Arcade Spirits

Hi all! If you’re trying to play on a Mac via the Itch launcher, but you’re getting a lengthy error log when you try to save (and thus can’t save at all!), try downloading the game directly from the Itch site instead. That solved the problem for me, at least!

I enjoyed it a lot.  The characters were incredibly likeable.  and the story was a great ride.  I'd love to play more VNs like this.

Super fun! I've loved this game. Played through multiple character, event, and relationship story lines.  

For a game that's fully voiced, not all characters "fully" speak out the dialogue.

Love this game :)

All the characters are very charismatic and real enough.

I will probably play again to see the possible ramifications that my choices will have in the story. For now, #TeamAshley all the way kkkkk

Thanks for making the game. It was a real silver lining in this quarantine.

Okay, so I actually finished playing this a few days ago and I've had some time to process it. Well, my conclusion is that I genuinely love and adore this game so much. It has shot to first place on my favorites in the visual novel genre. 

From the art, to the characters, to the storyline and game mechanics. Every single character we interact with is so genuine and passionate, and I could not and will not stop saying that. I could relate to everyone in one way or another, and it's so heartwarming that it's not just a romantic affair. It delves into friendships, building them over time. It's so interesting to learn more about everyone's lives and how they handle different situations. That sounds so much like real life, and I am so glad that it does. These characters have life breathed into them. Not only that, but the MC grew as well. 

I hope everyone gets to play this game at least once. It's marvelous. Thank you to the entire team for creating and developing this game. Thank you so very much. 

Absolutely loved this game to bits!!! There's just so much to love, the characters, the story, the MC themself! Love it. Thank you for being such a bright light during this time.

↓ NO SPOILERS REVIEW ↓

absolutely loved this game from start to end. not many visual novels hook me in so good, so I was really pleased to find one that does! I really like the customisation options on this, even down to pronouns! well worth its price despite getting it through a bundle. I've already recommended this to my best friends who love visual novels as well (I am pushing for them to buy the game on Switch or PS4). I hope they love it as much as I did!

I really liked the options in answers and how they all contribute to a different personality trait that you can build on, and I can really see how this can cater to literally anyone since there's an option for everyone! the story will also play out based on how you respond and react personally, which is such a great feature in a visual novel game. granted, there are some choices you have to make to further the story, but I'd say 99.97 times out of 100 (pun intended) you are really able to grow the character and their relationships with other people as you would, just like in real life.

I'm not one to replay games to see how things turn out no matter how curious I get of other pathways since I play using my instincts and what I would unapologetically do, but I'm super excited to see how my best friends will play their stories out and if their ending is different from mine! (let's be real here, I'm most curious to see who they end up dating more than anything else..) thank you so much for this masterpiece. I truly enjoyed it, Arcade Spirits will always have a special place in my heart.

when your sad because your to poor and its the only game where you can customize your pronuns you know of

my friend tried it tho, she gves 10/10 so i do to!!!!

1/10 can't fuck the grandma ( jk )

Love this game! Cute and incredible story. I liked the MC and all the others, too. Charming and interesting AU. I had a great time and definitely cried!

Hi, I just repurchased this in the Visual Novel bundle but I didn't receive a Steam Key, even though it was mentioned in the bundle description.

I had originally purchased it in the BLM bundle, and I liked it so much I wanted to add it to my Steam account as well. So I purchased it again when I saw that Steam Keys were also being given in the Visual Novel bundle. But the key is nowhere to be found on the downloads page.

Could you please help? Thanks!

I've never played one of these visual novel games before, but this one is absolutely adorable and wonderful. Fantastic sense of humor, great game mechanics, terrific art. I can tell this is a game I'll end up replaying just to experience everything.

This ia the first game I decided to play from the Racial Justice and Equality bundle I purchased a month ago (lol took me a moth to get around to playing anything)
Before I reviews, tip for Mac players: if you try to open it and get an error about them not recognizing the developer, then just right click, then press open, it'll still give you an "are you sure" message but will then let you open it and shouldn't have further issues, I did see an earlier comment of a Mac user losing a save, haven't had an issue with that so far. I'm 99.97% sure this game isn't trying to give me malware (hehe game reference)

On to the review, just finished my first play through yesterday and I LOVE this game!! It delivered much more than I expected, I felt it was more than just a simple dating sim, even though I chose one character to romance I was invested in every one of them, and want to try every route, it goes beyond what I expected, and I found the game very relatable as I felt life has been throwing bad things at me lately like the main character, it felt very realistic and relatable even if it is the future/an alternate future. I love the art style, the designs, the voice acting, I like that the characters talk out their full lines sometimes too. I love that different choices are part of different personality traits and I played to what I felt I would say in real life in most situations.

Honestly my only complaint is just wishing there were more hair style options and more than one outfit, though I understand that they may be because your character is included in cutscene artwork, which you don't usually see in other games like this as far as I'm aware, it makes sense since I assume it makes it easier to create artwork and program simpler designs. It doesn't take away from gameplay so if anyone is reading this who hasn't played yet don't let that keep you from playing! It's so much fun!

