The indie development team C#4R4CT3R has unveiled a playable demo for their upcoming lo-fi psychological thriller Rain98. This title transports players to a melancholic 1998 Shibuya, Tokyo, bathed in a blue hue, where they assist Reina Amahara with daily chores while guiding her through a ritual that promises to end the world. Reina’s voice is brought to life by Rio Tsuchiya, known for voicing characters like Madoka Higuchi in The Idolmaster Shiny Colors, Mei Tomi in Cue!, and Misaki in Blue Archive.
Rain98 blends visual novel segments with adventure gameplay, allowing you to interact with Reina and navigate the city streets. Your support of Reina involves completing unique minigames, reminiscent of 90s trends such as nurturing a Tamagotchi-like digital companion or mastering an arcade dance machine. Each task completed earns you a sticker for Reina’s Angel Passport, inching you closer to the world-ending ritual at the game’s core.
Beyond tending to Reina’s needs, players can earn income through odd jobs to cover living costs. Accumulating funds unlocks additional activities for both you and Reina to experience while exploring Tokyo together.
Consistent with its title, Rain98’s Shibuya is perpetually drenched in rain. The gentle sound of rainfall, paired with the game’s lo-fi soundtrack, cultivates an eerie comfort that belies the dark narrative unfolding beneath the surface.
The demo spans approximately three hours, covering Chapter 1 and the first half of Chapter 2. An upcoming patch will expand the demo to include the latter half of Chapter 2. The full game is structured across seven chapters and is projected to offer 10 to 15 hours of gameplay.
In a recent Game*Spark interview, it was revealed that the Rain98 demo features over 300 distinct illustrations. Director Shoon T described the project as more akin to a “film-like work” than a conventional visual novel, drawing inspiration from 90s anime films like Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Tomomi Mochizuki’s Ocean Waves. While titles such as Sayonara o Oshiete ~Comment te Dire Adieu~ (“Teach Me Goodbye”) influenced the development, the team emphasized that Rain98 was crafted with the mindset of a theatrical anime or cinematic storyboard, which may account for the abundance of illustrations in the demo.
Rain98 is slated for release in 2026 on Windows via Steam. A complimentary demo is currently available for download.