VIDEOVERSE |
RElease date: 7 August 2023
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Relive the days of past social gaming networks in VIDEOVERSE, a decision-based narrative adventure focusing on character development, friendship and love, from the developer behind One Night Stand.
As Emmett, a young video game fan and aspiring artist, dive into this fictional video game era, where the Kinmoku Shark gaming system and its online social network, Videoverse, were still popular. Strengthen Emmett’s friendships, share fan art and browse the lively gaming communities. Make decisions that will change how Emmett grows, his approach to Videoverse and, ultimately, the final outcome! Will your actions help Videoverse thrive, or will you get caught up in teenage drama, video game fandoms and corporate conspiracies? |
History |
VIDEOVERSE is Kinmoku's second game. The first demo released on March 25th 2023 and, shortly after, VIDEOVERSE won the Critics' Choice Award at Indie Cup UK 23. The full game released on Steam on August 7th 2023. The soundtrack by Clark Aboud released a month later on September 7th 2023. A Steam Deck compatibility update released on October 13th 2023. In February 2024, VIDEOVERSE won Best Narrative at Debug Indie Game Awards.
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Quotes |
"A profound exploration of love, games and fandom." – Keith Stuart, The Guardian
"One of the most authentic time travel pieces of media I’ve ever experienced." – Bob Richardson, RPGFan
"The campaign for Videoverse to be the one true Twitter replacement starts here." – Katharine Castle, Rock Paper Shotgun
"This game has nerd-stalgia in abundance." – John O’Brien, CX Network
"Once in a while I find something like VIDEOVERSE: the rare experience that masterfully evokes the feeling of a bygone era of gaming and thoughtfully connects its ideas to life today." – Wes Playfair, Nook Gaming
"Uniquely nostalgic but doesn't rest on that aspect alone." – Simon Smith, Higher Plain Games
"A stunning story from start to finish." – Jason Coles, Green Man Gaming
"Videoverse is a definite highlight for the genre and one not to be missed out on." – Kyle Leclair, Hardcore Gamer
"Videoverse is a nostalgia-fueled visual novel about classic gaming communities. Its central story is both heart-breaking and heart-warming, but at its center is a powerful message about friendship and community." – Kate Mitchell Jewett, Gameluster
"(Italian) Siamo sicuri che di Videoverse si parlerà ancora per anni, e ve lo consigliamo senza alcuna riserva." – Giulia Martino, Multiplayer.it
"(French) Avec Videoverse, le studio Kinmoku signe un brillantissime visual novel évoquant avec finesse les problématiques de la fin de l'utopie numérique, déjà mal en point il y a vingt ans. Et ce sans oublier d'y ajouter une dose d'espoir." – zalifalcam, The Pixel Post
"(German) Wer um’s Jahr 2000 herum selbst ein Geek-Teenager war, wird sich hier bestimmt wiederfinden und kann sich darauf freuen, mit diesem Spiel einige Stunden in wohliger Nostalgie zu schwelgen." – Robert Glashüttner, Radio FM4
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Additional Links |
This New Game Is A Great Tribute To Early Online Gaming Communities
Videoverse is a beautiful exploration of how the online spaces we inhabit and the connections we form in them can shape our lives as much as anything. My favorite game of 2023 is a secret Twitter eulogy
The visual novel would become my favorite game of 2023 the instant I finished it, but it’s more than a title on a game of the year list; it’s the defining game of a pivotal moment for human communication. Stories of 2023
What I love about Videoverse is that it’s essentially a time capsule, a moment of internet history told through the experiences of a teenager navigating an online video game community in 2003. 7 Games From 2023 That Brought Me, Ruby, Back To Life
Have you seen the line-up from this year? Not just in the AAA world, but the indie world too? Are you serious? This is cooked! There’s far more good stuff than just 5! TheGamer Game of the Year Hub - 2023
VIDEOVERSE appears in Meg Pelliccio's, David Duffy's and Ryan Bamsey's GOTY 2023 lists. Best indie games of 2023: the biggest hits from small studios
The most creative under the radar games you might have missed this year. The 10 Best Indie Games of 2023
Here we countdown the 10 best indie games of 2023 that stood out as the year's most impactful releases. The best indie games in 2024 (so far)
Our gaming expert selects the best indies games of the year to date, from artistic triumphs to retro-inspired adventures, playable on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X. 10 great indie games you might have missed in 2023
There was a wealth of great games throughout the year, making it impossible to keep up with everything — even here at Polygon, where many of our jobs are to keep up with video games. VIDEOVERSE imbues young love with vintage social interface style
Embracing old platforms like MSN Messenger and Miiverse gave the story a romantic momentum and distinct visual flair. VIDEOVERSE: How Lucy Blundell Crafted Her One-of-a-Kind Visual Novel Game
Uncover the inspiration behind VIDEOVERSE's gameplay as Lucy shares her passion for nostalgic video games and heartfelt stories! Interview: VIDEOVERSE — A Talk With Kinmoku About Her Nostalgic Game
Since its release, VIDEOVERSE has received a lot of great reviews on Steam. In our review, you can read my opinions on this nostalgic visual novel reminiscent of old social media platforms. Let’s take a seat and ask developer Kinmoku a few questions about her game. Indie Cup UK’23 winners revealed – meet the best upcoming British indie games
Critics’ Choice Award, selected by a panel of game journalists and influencers: VIDEOVERSE (Kinmoku) One Night Stand dev's next game is a Miiverse-inspired visual novel
Like One Night Stand, it also looks like Videoverse won't shy away from some of the more *ahem* mature content you can find online, judging by its Steam page at least, and I'm keen to see how it navigates the seedier parts of online fandom. There's A New Indie Game On The Way That's Inspired By Miiverse And MSN
And yes, just like the real internet, you can choose your own avatar and set your own personal quote. EvEn If YoU wAnT yOuR qUoTe To LoOk LiKe ThIs. Videoverse is an upcoming adventure that’s a love letter to social gaming networks
Up front, it’s nostalgic and fun, with a gorgeous art style and great concept. The more I dig though, the more I enjoy the fun little notes you can see in the interface, and the variety of drawings shown off on the game’s store page. Videoverse could resurface a lot of nostalgia for this era of internet interaction, and I’m interested to see what story Kinmoku tells with it. (French) Notre top 10 des meilleurs jeux vidéo de 2023
Derrière les blockbusters tambourinant et néanmoins d’une bonne tenue en 2023, l’année a été riche en propositions ludiques singulières : limpides ou complexes, déchirantes ou burlesques, obsessionnelles ou sereines et parfois un peu tout cela à la fois. (Norwegian) En skildring av gamle nettsamfunn er et av årets mest betydningsfulle spill
Spillskaper Lucy Blundell har med suksessen Videoverse trukket frem en fordums internettkultur. – Det føltes veldig nære sammenlignet med de store sosiale mediene vi har i dag, sier Blundell. |
Credits
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Lucy Blundell
Independent Game Developer Clark Aboud Composer Dipesh Aggarwal Lead Programmer Mark Takeshi Ota Narrator For a full list of credits, please check "About" in the game menu. |