There's so many more positive things I could say but I don't wanna post spoilers. Once I can afford to I'll likely buy this game again full price.

Enjoying the game it's really cute... but at the kids party, I spent the entire time freaking out internally, being alone with mikey opens ups so much liability...

I work with children, I understood their fear of a birthday party though.


And Graham Stark is a voice actor??? I was so confused until I looked up who I recognized...
And then I cried.

I think I'm just going to keep editing this post as I play...

Hi there, when do you plan to add more steam keys on your game page?

I really, really enjoyed this game.

I got Arcade Spirits in the BLM bundle but I enjoyed it so much I went ahead and bought it again just to show my appreciation.

The characters, the story, everything about this game was blast to play. I love the way the different traits change your personality and the story. 

When I saw Stefan Gagne's name (who I recognized from some of the most memorable Neverwinter Nights mods I ever played) I expected something different, and this exceeded my expectations.

I really liked all the routes (although I have to admit Ashley is my fav...NB rep for the win) but also I appreciate that they thought to include an Aro\Ace route. Thumbs up!

Also, after seeing what was needed to unlock it, I can't believe I found the hidden romance option by myself. :)

Can't wait for The New Challengers!

I've been hungry to play this game since I played the demo at the PAX Indie Megabooth last year. It's like 5x as good as I could have possibly hoped. I laughed, I cried, I got really horny, the things all good media should do. Thank you for introducing me to my one true love, QueenBee. I also really love how inclusive this game is. I wish I had my own Iris, cause I could really use and AI that would help me get my dream job and also help me get laid. It made me believe, even if only for a couple of hours, that I could make a difference.

I only played it once through - planning on doing every route at some point - and I love the game!

When I started playing this game, I didn't expect the emotions I would have from it. I love the characters and the story. I loved seeing human nonbinary characters (plural!) just casually accepted. I enjoyed the art and the music. I have already recommended it to several of my friends. Thank you for this wonderful experience!

Just finished doing every route (and may go back to do every route again with Flirty First Impressions turned on. I'm a timid soul! I decided to go slow burn on my first playthrough! But Flirty seemed like the way to go with Teo, whom I saved for last, and DANG.)  

This game was delightful. Both as a fun witty workplace romance, and as a call to stop coasting and try to live for something more than survival. Which... sounds like a lot to read into a romantic comedy. But the protagonist's depression lethargy and desperate need for a kick in the pants towards something better... hit uncomfortably close to home at the moment. 

ASIDE FROM A TIMELY LIFE MESSAGE, the character designs are gorgeous, the UI aesthetic is delightful, and I loved how much you could customize your experience. Not only in terms of the MC's appearance and pronouns, but also in things like the aforementioned Flirty First Impressions toggle. I can play through the game breathlessly ogling and flirting, or play it cool slow burn, or play it pure platonic! I love that I can tailor it to my comfort levels this way (or play it every which way to see all the different ways dialogue can play out). 

I got this in the bundle, like so many others, but I am one hundred percent ready to pay full price for the sequel when it comes out. Quarter up!

Great cast of characters,  great plot, great art, great music, great voice acting, literally everything about this game is awesome! I really like all the choices you have and how impactful they feel when you're making them. Thanks for making this game!

I cannot even begin to tell you how highly I hold this game, and that's not just because there's a severe lack of games where you can choose to go by non-binary pronouns. I've been waiting since it fully came out to get it, and was happily surprised to see that it was in the bundle I recently purchased. I was expecting a cute arcade driven dating sim visual novel (which was enough for me, because there's nothing I love more than arcades and dating sims), but frankly I got so much more than that. I got characters (not just love interests) with depth who I grew to be emotionally connected with, a game showcasing a mental health journey with highs and lows similar to my own (something I've never had before), a game built around my choices and personality, a game where I was never shamed for my choices- where I didn't feel like one wrong dialogue option would destroy everything I had worked for, and an amazing, surprising found family trope. Arcade Spirits is more than I ever thought I could ask for in a game in an experience, and honestly I can't recommend it enough. If you're on the edge about buying this because you're not that into dating sims or because you think it'll be too cliche, please do buy it, because it's far more than either of those things. It's far more, even, than the sum of its parts.

Thank you for this beautiful experience.

The art and voice acting are stellar, the characters and overall story are compelling and worth of your time. Plus, the protagonist is well defined, and their experience also adresses mental health issues, in a way that hit way too close to home is very interesting, and personally comforted and helped me.

10/10 would recommend this 8 hours experience if you only do one route, but if you want to experience all the characters to their fullest, and the story in different ways you can easily double (maybe triple ? I dunno math) this length. 

This game is incredible and very very worth playing. It's a decently long game, it took me around 8 hours to finish (and I've only gotten one ending so far). There are many different romance options and choices through out the game. This gives it a lot of variety and I think helps make the experience very customizable fulfilling for the different people who play it. 

