Info about In Falsus:

Official game description:
**Tying music gameplay to a tale of lies and truth, 'In Falsus' guides players through seamless progression from flow to mastery, welcoming those new and experienced to surmount challenges and rise higher with each and every encounter.**
Follow the separate perspectives of 5 girls making their way through high school in a near-future world, whose lives take a sharp turn one day as they are bid to join a strange government program, and soon are forced to face an undiscovered side of their reality.
**Progression:** With a signature control system of mouse and keyboard, In Falsus brings challenges across 4 difficulties, rising in intensity of incoming notes and a sweeping aerial Field.
**Encounters:** Every step forward brings a greater trial. Throughout their ordeals, the protagonists encounter characters who they must contend with or assist, with these key moments each tied to unique songs.
**Songs:** Produced by composers at the forefront of Japan's independent music scene as well as international artists, In Falsus features over 70 songs, over 40 of which are original, represented across a multitude of genres and styles.
**Crafting:** Overcome challenges to collect materials, craft unique Cards, and gain new advantages and approaches during song gameplay.
**Blueprints:** Integrate Cards by slotting earned materials into Blueprints, grids with a wide variety of choices in stat boosts and bonuses. Every Card crafted is different, and every Blueprint is a puzzle. How you choose to arrange materials within Blueprints shapes unique possibilities in solutions and effects.
**Cards:** Featuring artwork of characters met and unfolding narrative moments witnessed, illustrated by a range of skilled and renowned artists, equip up to 5 Cards to vary your approach when challenging the songs you come across.
**A world where emotions are laid bare at the neck, and no lies are permitted.**
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**Narrative:** Through visual novel-styled narrative design, switch between the individual perspectives of 5 protagonists—all of whom are interconnected.
**Immersion:** Become drawn into a new world through expressive characters, captivating environments, and full Japanese voice acting.
**Experience:** Narrative is at the heart of In Falsus, with music gameplay, sound design, and themes reflecting and directly linked to the events of the game.

Release date: Sep 9, 2026

Categories: Rhythm Game, Visual Novel, Deckbuilding, Card-based Gameplay, Story-driven Gameplay, Music Integration, High Difficulty


- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Performance reports are mixed: several users report smooth play, while others describe lag spikes, stuttering, audio issues, and optimization problems.
  - Sample size: 29 (28% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (mixed, 16 reports): Some users experience stable framerates, but others report lag spikes, stuttering, track rendering issues, and occasional crashes or device-related frame drops.
  - Caveats: 29 of 104 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 12.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The clearest support for a playtime metric is the reviewer's estimate that the story takes roughly 'over ten hours', which I interpret as approximately 11-19 hours and use as storyCompletion (central value 12). Other mentions (demo 9+ hours, total 10+ hours) indicate total playtime but not completion, and the two-hour reading and two-hour song unlock are session-level observations, not full completion or stable session lengths. No evidence supports gameCompletion, sessionLength, or endgame metrics.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Rhythm Game Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience a fresh, challenging rhythm game that stands out from others in the genre.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on mastering the unique mapping and controls, pushing for higher scores and enjoying the difficulty.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Cytus 2
  - Story and Card Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: To enjoy the story, characters, and strategic card battles.
    - Playstyle: Progresses through the narrative, collects characters, and engages in card battles while sometimes ignoring the rhythm challenge.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Cautious Critic (sale)
    - Motivation: To inform potential buyers about perceived flaws and avoid regretful purchases.
    - Playstyle: Probably samples the content, but focuses on evaluating specific mechanics and presentation rather than completing the game.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Great music and sound (weight 0.4): The music selection and sound design received high praise, with reviewers calling the soundtrack fantastic, luxurious, and immersive. Good sound effects complemented the gameplay.
- Large and quality song library (weight 0.38): Reviewers praised the extensive song list, noting over 70 songs at launch with many tracks being high quality and featuring famous composers. The song variety and volume are seen as major strengths.
