So, in the biggest troll in history, publisher, Idea Factory International announced, the localization of Charade Maniacs, during their Valentines Day 2023 stream! This news comes after a bizarre hour and a half of static screens, cryptic messages, and a live chat experience that solidified the fact that the otome fandom can make even the biggest waste of time a party. This is by far the weirdest way to announce a game, but hey, more otome!
- Genre: Fantasy | Mystery | Romance
- Rating: ESRB T
- Developer & Publisher: Otomate & IFI
Take on the role of Hiyori Sena, a high school sophomore who has been abducted by a masked figure. Trapped in the mysterious world of Arcadia with nine others, she is forced by her captor to act in dramas alongside the other abductees. To make matters worse, there’s a traitor among the costars! Love blooms on and off stage in this dramatic search for truth and romance. Who can you trust?
Originally released for the PlayStation®Vita only in Japan, the eccentric cast returns to the stage on the Nintendo Switch! Fans can experience this otome title officially localized for the first time in North America and Europe!
About the Game
A mysterious figure abducts Hiyori Sena, transporting her to a strange world with nine other abductees and welcomes them to a world called Arcadia.
Everyone must act out “dramas” for a chance to escape, all whilst avoiding the trappings of a traitor.
Conduct your own investigations to search for clues—and find romance along the way!
From the writer of Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, Uta Amamiya, and the illustrator of Norn9, Teita. Whose hand will she take at the end?
Key Features
- Take The Stage With 9 Romanceable Costars! – Looking for someone to practice lines with? There are 9 potential love interests! But with a traitor on the loose, who can you really trust? Make the right choice to take part in a total of up to 9 routes.
- Flip The Script and Navigate Your Choices – Select your position in the story as you progress and keep track of where stories branch off with a handy Flowchart feature. Don’t miss any part of the drama!
- Look out for the traitor! Who can it be? – Work together with your costars to uncover clues and deepen your relationship with your love interests. You might even bring out some repressed feelings from your costars! But keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
Charade Maniacs will soon be available for preorder from retailers. Fans can check out the official website to see where they can preorder physical editions of the game. The Nintendo eShop page will go live at a later date.
Charade Maniacs will be getting a Limited Edition, offered exclusively through the IFI NA and European Online Stores. The contents of the Limited Edition, as well as the preorder date, will be revealed at a later time. Those who purchase either the Standard Edition or Limited Edition at the IFI Online Stores will also receive an EXCLUSIVE trading card!
Fans can wishlist the Charade Maniacs Standard or Limited Edition on the IFI NA Online Store today!
While the announcement itself was weird af, it seems to be in line with the theme of the mystery otome. Originally released in Japan in 2018 for Playstation Vita, it was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2021. I’m a sucker for anything with a good mystery so, I figure I’ll give this a go when it releases later this year in Summer 2023! In the meantime be sure to check out the Charade Maniac’s page for more details!
