Info about SeaBed:

Official game description:
Audio Novel Collection Bundle Now Available!
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Complete the Audio Novel Collection to unlock the 4th Extra Episode for free!
About the Game
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**SeaBed** is a critically acclaimed yuri-themed psychological mystery visual novel told through the perspectives of three separate characters: Mizuno Sachiko, a designer plagued by hallucinations of her past lover; Narasaki Hibiki, Sachiko's friend and a psychiatrist researching the workings of human memories; and Takako, Sachiko's former lover who has been rapidly forgetting her past, including how or why the two women drifted apart despite being together since childhood.
All three live in different worlds, but seek the same goal. To separate truth from illusion. To make sense of their own lives.
The Steam version of SeaBed has been updated to natively support 1440x1080 resolution.
Characters:
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_"At times, I'd wake up at night and hear all the sounds around me as if they were amplified. I'd feel like my head could burst at any second."_
Although she moved to Tokyo straight after graduating university in order to seek employment, Mizuno Sachiko soon quit her job to establish Clover Design with her childhood friend Takako, becoming its young CEO.
Her main hobby is reading, but only because nothing else manages to interest her. Although Sachiko used to be quite an avid reader during her school years, finding a job means she now only opens a book every once in a while, whenever her schedule allows it.
After meeting Takako – an inexhaustible source of enthusiasm, as well as a stark contrast to her own personality – during her childhood years, Sachiko’s interests began to shift to whatever the other woman was doing at a given time.
_"This is as good a time as any, so let's check it out."_
Endlessly interested in and enthusiastic about the world, Takako gives the impression of a woman perpetually stuck in her childhood.
She fell in love with Sachiko at first sight back when they first met at the age of five. However, she does not identify as a homosexual, stressing that Sachiko simply happened to be a woman.
Takako discovers that she suffers from developmental amnesia, a condition that severely impairs her ability to recall many of her memories.
_"I just like observing people."_
A psychiatrist at Narasaki Mental Clinic. She was Sachiko's classmate and friend during her elementary school years, but the two drifted apart as they enrolled in different middle schools. After learning that Sachiko has been experiencing hallucinations, she takes it upon herself to treat her.
She is extremely picky about her brand of coffee, perhaps because the beverage serves as her sole companion during those long hours spent immersed in research.
Though not religious, she is a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and all things have their place and order in the grand scheme of the world.

Release date: Dec 19, 2017

Categories: Visual Novel, Yuri, Psychological Mystery, Kinetic Novel, Slice-of-Life, Atmospheric, Multiple Perspectives