- Innovative and unique gameplay (weight 0.37): The rhythm gameplay is described as novel and innovative, with unique controls and fresh concepts. Some compared it to arcade experiences, highlighting its distinctiveness in the PC rhythm game space.
- Excellent art and presentation (weight 0.35): The art style and visual presentation are consistently praised as refined and beautiful, with high production value. The overall presentation and visuals are seen as top-notch.
- Excellent value for price (weight 0.33): The game offers a large amount of content—including 70 songs and over 10 hours of voiced story—making it feel worth the price. Multiple reviewers emphasized the high value relative to cost.
- High difficulty satisfying (weight 0.3): The songs are very hard in a satisfying way, and challenging gameplay is a positive for many. Difficulty is not seen as a drawback but as a rewarding aspect.
- Compelling story with voice acting (weight 0.29): The story is considered compelling and satisfying, especially with full voice acting. Reviewers found the narrative engaging and well-written, with improvements over previous works.
- Satisfying charting and difficulty (weight 0.24): The charts are well-made and satisfying to play, with difficulty levels that cater to different skill sets. High difficulties are anticipated with excitement.
- Full voice acting praised (weight 0.24): Reviewers appreciated the complete voice acting in the story, with some noting it as a significant positive. The voiced content adds to the overall experience and value.
- Solid card battle mechanics (weight 0.15): As a card battle game, it is considered excellent, with good card gameplay and a well-received card system. This aspect adds to the game's overall appeal.
- Visual novel content substantial (weight 0.13): The game includes a lengthy, solid visual novel that feels like a second game, adding significant value. The visual novel aspect is appreciated for its depth and quality.
- Story writing approved (weight 0.13): The story writing is approved, especially for the yuri content, and shows visible improvement over previous games. Non-literary texts are understandable.
- Smooth performance and no bugs (weight 0.11): The game runs smoothly with no encountered bugs, which contributes to a positive user experience. This reliability is appreciated by players.
- Story integration with songs (weight 0.1): Songs are unlocked through story progression, and some parts can be fast-forwarded, which enhances the narrative and gameplay connection. This integration is seen as a positive feature.
- Sound effects immersive (weight 0.1): Good sound effects enhance the gameplay experience, especially during tracing and flicking actions. The audio design is immersive and satisfying.
- Control scheme engaging (weight 0.09): The key and mouse control scheme is engaging and brain-training, offering a novel experience. Tweaks can be made to make it more accommodating.
- Side lanes improved visibility (weight 0.09): Side rails now have light effects added compared to the demo, making them more visible. This improvement aids gameplay clarity.
- Assist features have issues (weight 0.06): The assist feature exists but was ineffective for at least one reviewer, indicating a potential area for improvement. However, this feedback is limited.
- Good game feel and tutorial (weight 0.06): The game provides a good game feel and an effective tutorial, helping players get accustomed to the controls. This contributes to a positive initial experience.

Common complaints:
- Story progression locks content (weight 0.52): Many songs must be unlocked by completing the story, which takes hours and cannot be skipped, frustrating players who prefer direct access to rhythm gameplay.
- Too few songs initially (weight 0.38): Players report only 9 to 10 songs are playable at launch, with the rest locked behind story progression, which feels insufficient for the price and limits free play options.
- High difficulty and steep learning curve (weight 0.33): The game is extremely intense and hard to control, with charts demanding fast three-finger interactions and strict judgement, making it difficult for newcomers and even experienced players.
- Visual novel overshadows rhythm gameplay (weight 0.27): The visual novel segments are heavily emphasized and force reading, disappointing players who primarily want the rhythm game experience.
- Poor readability of side notes (weight 0.26): Notes on the leftmost and rightmost lanes are hard to see, especially with certain key colors and wide lane spacing, causing readability issues during play.
- Accessibility issues persist (weight 0.25): Issues include color blindness problems with side keys, lack of Korean translation, and manual audio calibration, which hinder the experience for some players.
