Belle Automata is a sci-fi fantasy romance visual novel developed by Jellyfish Parade. Inspired by lore from the likes of Cupid and Psyche, The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio and other beloved tales, Belle Automata is the journey of an android reinventing herself. Join Aureve and the others as they forge their own paths dealing with love, self-acceptance, and grief for a life left behind.

Game Details

• Genre: Sci-fi | Romance | Fantasy
• Rating: Teen
• Price: $19.99 USD
• Developer: Jellyfish Parade (Owl)
• Where to Get the Game: PC (Windows and Mac) | Steam

Story

Aureve is an android, content with a life of weaving silk tapestries alongside her master–but when he dies, his family sells her off due to her being a rogue: a self-aware android.

Thrown into a new home of refuge for rogues, the newly freed Aureve must find her place amongst them and answer the question once and for all: how does one weave a new identity when the strings to the old have been cut?

Official Synopsis

Belle Automata is planned to be divided into three chronicles, that focuses on two love interest each. This first part titled, Belle Automata: Chronicle I follows the paths of strict android butler, Victor and Aureve’s enigmatic new “master”, The Nightmare Prince. The game takes roughly 7-10 hours to complete, with a total of six endings (three per route; 1 Good, 1 Neutral, and 1 Bad end). Belle Automata also features full English voice acting.

Characters

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Belle Automata Chronicle I Review

Belle Automata is a sci-fi fantasy that follows Aureve, a self-aware android who finds her existence thrown into disarray when her previous owner passes away. She is soon bought by a mysterious benefactor, known only as ‘The Nightmare Prince’ and taken to live with him and his collection of rogue androids.

Despite her new circumstances, Aureve is encouraged to pursue her own passions. But, for an android who has been created to fulfill specific functions, she struggles with her newfound freedom. Though, Aureve is not alone and with the help of her housemates she takes her first steps towards discovering a new purpose. While Belle Automata is a romance game, because Aureve and her potential partners (for the most part) aren’t human, the story delves into the what happens when an android does start to develop human emotions. And more importantly whether or not androids can even fall in love in the first place.

It’s an interesting premise, and Jellyfish Parade is more than up for the task, delivering an engaging story. Belle Automata is just as much a journey of self discovery as it is a romance. Aureve’s growth is always at the core of Belle Automata‘s story. While her relationships with the other characters are important, much of the story focuses on her thoughts and feelings as she discovers what it is she wants for herself in her new life. She is still learning about the world around her and we are right there with her on her journey, which makes her successes and stumbles that much more impactful.

Sure Aureve is at times a bit naïve, but she’s also playful and smart, often teasing those around her (especially Victor). And, as the story progresses she becomes much more confident and self assured. Jellyfish Parade has a knack for creating dynamic leads, and Aureve is one of my favorites.

While Chronicle I only gives us two of the six planned love interests, they are more than enough (for now). Both Victor and the Nightmare Prince are fantastic characters who bring their own unique charm to the story. I’d be lying if I said Victor wasn’t my favorite—what can I say, I like a challenge—though, the Nightmare Prince’s route definitely hit me in the feels. But, Victor just hit different, I will never get over this straight laced butler, describing his feelings for Aureve “indecent imaginings”.

Of course if you’re curious about the other love interests, don’t worry Zaffre, Roman, Diego, and Klaus all make appearances as side characters in Chronicle I (and some kind of steal the spotlight). I’m very much looking forward to Zaffre’s route in Chronicle II. His bickering with Victor is hilarious and I need more of it in my life.

Like Jellyfish Parade’s other titles, Belle Automata is a gorgeous game with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. In a space where there still aren’t many Black centric romance games, this is a very welcome sight, not only is Aureve Black, but all of the love interests are BIPOC. Y’all know I love my melanin, so having an otome with all these delicious sun-kissed characters is a huge draw for me. Also, these character designs are so much fun, most of the cast are androids, so there are little touches here and there that highlight their non-human origins—the facial markings, Aureve’s visible joints, and even Victor’s heterochromia (he is made from used parts, so he literally has two different eyes). Belle Automata is fully voiced, and there’s even a cool distortion used on the voices of the android characters. Jellyfish Parade always pays attention to the details.

The Verdict: Is Belle Automata Chronicle I Worth Playing?

Belle Automata is by far Jellyfish Parade’s most ambitious game to date, but given the team’s impressive portfolio of games, it is an adventure that you don’t want to miss out on! Sci-fi romances aren’t something we see everyday, but with Jellyfish Parade’s imaginative storytelling, dynamic cast, and gorgeous visuals, Belle Automata is a strong start to what promises to be an emotional and heartwarming story.

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About Jellyfish Parade

owl., aka chouette, is the 27 year old founder and lead developer at Philadelphia-based game studio Jellyfish Parade. Established in 2016, Jellyfish Parade’s mission is to create ethnically diverse games that’ll turn your heart to jelly. The lack of representation in the otome scene is what inspired owl. to bring melanin-rich casts to life in all of their projects, no matter the genre, setting, or size.  Browse other Jellyfish Parade titles here.

• Twitter: @jelpiparade
• Tumblr: jelpiparade.tumblr.com
• itch.io Game Page: chouette.itch.io

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