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 30; verdict: Minor tweaks required; summary: The single Linux/Proton review reports a specific issue: the ending video fails to play back on Proton 11. No other compatibility problems are mentioned, suggesting the game itself runs. This is a minor graphical quirk rather than a launch blocker or major instability, so the game likely works well overall with a small tweak.
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Tinkering required; summary: The game is playable on Steam Deck but has a Proton-specific issue where the ending video fails to play, and users report black screens during spoiler sections. These problems require manual Proton version adjustment and may cause minor visual disruptions, but the core gameplay remains accessible.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $8.00 - $12.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews show a split: one player endorses the full price, while another feels it wasn't worth the money spent. A third explicitly states that buying on sale is not a loss, implying the full price may be too high. The fourth expresses regret over the purchase, suggesting the price exceeded the perceived value. Combined, the community seems to consider a price below the full price fair, likely in the range of typical sale discounts for visual novels. Given the game's large text volume and quality, a fair base-game price range of $8-$12 USD aligns with these sentiments.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews report completion times ranging from 13 to 43 hours, with 20 hours being the most frequently cited estimate for finishing the main story. The 43-hour and 28-hour reports reflect slower or more immersive playthroughs, while 15 hours is given for a slow reading speed. A review mentioning two-hour reading sessions supports a typical session length of about 2 hours. No evidence exists for endgame content, as this is a kinetic novel with no post-story activities.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game opens with a slow, atmospheric prologue that can bore or confuse players, but those who persist past the first few hours find the story and twists increasingly rewarding.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: The story becomes interesting
  - Time to anchor: 3h 0m
  - Friction: slow pacing; boring prologue; confusing dual-thread narration; boring slice-of-life events; boring characters
  - Unlock drivers: story becoming interesting; leisurely vibe growing on the player; surprise and twists; investment in the quiet world
  - Conditions: players who appreciate detailed character studies; players willing to invest time; patience with slow pacing; not expecting action or interactivity
- Player Archetypes:
  - Yuri Devotee (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience a genuine, emotionally resonant lesbian romance and connection
    - Playstyle: Reads slowly, focuses on character relationships and emotional beats, may skip non-romance content
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: yuri fan; pufferfish
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Literary Atmosphere Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: To appreciate the prose, psychological depth, and atmospheric storytelling
    - Playstyle: Reads carefully, savors descriptions, may re-read passages, focuses on narrative style and subtext
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Patient VN Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: To immerse in detailed, slow-burn narratives and appreciate the craft of storytelling
    - Playstyle: Patient, reads all text, tolerates slow pacing, focuses on world-building and character development
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Pacing-Sensitive Skeptic (no buy)
    - Motivation: To find an engaging plot with satisfying pacing, but was disappointed by the slow burn
    - Playstyle: Prefers faster-paced narratives, may skim or drop the game when interest wanes
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - 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:
- Story is emotionally powerful (weight 0.55): The story is consistently described as deeply moving, touching, and emotionally impactful, leaving a strong lasting impression on players. It evokes powerful feelings and is hard to let go of.
- Story is well-written (weight 0.26): The story and character writing are described as amazing, fantastic, and of high quality, above average for the genre. The narrative is unique, delicate, and impressive, with excellent prose-like restraint.
- Music enhances atmosphere (weight 0.24): The soundtrack and sound effects are praised for creating a strong, immersive atmosphere that complements the scenes well. The music is described as well-done, catchy, and fitting, with clever use of environmental sounds.
- Beautiful and artistic game (weight 0.22): The game is described as beautiful, memorable, and feeling like a work of art. It is praised as a masterpiece with great visuals and a compelling story.
- Daily life scenes are touching (weight 0.2): The daily life scenes are sweet, heartwarming, and relatable, building characters and relationships well. Emotions are embedded in these plain yet moving scenes, making them easy to read and deeply touching.
- Mystery elements engage readers (weight 0.19): The story features a bit of mystery that unfolds gradually, with clues for deduction and a framework of increasing mysteries. These elements make players want to keep reading and reward careful attention.
- Excellent yuri visual novel (weight 0.17): The game is celebrated as a masterpiece in the yuri genre, with real, top-tier love stories and unique depth. It is considered a classic mystery yuri and a favorite among fans of pure love GL.
- Themes of love and loss (weight 0.14): The game explores themes of love, memory, loss, reconciliation, and remembrance after death in a powerful and thought-provoking way. It also discusses philosophical themes of life, death, and existence accessibly.
- Atmosphere is immersive (weight 0.11): The game's atmosphere is well-established with plain description and fitting BGM, creating a strong and immersive experience. The sense of atmosphere is described as impeccable and powerful.
- Story is slow and gentle (weight 0.08): The story is described as slow, delicate, gentle, and beautiful, with a narrative that is detailed and immersive. It is praised for its subtle emotional delivery and lasting effect.
- Highly enjoyable experience (weight 0.08): The game matches the reviewer's taste, meets expectations, and is described as wonderful and one of their favorites. It is highly enjoyable and leaves a strong positive impression.
- Character Narasaki is well-developed (weight 0.07): The side character Narasaki is highlighted as likable and one of the best written characters, with excellent character development. This adds depth to the story and enhances the overall experience.