- Technical performance problems (weight 0.23): Players experience frame drops, audio desync, lag spikes, and stuttering, particularly on older hardware, and some report disconnects with certain peripherals.
- Pricing feels too high (weight 0.19): Reviews indicate the price is considered expensive given the limited song count and other issues, leading to dissatisfaction with the value proposition.
- Translation quality concerns (weight 0.18): Simplified Chinese and other translations are sometimes ambiguous or lose meaning compared to Japanese audio, while Korean translation is missing entirely.
- Story mode is lengthy and unengaging (weight 0.18): The story is criticized as average and too long, with slow pacing and unskippable segments that drain player energy without adding value.
- Control scheme limitations (weight 0.14): The mouse-only control scheme is disappointing, and the inability to bind mouse to keys or use a six-key layout is a downside for some players.
- Audio latency calibration is manual only (weight 0.14): Players must manually estimate audio latency adjustment without auto-calibration, and switching audio devices requires editing a text file, a persistent issue from the first game.
- Chart design has unique patterns (weight 0.13): Charts feature traditional symmetrical writing, middle-ring finger interactions, and complex patterns like spiral stairs and forks, which may be challenging for some players.
- Reviewer complains of hand pain (weight 0.1): Intense gameplay causes hand discomfort, with one player reporting left hand pain and another mentioning issues with the five-finger layout for comfort.
- Lack of song previews (weight 0.1): No preview is available in the song library, making it hard for players to know what tracks sound like before playing or unlocking them.
- Character art is unappealing (weight 0.09): The character art is perceived as ugly and inferior to card art and covers, with a specific complaint about a disabled character's ghost-like face.
- Development focus concern (weight 0.08): Players speculate that this game's development may have neglected the previous game, and hope future unlock methods are not as difficult as arc7.0.
- Chart speed setting causes confusion (weight 0.06): A setting meant to adjust chart speed can be mistaken for mouse sensitivity, leading to player confusion during setup.
- UI preferences vary (weight 0.05): Some players miss the old pause menu UI, while others find the current design less appealing, indicating subjective but notable dissatisfaction.
- Reviewer dislikes mouse usage when injured (weight 0.05): Using the mouse with the opposite hand due to injury is annoying, highlighting a control scheme issue for some accessibility scenarios.

Gameplay feedback:
- Rhythm gameplay with unique controls (weight 0.97): The game stands out for its unconventional control schemes, such as combining one-hand keyboard operation with mouse movements or using side lanes and special keys. These controls are often described as difficult to master but innovative, and they set the game apart from typical rhythm games.
- Story progression unlocks songs (weight 0.68): A common mechanic is that songs are not available from the start but must be unlocked through a lengthy story or scenario mode. This progression system is a central feature that ties the narrative to gameplay, though some players find it tedious because story sections are not easily skippable.
- High difficulty and demanding charts (weight 0.51): Players emphasize the game's high difficulty, with charts that require fast fingers, complex patterns, and sometimes even multiple fingers on a single lane. Some compare it to a 'souls-like' experience in the rhythm genre, indicating a steep learning curve.
- Blend of music and visual novel (weight 0.48): The game combines rhythm gameplay with visual novel elements, including a fully voiced story and multiple narrative paths, making it feel like a hybrid genre. This mix is seen as a key feature but may attract a niche audience.
- Requires simultaneous coordination (weight 0.2): The control scheme often demands performing different actions with each hand, akin to patting your head and rubbing your belly, which adds to the difficulty. This is a unique challenge that some players find rewarding.
- Large initial song library (weight 0.15): The game provides a substantial number of songs at release, with over 70 tracks or a starting lineup of 9 songs in the demo, offering plenty of content for rhythm game enthusiasts. The variety is seen as a positive aspect.
- Innovative gimmicks from arcades (weight 0.15): The game introduces new gameplay mechanics that are typically only seen in arcade rhythm games, such as lane changes, sky notes, and complex key layouts. This innovation is praised for bringing fresh ideas to the PC rhythm game scene.
