you want
- don’t see it
- Choose Positive (Answer plainly?)
- Choose Negative (Make a joke?)
- are you interested
- what exactly do you want
- What else can I say? > Select Overprotective (page 1)
Free Exploration (Jan 9 Noon)
Select: Move > Yanagawa Coffee
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “makes me think” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Shopping St
- Select Talk
- Choose Negative > “that’s the answer” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > ROSE
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “spill my guts” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Emoto Central Park
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “no choice but to give up”
Select: Move > Taijima’s
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive > “don’t you dare run” Palette Acquired
Select: Move > Seaside Park
Select: Move > Towa’s Atelier
- End Exploration > Yes
Interrogation – Play bad cop until he admits why he’s hesitating
- Choose Negative (Purposefully provoke him?)
- Choose Negative (Push him away?)
- don’t you dare run
- that’s the answer
- Choose Positive (Inform him plainly?)
- might die
- Ask him again > Select Drugs (page 2)
Interrogation – Press him until he agrees to a decision
- Choose Negative (Press him?)
- no choice but to give up
- don’t you dare run
- Choose Positive (Prompt him to think about it?)
- makes me think
- no choice but to give up
- Choose Positive (Rephrase?)
- spill my guts
- don’t see it
- Choose Negative (Drop some sarcasm in there?)
- don’t you dare run
- Choose Positive (Egg him on?)
- might die
- How can I fluster Taku even more > Select Surrogate goldfish (page 3)
Interrogation – Find out what changed Taku
- Choose Positive (Ask why?)
- no choice but to give up
- makes me think
- Choose Negative (Provoke him a little?)
- that’s the answer
- Choose Positive (…Look at him?)
- When Rei said Taku’s overprotective of me > Select Overprotective (page 1)
Interrogation – Gotta find out what Taku’s true desire is
Save for Taku Madness Ending
- Choose Positive (Ask bluntly?)
- that’s the answer
- are you interested
- spill my guts
- Taku mentioned something about how long we’ve known each other > Select All this time (page 2)
Directed Exploration (Mar 27 Noon)
Select Move > Taku’s Apartment
- End Exploration > Yes
Taku Euphoria End
Ikuina Madness End
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic violence, blood, gore, body harm, self harm, knife play, graphic CGs
Load Save for Ikuina Madness Ending
Chapter 1: Fraise
Interrogation 1 – Talk to him and calm him down
- Choose Positive (Show affection)
- I feel you
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- Say nothing
- Choose Positive (Play along?)
- I feel you
- What did Ikuina use for his art? > Select Flowers (page 2)
Interrogation 2 – Gotta Expose His secrets
- Choose Negative (Tease him?)
- No problem for you
- Choose Positive (Say it flat-out?)
- Say nothing
- Choose Positive (Say it plainly?)
- Like
- Choose Positive (Answer?)
- Say nothing
- The symbol of his desire is… > Select Scars (page 2)
Ikuina Madness End
Asakura Madness End
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic violence, blood, gore, body harm, drug use, dubious consent, graphic CG
Load Save for Asakura Madness Ending
Chapter 2: Doctor
- Choose Negative (Press him a little more?)
- it’s a secret
- can I ask why
- Choose Positive (Agree?)
- Asakura’s true desires > Select Angel (page 3)
Asakura Madness End
Mayu Ending
Load Save for Mayu Ending
Chapter 3: Nostalgia
Directed Exploration
Select: Move > Kouou St
- Select Talk
- Choose Positive
Mayu End
Taku Madness End
Content Warnings (click to reveal)
graphic violence, blood, gore, body harm, drug use, dubious consent, graphic CG
Load Save for Taku Madness Ending
Chapter 3: Nostalgia
Interrogation – Gotta find out what Taku’s true desire is
- Choose Positive (Ask bluntly?)
- don’t you dare run
- no choice but to give up
- what exactly do you want
- don’t see it
- Taku mentioned something about how long we’ve known each other > Select All this time (page 2)
I can’t get Taku madness end:( ends before “what exactly do you want” I tried all the afternoon but appear dead end or the good end every time
Hey there! So I just ran through Taku’s entire route using the guide and it worked just fine. In the final Interrogation of Chapter 3, make sure you choose Positive and then in this order
don’t you dare run > no choice but to give up > what exactly do you want > don’t see it
along with doing the mentioned chain of responses, you also have to choose “overprotective”, “studying”, and THEN “all this time” for the scar. the hourglass should crack.
You may have already figured out what the problem was, but in case there are others like me I thought I’d post this.
So, I was not originally following this guide while playing the game, but when I couldn’t get the madness end decided to look one up. I still couldn’t get the madness end.
After the option for “no choice but to give up” I never got the option for “what exactly do you want”. The game would dead end after ” no choice but to give up”.
I eventually checked my palate, and realized I didn’t have the “what exactly do you want” phrase. (The only one I didn’t have -_-). I had to go back to an earlier save point to pick it up, and then fast forwarded through the rest of the game.
Once I had the phrase I was able to complete his madness end. So, it looks like if you don’t have a phrase that’s crucial to an end then you won’t be able to complete it.
you’re a life saver i didn’t want to go and restart his entire route… thank you!!