Common complaints:
- Slow pacing (weight 0.42): The game's pacing is consistently described as very slow, with a long build-up that can test patience and lead to boredom. This is a common complaint across many reviews, affecting the overall enjoyment.
- Unclear dialogue speaker identification (weight 0.33): Dialogue often lacks speaker names or indicators, forcing players to infer who is speaking, which can be confusing and require rereading. This issue is compounded by the lack of voice acting and text color distinctions.
- Boring daily-life segments (weight 0.27): A significant portion of the game is dedicated to mundane daily-life scenes that are overly descriptive and tedious, making the experience feel dull and hard to get through. This is a major factor in the game's slow pacing.
- Confusing narrative structure (weight 0.17): The story is fragmented, non-chronological, and mixes memories, hallucinations, and reality, making it hard to follow. This confusion is exacerbated by unclear speaker identification and perspective shifts.
- Long and boring prologue (weight 0.15): The prologue is noted as the longest section of the game and is considered boring, which can be off-putting and wear down the player's patience early on. This contributes to the game's slow start.
- Poor system UI (weight 0.13): The system UI is described as very bad, dated, and almost crude, which negatively impacts the user experience. This is a significant technical flaw in the game's presentation.
- High barrier to entry (weight 0.11): The game has a high barrier to entry due to its large text volume, lack of voice acting, and obscure plot, making it a niche work. This can be intimidating for new players.
- Unrefined CG and character art (weight 0.09): The CG and character proportions are not refined, and the character art is considered poor. This visual issue detracts from the overall presentation of the game.
- Lack of Chinese localization (weight 0.06): The game is only in English with no official Chinese translation, making it hard to read for Chinese-speaking players. This is a significant accessibility issue for a portion of the audience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Visual novel with heavy text (weight 0.65): The game is a text-heavy visual novel with a long, novel-like story, often compared to reading a book. It focuses on atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and daily-life scenes, with a large text volume of about 470,000 characters.
- Yuri-themed visual novel (weight 0.41): The game is a yuri (girls' love) visual novel, often described as a galgame or AVG. It features a romantic story between female characters, sometimes with mystery elements.
- No voice acting or choices (weight 0.37): The game has no voice acting, no dialogue boxes, and no branching choices, making it a pure kinetic novel. It relies solely on text and narration, with no player interaction beyond reading.
- Multi-perspective narrative structure (weight 0.3): The story is told through multiple perspectives, with frequent shifts between timelines and characters. This fragmented, interleaved narrative structure is a key feature of the game's storytelling.
- Slow-paced slice-of-life story (weight 0.26): The game is a slow-burning, slice-of-life visual novel with extensive daily-life scenes. The pacing is deliberately slow, focusing on descriptive, atmospheric storytelling rather than fast action.
- Long playtime around 20 hours (weight 0.19): The game takes approximately 20 hours to complete, with estimates ranging from 10 to 30 hours depending on reading speed. The length is due to the large amount of text and slow pacing.
- Fragmented memories and reality (weight 0.17): The narrative mixes memories, hallucinations, and reality, creating an unreliable and fragmented storytelling experience. This adds a psychological and mysterious layer to the story.
- Novel-like prose style (weight 0.17): The game is structured like a novel, with long-form prose instead of dialogue boxes. It reads more like a book than a typical visual novel, with restrained emotional expression.
- Stream-of-consciousness narration (weight 0.08): The narrative uses stream-of-consciousness style with frequent perspective shifts and jumping between thoughts. This technique enhances the psychological and fragmented nature of the story.