- Card system and deck building (weight 0.14): The game incorporates card collection and deck-building elements, which are combined with rhythm and visual novel features. This adds a strategic layer that some players find engaging.
- Demo version with difficulty levels (weight 0.11): A demo version is available that includes a third difficulty level, allowing players to sample the game’s challenge before purchase. This is seen as a helpful way to gauge the game's difficulty.
- Customizable settings for charts (weight 0.06): Options such as adjusting chart speed and audio offset are available, allowing players to fine-tune their experience. This is a standard but appreciated feature in rhythm games.
- Story non-skippable sections (weight 0.06): While some story sections can be fast-forwarded, they cannot be fully skipped, which can frustrate players who want to focus solely on gameplay. This is a minor but notable complaint.
- Level-based unlocks instead of story (weight 0.06): Aside from story progression, some songs are unlocked through levels or other progression systems, offering an alternative to story-driven unlocking. This may appeal to players who prefer not to engage with the narrative.
- Difficulty differences are large (weight 0.06): The difficulty between charts varies widely, which can be jarring for players. It may be both a positive (for variety) and a negative (for inconsistent challenge).
- Fully voiced story enhances immersion (weight 0.06): The story mode is fully voiced, which enhances the visual novel aspect and makes the narrative more engaging. This is a positive feature for fans of story-driven games.
- Supports 5K and 6K layouts (weight 0.06): The game offers both 5-key and 6-key control layouts, providing flexibility for players with different preferences or skill levels. This is a convenience for those accustomed to other rhythm games.
- Mouse controls placed under keyboard (weight 0.05): Some control setups place the mouse below the keyboard, requiring players to use the back of their hands to operate it, which is an unusual and awkward ergonomic choice. This can be a barrier for some players.
- Specific key removals suggested (weight 0.05): For a more orthodox playstyle, some players suggest removing the Caps Lock and G keys, indicating that the default key mapping may not be optimized for all users. This is a niche complaint.
- Energy-consuming story system (weight 0.05): The story mode consumes energy, which may limit how much a player can progress in one session. This is a mechanic that some find restrictive.
- Mapping built over time (weight 0.05): The game's mapping (chart design) is built progressively, meaning that difficulty and complexity increase as the player advances. This is a deliberate design choice that some appreciate for its pacing.
- Single-hand resistance to double notes (weight 0.04): There is a mechanic where the player must resist double notes with a single hand, which tests coordination and endurance. This is a specific challenge that may be polarizing.

Performance notes:
- Performance stuttering and optimization issues (weight 0.16): Multiple clusters highlight performance problems, including track stuttering, random lag spikes, and stuttering caused by the Vulkan renderer. These issues impact gameplay smoothness across various systems.
- Audio lag and desync bugs (weight 0.15): Audio lag occurs during gameplay, and a desync bug appears after extended playtime. Manual audio latency adjustment is inconvenient for players.
- Frame drops in specific scenes (weight 0.11): Frame drops happen during a specific music cutscene and with Razer 2.4G devices, indicating targeted performance issues.
- Launch failures due to environment (weight 0.11): The game fails to launch on the latest Windows update and may crash at launch, but can be fixed by installing or repairing Visual C++. This suggests compatibility issues with certain system configurations.
- Hardware-specific disconnect issues (weight 0.06): Intermittent disconnections occur for a specific 2.4G Razer V2 Pro mouse, possibly related to wireless device interference.
- Good performance on low-end PCs (weight 0.05): The game runs well on low-end PCs, indicating that performance issues may be isolated to certain hardware or settings.

Recommendations:
- Value for money debated (weight 0.26): Opinions on value are mixed: some strongly endorse the game and are willing to pay more, while others say it is worth every penny. However, there is also advice to wait for discounts, indicating a wide range of perceived value.
- Content volume insufficient (weight 0.2): The game includes only 10 songs, which many players find a hard sell. Reviewers suggest waiting for more content or a cheaper price, and hope that upcoming content will be free to increase value.