 What I enjoyed most about Arcade Spirits was that it balanced romance and the story very well. I found the story to be very well written and engaging. The romance took a secondary role to the story, but I found the romance to also be fulfilling. You had many opportunities to go on dates and spend time with your person and the dialogue was well written and had a lot of heart. 

Here are some other things I liked about the game

• I loved that there was a character creator AND that I got to choose my own pronouns. The character you create is even included in illustrations throughout the game!
• I liked the focus on friendship. Regardless of who you decided to romance (or if you decided to romance anyone at all), you're friends with everyone and they're all friends with each other. The game encourages you to spend time with all the character and this doesn't hurt your romance chances.  All the main characters are very lovable and well written and I enjoyed  that positivity, 
• The game wasn't cruel to the player. It's very easy to be clear about what you wanted and to get it. At he start it asks you  directly if you are interested in romance or friendship and it doesn't pressure you in either direction. It's also very forgiving, You don't have to spend every second with someone to have a good relationship with that character and not every conversation has to go perfectly. You can change your mind about who you want to be with halfway through and that's okay. It's very fun, engaging, and has many choices but it isn't cruel and gives you all the opportunities to get what you want out of the game. 
• The story had very hopeful and heartfelt themes about overcoming your fears and relying on others.

All and all a very good game, it's clear how much heart and work went into it and it's a very special game that's worth playing. 

I'm obsessed with this game!

Absolutely love the game! 

Nice game, but would be good if have some real arcades to play.

oooh i loved that Naomi *sigh*, i loved the references to things like Gallagher and The Warriors too XD and i liked being able to 'play' POLYBIUS lol... my only real qualm was with the character creation, more hairstyle and clothing options would have been nice, but in all fairness i guess with a lot of these types of games you're just given a character you can't customize... otherwise a refreshing retro-futurist romance VS :)

All I've ever wanted to do was simp for an arcade technician. This game let me realize my dream ;)

Haven't played a visual novel in ages, this was definitely a good one to start with again! Love the aesthetic, interesting setup, & engaging storyline. You choose who you want to be: empathetic, gutsy, funny, ambitious, level-headed... Pretty inclusive game with representation of BIPOC, non-binary persons, aromantics.. I also like that for a romance game, the climax of the game wasn't just getting your partner! But actually riding out life together and facing life's challenges. It brought more depth into the relationship & to the characters as well. Also appreciate how it captured the heaviness of depression/hopelessness ~ & also the importance of support of loved ones in reaching your dreams.

I was surprised I got to romance Gavin, was initially really into Naomi & she was my highest ranked throughout? but somehow she wasn't into me T_T Gavin's such a sweetheart though, he won me over.

This is one of the best dating sims I've ever played. I especially liked that it allows you to pick your pronouns and could also be a friend sim for aromantic players. It's fully worth the 20$ and is one of my favorite games of the genre.

This is an amazing VN with a great, funny, and meaningful story. As part of the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, it's amazing, and if you missed that and enjoy visual novels, especially ones that give you lots of choices and have amazing, complex storylines, I'd say it's worth the full $20 as well.

I've never gotten into dating sims before but I got this in a bundle and was playing along with my friend and we got so into the story and fell hard for Teo.  I love this game so much, it's now one of the top games I ever played. The story, the art, the characters, everything was so well done and just drew me in. I enjoyed every second of this and I'm excited to see what other games will come out from you guys. 

I came to this game looking for a good time, and I got a game and a romance that triggered every. single. emotion. and while it is phenomenal writing, Teo had both every and no right. I am both very glad and very embarrased that I flat fell in love with a video game character on this level. Quite literally the best visual novel I've ever experienced.

Speaking as someone who has historically had trouble getting into Visual Novel type games, I absolutely LOVE this game!

The game's world and characters are absolutely adorable and it's so easy to get drawn into it. The tutorial was exactly the gentle emotional assurance I needed that I wasn't going to horribly screw all the choices up. I also adore the way the dialogue (and everything in this game) is written, especially my character's own choice dialogue, I don't think I can recall ever feeling like my intentions behind picking a dialogue option completely went off the mark.  I also really liked that I was able to pick my own name and pronouns.

My only "complaints" about the game: the site makes it sound like you'll have a lot more character customization than just three hairstyles (though I know that these things take time to draw n such).  Also I wish I could wear something besides the Dysphoria HoodieTM.

All in all an amazing and charming game that I'd recommend anyone (especially if you got this from the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality)

There seems to be a minor bug with hovering over the score. The clickable area is too small. It doesn't highlight and let you click it to view your stats, unless you click the very right-hand side of it.

Caveat: I have only played four romance routes so far (Percy, QB, Ashley, and Juniper), so can't speak to the others. But I've really enjoyed the game so far- it's super fun and lighthearted! The writing is fun, I love all the little details, and I just had a super great time playing. I actually want to replay for all the different character stories, despite the main story remaining pretty similar.

I will say I agree with a comment down below about Naomi. It did strike me as a little hmm to make the only East Asian character an IT girl, but I'm not East Asian so I don't want to speak too much on that