Title	Duskbound
Credit	nefferinthia
Media	Otome Game
Platform	PC
Genre	Horror, Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy
Year	2023
Character Type	1 Yandere (Minor)

You play as a young woman, simply named the “Pale One”. She as faces the lifeless city tormented by an endless night and the red plague, life became overwhelmingly dull until she met a mysterious young man on the city streets. She quickly grew attracted to him, and decided to approach him. The young man has long beautiful hair and a pair of discerning eyes. Most importantly, he also seems to spot a pair of razor sharp teeth. Will her attraction prove to be a fatal one?

SPOILERS AND PERSONAL OPINION

Duskbound is a short otome game released in 2023. The game can be completed in less than an hour, with a total of 6 endings (including an unlockable one). It is also entirely free, though you are encouraged to support the creator if you can afford to.

As you play as the “Pale One”, your interaction with the mysterious man reveals more about the relationship between the two, as well as the current state of the city. The game carries a darker tone, as the decisions you make through the game influences the final outcome.

I liked the short game. Although some themes might have been cliché, the creator worked well to bring those themes together. Of course, the young man is in fact a vampire. Other themes, such as disease afflicting a city, a different time space, and time loops were also included. While it seems like a lot, the creator managed to insert these concepts into the game in a coherent manner. I do think that more can be done to explore the significance of each theme in the game. However, due to the length of the game, this is understandably hard to achieve.

The one thing that stood out to me in the game is the music. Straight away, it gave the game the desired tone, and it captivated me with its mysterious, magical vibes. Even though the game had no voice-acting, I didn’t mind it, and I think a lot has to do with the brilliant music.

While I liked the yandere, I do think more can be done to explore his yandere side. Some acts he has committed, along with his thoughts and words, does make him a yandere. However, it sometimes seems unclear to me his intent behind certain actions, which makes his case as a yandere weaker. This is also why I consider him to be a minor yandere character, and I will explain more on his character page.

Overall, the plot is fine and the game is enjoyable. However, if you are looking for a game solely for its yandere content, then you may not get a kick out of it. Nonetheless, the game is certainly a job well done as the very first visual novel made by the creator.

CHARACTER SPOILERS