- Control issues deter recommendation (weight 0.15): Some reviewers do not recommend the game due to problematic side keys, and for those interested in single-hand 6K plus mouse rhythm gameplay. The lack of proper key binding support, such as rebinding the F key to a mouse click, exacerbates the issue.
- Genre mix niche appeal (weight 0.11): The game blends rhythm, card, and visual novel genres, which is recommended only for those who accept this mix. It is not straightforwardly recommended for those seeking a pure rhythm game; think twice before purchasing for that purpose.
- Time investment required (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for those with ample time but hard to recommend for those with limited time. This suggests a significant time commitment is necessary to enjoy the experience.
- Art quality disappoints (weight 0.06): Character art is significantly uglier than the card art and covers, which may disappoint players interested in the story. This visual discrepancy is a notable drawback for those expecting consistency in artwork.
- Challenge seekers encouraged (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those looking for a challenging rhythm game experience, appealing to players who enjoy a steep difficulty curve and testing their skills.
- Translation quality varies (weight 0.06): One reviewer recommends playing with traditional Chinese instead of simplified Chinese due to translation quality differences. This may affect the overall narrative experience for players using certain language settings.

Other player notes:
- Made by Arcaea developers (weight 0.3): The game is developed by lowiro, the studio behind Arcaea, and is often seen as a spiritual successor or 'Arcaea 2'. Fans of Arcaea are the primary early adopters.
- High launch price (weight 0.23): Several reviews mention the game was expensive at launch, though one calls the price reasonable. The high cost may be justified by the large amount of content.
- Story and voice acting extensive (weight 0.22): The game includes a fully voiced story with over 10 hours of content, making the visual novel a major focus. This is a significant draw for players who enjoy narrative-driven games.
- Difficulty challenges with keyboard (weight 0.21): The game requires keyboard use, and reviewers note unconventional hand positioning, especially on ISO layouts, and difficulty with side notes. Some users with specific devices (e.g., Razer 2.4G) face issues.
- 70 songs at launch (weight 0.2): Multiple reviews state the game has around 70 songs at launch, while one notes only 10 and another says 9. This discrepancy suggests possible editions or confusion about the song list.
- Story progression unlocks songs (weight 0.19): Song unlocks are tied to story progression, with some segments skippable. This structure combines narrative and gameplay, but may frustrate players who prefer direct access.
- Mixed visual novel and rhythm (weight 0.19): The game blends visual novel, rhythm gameplay, and card or color-matching elements, similar to Atelier. This genre mix is a unique selling point but may not appeal to all rhythm game fans.
- Comparison to other rhythm games (weight 0.16): The game is compared to Cytus 2, osu!, SDVX, and souls-likes within the rhythm genre. These comparisons highlight its structure, difficulty, and unique PC experience.
- Extensive music library praised (weight 0.14): The music library is described as extensive and luxurious, with many tracks. The song selection is considered comparable to Arcaea in quality, which is high praise.
- Future content expansions expected (weight 0.13): Players expect rapid content and track expansions based on Arcaea's update pattern, with hopes for an Arcaea pack including songs like Arcahv. DLC additions are also anticipated.
- Green devil character included (weight 0.1): A character referred to as the green devil is included, appealing to fans of a previous game. This is a nod to existing players and adds nostalgic value.
- Poor Simplified Chinese translation (weight 0.1): The Simplified Chinese translation quality is criticized as poor, which could hamper the experience for Chinese-speaking players despite the language being an option.
- Demo influenced purchase decision (weight 0.1): Several reviewers played the demo before release, spending nearly three hours in it. The demo helped set expectations and build trust in the final product.
- Lack of Korean localization (weight 0.09): Korean language support is not provided at launch, which may exclude or disappoint Korean-speaking players. This is a notable gap in accessibility.
- Judge strictness similar to Arcaea (weight 0.06): The game's judgment timing is similar to Arcaea, which is noted by experienced players. This familiarity will help Arcaea veterans perform well.
