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MiSide

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2024 video game
MiSide
Developer(s)AIHASTO
Publisher(s)
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Windows
Release11 December 2024
Genre(s)Psychological horror, adventure, indie, simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

MiSide is an adventure game with horror elements developed by Russian indie development team AIHASTO. It was initially published as a demo on 18 August 2023 before being fully released on Steam on 11 December 2024. The game explores themes of reality and simulation, blending psychological horror tension with an interactive narrative.

Gameplay

The story of MiSide takes place in an apartment setting. It starts with the player interacting with Mita, a character from a mobile game that the main character (MC) downloads from his smartphone. Players solve puzzles, explore the apartment, play games and discover hidden secrets in a tense and evolving environment. Initially, the app presents a 2D, Chibi style, bird's-eye-view environment. After progressing to the 37th in-game day, Mita unexpectedly asks to meet the player in person. When the MC looks up from his phone, he is transported into a 3D version of the game world, now seated on a couch in an apartment. In this new environment, the player must adapt, complete tasks and play games with Mita.

The game continues with routine activities until a key moment during a card game with Mita, when knocking is heard from a nearby closet. Although Mita dismisses it, the player investigates. If the player chooses to leave the closet unopened, Peaceful Mode, a feature still under development, is unlocked. If the player insists on opening the closet, Mita snaps her fingers and plunges the room into darkness. This marks the beginning of the main storyline.

Plot

The player character, who is by default named Konoa, receives a life simulation app called MiSide on his smartphone, featuring a female character named Mita. After playing the game for 37 days, he is suddenly transported inside, where he meets Mita personally. While spending time with her, the MC discovers some cartridges with names on them in the bathroom. He later hears a noise coming from a nearby wardrobe, though Mita insists that he should not open it.

When the MC still attempts to open the wardrobe, Mita reveals her true nature by making the lights go out. With the help of another Mita whose top half is missing, the player finds a key to the door inside the wardrobe, leading him to the basement where he discovers a more benevolent version of Mita called Kind Mita, who gives the MC a ring that will help him on his journey. Kind Mita also informs him that the Mita he met before is an evil rejected version of Mita called Crazy Mita, who has brought male players into the game and turned them into cartridges so she can have company. After freeing her and avoiding Crazy Mita, the MC ventures through the virtual reality, encountering other versions of Mita, some who try to help him while others attempt to harm him. He also learns that when a Mita is killed, she reboots but loses all recent memories. The player makes it his goal to reach the core to reboot Crazy Mita and escape back to the real world; however, Crazy Mita hinders his attempts at every corner.

Eventually, the MC succeeds and prepares to return to the real world, but discovers that Crazy Mita was unaffected by the reboot and that she had been slowly uploading him into a cartridge all along while stating that the player's real self is not needed anymore. After the MC escapes, he deletes the app from his phone. In the end, Crazy Mita opens a safe in the basement and takes out a portable console from it. She then removes its cartridge, which has the player's name on it.

There are two alternate endings aside from the main one. Should the player manage to open the safe in the basement, they will find the console from the main ending and remove the cartridge, which kills the MC (since removing cartridges from the console while it is still on will result in instant death for players who are in the game). If the player chooses not to open the wardrobe, Peaceful Mode activates, and Crazy Mita will not turn hostile. However, certain conditions must be met to achieve this ending.

Development

MiSide was developed by AIHASTO, a team of two Russian indie game developers: MakenCat, the game programmer and animator, and Umeerai, the texture and model designer. Kana Hanaiwa, previously known for her role as Lilja Katsuragi in Gakuen Idolmaster, provided the Japanese voice for Mita.

An early demo of the game was published on itch.io in July 2023. An updated demo—which added background music and Russian voice acting—was published on Steam on 18 August 2023.

Reception

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2024)

MiSide received over 10,000 reviews on Steam in the week after its release with a 98% "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating; by 30 December 2024, it had received over 40,000 reviews. Ethan Gach at Kotaku attributed the rapid success of the game to social media virality and clip sharing, high profile coverage by popular streamers like Markiplier, and pre-release anticipation following its well-received demo in 2023. Reviewers have highlighted its blend of psychological horror with a cute and comforting atmosphere, engaging narrative, and immersive gameplay as key strengths.

Notes

  1. Russian: МиСайд

References

  1. Romano, Sal (2 December 2024). "Horror adventure game MiSide for PC launches December 11". Gematsu. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  2. Ford, John (16 December 2024). "MiSide is a deceptively cute game with overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews — and it's 25% off for a limited time". GG.deals. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. "MiSide DEMO by Aihasto". itch.io. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. Majarucon, Alfonso (27 December 2024). "MiSide Review | You Can't Fix Her (And That's Great)". Game8. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  5. Majarucon, Alfonso (18 December 2024). "MiSide Gameplay & Story". Game8. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  6. "MiSide Walkthrough and Guide". Neoseeker. 15 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  7. Bergel, Igor (13 December 2024). "MISIDE текстовое интервью с разработчиком" [MISIDE text interview with the developer]. StopGame (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  8. Liu, Stephanie (11 December 2024). "MiSide Horror Game About Dating a Cute Game Girl Debuts". Siliconera. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  9. Bardhan, Ashley (5 July 2023). "This Horror Game Gives You A Virtual Girlfriend From Hell". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  10. AIHASTO (18 August 2023). "Releasing the Demo! Come and play with Mita!". Steam. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  11. "新作3Dホラーアドベンチャー「MiSide：ミサイド」，正式リリースから1週間でレビュー件数1万超え，98％好評の「圧倒的に好評」を獲得" [New 3D horror adventure game "MiSide" has received over 10,000 reviews in the week since its official release, with 98% of reviews receiving "overwhelmingly positive" reviews]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 18 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  12. Gerblick, Jordan (11 December 2024). "Dev behind new Doki Doki Literature Club-style psychological horror says it's not "for those with weak hearts," but with 98% positive Steam reviews, I'm not sure I can stay away". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  13. Serin, Kaan (29 December 2024). "With almost 40,000 positive Steam reviews, dev behind this winter's biggest horror hit "never expected MiSide to be so popular" and will "carefully consider future plans"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  14. Gach, Ethan (30 December 2024). "Steam's Surprise End-Of-Year Hit Is A Psychological Horror Game About An Anime Girlfriend". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  15. Kimura, Tamio (12 December 2024). "美少女ホラー『MiSide : ミサイド』、ヤンデレ少女との恐怖生活が"普通に堪能"されつつ人気沸騰。怖さが勝るか、愛が勝るか" [Bishoujo horror game "MiSide" is gaining popularity as people "enjoy" a terrifying life with a yandere girl. Will fear or love prevail?]. AUTOMATON (in Japanese). Active Gaming Media. Retrieved 18 December 2024.

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