If You Are a fan of visual novels, you probably know MAGES. Their story-heavy games include Steins; Gate and Chaos; Child. As always, they bring emotion and mystery together in their games, but Iwakura Aria takes a slightly different path. This is their new yuri mystery taking place in a quiet old Japanese mansion during the 1960s.
Vietnam released it last year on June 27 in Japan. The Western release was handled by PQube. You can play it on Nintendo Switch, Steam, or a good old-fashioned collector’s edition. I’m not one to try every new visual novel, yet here I was at one point during the afternoon with my pants pulled up and my bum in the chair for “just trying it out.”
The art is beautiful, though there is a thin, soft romantic thread that is ever-present and in the background suggests that something may be amiss. One can only be reminded of games such as The House in Fata Morgana or Paranormasight. The main character, Ichiko Kitagawa, is leaving a toxic job where she was accused of doing things she never did. A wealthy stranger notices her talent and employs her as a live-in maid. What starts off like a fresh beginning soon reveals itself to be a strange atmosphere surrounding the Iwakura house.
Inside the mansion, she meets Amane Iwakura, the polite but unreadable father, and his daughter Aria, who initially treats her like just the maid. That changes, however, when Aria sees Ichiko’s artwork. They start keeping each other company, drawn together because they both feel stuck in their own way.
But the mansion seems to pause as the outside world in the 1960s changes. Conversations take on an unspoken significance. Between a father and daughter, one careful word elicits the response of wonder about what is happening.
The first twist comes sooner than expected, then the rest makes you ponder whether anything is amiss or how deep it goes. What kept me going was how the feelings between Ichiko and Aria developed. It’s not just romance; it is also about wanting to be understood and wanting to understand someone else.
Mostly, you read and choose, sometimes moving around the mansion yourself. It has nine endings, and itself can lead to very different outcomes according to decisions taken by the player. There are some rooms which are mandatory to the main plot, while others contain informal letters or scenes effecting different views of characters. Yet it is not about collecting items; it is about finding missing pieces to the bigger puzzle.
It’s easy to reply. You can save anytime, lock saves, and jump back to important moments. This lets you see other endings without starting over. Some bad endings happen faster than you’d expect, but the quick-save helps.
There is no fighting, but each choice serves as a piece of a puzzle. You will never know how big the impact is until much later. I liked that there are no obvious “right” answers. The first playthrough feels natural because you are making choices as Ichiko, not just gaming the system.
The hand-drawn art is full of small details and soft colors. Shadows deepen at tense moments. Some scenes switch to rough pencil sketches to depict the point of view of Ichiko, which works really well. Aria’s design makes her seem fragile and distant, as though she might break if someone were to get too close.
It runs smoothly on PC and Nintendo Switch without loading issues. The Japanese voice acting is great, even if you don’t understand Japanese. All these factors contribute to the weight of the scene-the way a line is spoken, a pause, and a tone shift.
The music is good, but it repeats too much, especially if you hang out too long in the same area. It does not ruin the experience, but more interesting pieces could be made.
Iwakura Aria is not the kind of game one rushes through; it does take its time and pay off in the end. It hooks you early with a twist, but the relationships and secrets that keep you engaged. The romance is tender and complex, and the mystery keeps changing when you think you have understood everything.
Some endings feel a bit quick, and the music could be better; small things, though, compared to the whole experience. Iwakura Aria stayed in my head for days after I’m done with it. It’s the kind of story where you leave the mansion but carry memories of everyone you have met inside. You may also be interested in: Tekken 8 Could Arrive on Nintendo Switch 2, Says Harada