- Story and hard songs are highlights (weight 0.06): Players highlight the story and difficult songs as the best aspects of the game. The challenge and narrative depth are seen as strong selling points.
- Story translation differs from Japanese (weight 0.06): The story translation deviates from the original Japanese in some places, potentially altering the intended narrative or tone. This is a concern for players who value fidelity.
- Mouse remapping blocked (weight 0.06): The game prevents remapping mouse movement to keyboard keys, which limits control customization. This is a frustration for players who prefer keyboard-only setups.
- Audio has ASIO support (weight 0.06): The game supports ASIO audio output, which is appreciated by players with professional audio setups. This is a positive feature for audio enthusiasts.
- Windows security update compatibility (weight 0.06): There are concerns that the game might not work with the latest Windows security update, potentially causing launch or performance issues for some users.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Players are frustrated by the slow story-gated song unlock system, which requires reading a lengthy visual novel without proper translation support and cannot be skipped. Additionally, technical issues such as audio desync, lag spikes, and difficult note readability (due to lane colors, spacing, and timing drift) add to the frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.2): Satisfaction arises from the polished gameplay mechanics, high-quality presentation, and a large library of over 70 songs. The combination of a visual novel and rhythm game, along with strong music and art, makes the experience feel rewarding and worth the price.
- Excitement (weight 0.16): Excitement comes from the novel control scheme that challenges players to use their left hand in innovative ways, as well as the anticipation of high difficulty levels and included bonus content like the green devil king. The game's unique approach to rhythm on PC with ASIO support also fuels enthusiasm.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment stems from the limited number of launch songs, the heavy focus on the visual novel which feels like refund prevention, and the unexpected mouse-only control scheme. The lack of a rating system and poor side note readability further detract from the experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.09): Players find the awkward hand placements required by the control scheme humorous, especially when using a mouse under the keyboard. Sarcastic comments about hand comfort while praising the music library also contribute to the amusement.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Appreciation is driven by the well-crafted story, fantastic music, and refined art style with immersive sound design. Players notice the visible effort and quality that justify the price.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Enjoyment comes from the brain-training aspects and satisfying mouse controls, along with excellent music and unique, challenging gameplay. The high-quality art and song list enhance the fun factor.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Hope is expressed that the developer will avoid difficult unlock methods like the one in arc7.0 and return to the essence of rhythm games. Players also hope that future content updates justify the high price.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is inspired by the excellent writing, visuals, and animation production, which are considered cool and high-budget despite the game coming from a small indie team.
- Anticipation (weight 0.04): Players anticipate future updates that may add an Arcaea pack and expand game content. They also expect a tough learning curve before getting used to the game, which builds anticipation.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.04): Dissatisfaction is due to the too-few initial songs and the slow story-driven unlock progression. The initial count of 9 songs is seen as insufficient for the price.
- Approval (weight 0.04): Approval is given for the yuri story writing, which is appreciated for its quality. The voice acting and reasonable gameplay progression also earn approval.
- Difficulty (weight 0.02): Difficulty is felt because the gameplay pace is too fast for the player's hands to keep up, making the game challenging to play.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance arises from the forced use of the mouse with the wrong hand due to a broken left hand, which hampers the gaming experience.
- Disgust (weight 0.02): Disgust is triggered by the ugly character art, particularly Ayame's face, and chart designs that include awkward finger interactions, spiral stairs, and fork patterns.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Relief is felt because the game was played without encountering any bugs, providing a smooth and pleasant experience.
- Pain (weight 0.02): Pain is experienced in the left hand from playing, indicating the physical strain the game can cause.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Addiction is driven by the addictive nature of the song in falsus, which keeps players coming back to play.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Affection is developed for the character Niasdoli, described as cute, and the voice acting is a significant positive addition.
- Bemusement (weight 0.02): Bemusement is prompted by the bizarre concept of a 5-finger play on 6K in a world where lying leads to being crossed out, which is both strange and intriguing.}