Emergency lights flicker outside the concert arena, casting eerie shadows. Your friend’s texts become increasingly odd. A creeping darkness clouds your vision, and just like that, your workday starts over again.
In the newly released “Replay Boys,” you step into the shoes of Hannah, a video editor at a small record label. With all colleagues mysteriously absent due to illness, the responsibility of managing the four members of the band, Replay Boys, falls squarely on your shoulders. You’ve got to get them to the concert, ensure they’re ready for soundcheck, and handle their inevitable meltdowns. While on the surface it seems like your typical visual novel about shepherding a modern-day boy band, there’s something unnervingly darker lurking beneath.
In this game, the true depth of its sinister elements unfolds as you relive the same day over and over. You’ll encounter a ghost, fend off fans under a mysterious brainwashing spell, and face off against a dangerous cult, all while dealing with more grounded, albeit severe, incidents like kidnappings and firearm-related crimes. Things take a drastic turn when inexplicably, time begins to loop.
Intrigued by this narrative choice, I chatted with the game’s writer, Bell. She shared, “I think it evolved naturally. I adore games that make you question the reliability of your senses. Visual novels can be eerily unique because a lot of the visualization happens in the player’s head. There’s an unsettled feeling that capitalizes on the imagination.”
The blend of visual novel storytelling with horror in “Replay Boys” is influenced by the repetition found in both genres. Typically, visual novels require players to replay certain story paths to unlock new narrative branches. Here, repeated days are woven directly into the story itself, not unlike how horror films and games often manipulate a seemingly safe situation into something terrifying.
On the first day in “Replay Boys,” everything appears to follow the expected visual novel formula—until abruptly, it doesn’t. As the day resets, everything initially feels the same, but as you progress, the pace quickens and unsettling elements begin to seep into the mundane. You might catch strange noises during phone calls or suddenly explore a shadowy room previously inaccessible. With more loops, the storyline becomes increasingly distorted, twisting the familiar into something bizarre and fantastical.
And while its mysterious narrative and subversion are critical, Bell insists that “Replay Boys” remains true to its otome roots. “I wanted the band members to feel vivid and complex, allowing players to form distinct connections with them. In the end, the aim is for players to feel like they’ve truly earned the characters’ trust.”
Get ready for a Valentine’s Day filled with both romance and suspense, courtesy of a delightfully eccentric boy band. “Replay Boys” is available today, February 14th, on Xbox One, Series X|S, and the Xbox app for PC.
With captivating storylines and vibrant CG moments that capture a mix of romance and chaos, “Replay Boys” offers a narrative-driven experience with multiple possible endings. As Hannah, guide the Replay Boys through the chaos of their first major concert—navigating everything from tensions within the band to encounters with frenzied fans, mysterious cults, and mind-bending time loops—all while deciding how the story unfolds through your choices.