Performance notes:
- Ending video fails on Linux (weight 0.04): The ending video cannot be played in Proton 11 on Linux, preventing players from seeing the conclusion of the game.
- Game stuck on loading screen (weight 0.04): The game gets stuck on the loading screen with a black screen, indicating a potential startup or compatibility issue.
- Game runs well on Steam Deck (weight 0.04): The game runs great on the Steam Deck, providing a positive experience for handheld players.
- Black bars in fullscreen mode (weight 0.04): In fullscreen mode, two black columns appear on the sides of the screen, likely due to aspect ratio or resolution handling issues.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for yuri fans (weight 0.34): Multiple reviewers recommend this game specifically to fans of yuri (GL) stories, emphasizing its appeal to enthusiasts of the genre. The game is praised for its realistic and heavy yuri themes, making it a must-play for this audience.
- Requires patience and calm (weight 0.32): The game is recommended for players who are calm, patient, and can appreciate a slow, literary experience. Impatient or restless players are advised against playing, as the pacing demands a relaxed mindset.
- Must-play for target audience (weight 0.31): Some reviewers strongly recommend the game as a must-play for its intended audience, praising its quality and emotional depth. It is considered absolutely worth playing, even at full price.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.29): The game is described as picky and not suitable for all players, with a high entry barrier and an acquired taste. Reviewers caution that it may not appeal to a general audience due to its niche nature.
- Appreciate literary and emotional depth (weight 0.22): The game is recommended for players who value story-driven experiences with emotional depth and character complexity. It appeals to those who enjoy books and literary works, offering a serious and melancholic narrative.
- Niche and acquired taste (weight 0.15): The game is described as niche and an acquired taste, with a slow-burning nature that makes it hard to recommend broadly. It is best for those who can connect with its specific style and wavelength.
- Check fit before buying (weight 0.13): Reviewers suggest watching a playthrough or playing the prologue to see if the game fits, and advise running away if it doesn't. This helps avoid disappointment for mismatched players.
- Play when in good mood (weight 0.12): The game is recommended to be played when in a good mood and with a large block of time, as it can be emotionally heavy and requires immersion. Playing on workdays is discouraged because it may cause crying.
- Not for those disliking daily life (weight 0.1): The game contains long mundane daily-life segments that can be skipped without affecting the main plot, but are not for those who dislike slice-of-life content. Reviewers caution against buying if one cannot endure this.
- Emotional and tear-jerking (weight 0.1): The game is noted for its emotional impact, with reviewers mentioning it can make you cry and is suitable even for those afraid of sad endings. It offers a story about loss and remembrance.
- Not for beginners (weight 0.09): The game is not recommended for those new to visual novels or who do not read much, due to difficult English text and complex structure. Beginners may find the entry barrier too high.
- Not for lighthearted romance (weight 0.08): The game is not recommended for those expecting a lighthearted romance between two girls, as it likely will not meet such expectations. The romance is limited and the tone is heavy.
- Avoid spoilers (weight 0.08): Reviewers advise against reading Steam reviews or analysis videos to avoid spoilers, and recommend reading spoilers only for those who care about plot logic. This suggests the story is best experienced blind.
- Not for fast-paced readers (weight 0.08): The game is not recommended for readers who prefer fast-paced literature or those who skip dialogue. It requires careful reading and appreciation of details, making it unsuitable for skimming.
- Second playthrough recommended (weight 0.06): Reviewers suggest a second playthrough to fully appreciate the story and find clues from earlier in the game. This indicates the narrative has layers that benefit from replay.
- Read tips and spoilers (weight 0.06): Reviewers recommend reading tips as they unlock and reading spoilers for players who care about plot and character logic. This enhances understanding and appreciation of the story.
- Consider discount purchase (weight 0.03): One reviewer recommends buying the game on discount due to its very large text volume, suggesting that the price may be a consideration for some players.
- Play after another game (weight 0.03): The game is recommended to be played after another game, implying a connection or prerequisite that enhances the experience. This is a specific recommendation for certain players.

Other player notes:
- Extensive text volume (weight 0.38): The game contains roughly 470,000 characters of text, equivalent to three books or a substantial novel. This makes it a lengthy reading experience.
- Long playtime (weight 0.24): Completion time ranges from 8 to 20 hours, with most reviewers citing 10-15 hours. Fast readers may finish in about 10 hours, while default speed takes at least 13.
- Developer and publisher (weight 0.18): The game was developed by Paleontology and published by Fruitbat Factory in 2016. It originated as a doujin circle work, which is notable given its high quality.
- Literary quality (weight 0.15): Reviewers compare the game to literature or a carefully crafted film, noting it feels more like a serious literary work than a typical visual novel. This elevates its perceived artistic value.
- Yuri visual novel (weight 0.14): The game is consistently described as a yuri visual novel, often considered a masterpiece of the genre. It also leans toward psychological mystery rather than pure romance.
- Translation availability (weight 0.13): The game has both an official Chinese translation based on the Japanese original and a fan translation based on the English version. A complete Chinese fan translation patch is also available.
- Rich audio and visuals (weight 0.1): The game includes 63 BGM tracks and around 93-100 unique CGs, providing a substantial audiovisual experience. This enhances the overall presentation.
- Free asset music (weight 0.09): The game's music and BGM are sourced from free asset libraries, which some reviewers note as fitting but not original. This is a minor technical detail.
- Supportive purchase (weight 0.06): Some reviewers bought the game on Steam specifically to support the developers, indicating a strong sense of community and appreciation for the work.
- Alternative purchase option (weight 0.05): The game is available on DLsite at a lower price than on Steam, offering a more affordable option for players. This is a practical consideration for buyers.

Emotions:
- Sadness (weight 0.14): The story is a tragedy centered on loss, grief, and permanent separation, with the protagonist losing her lover and having to live on alone. Key scenes like the final phone call, the train ride, and the protagonist's slow acceptance of her lover's death evoke deep, long-lasting sadness, often making reviewers cry.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Reviewers appreciate the game's delicate, restrained writing, which effectively conveys themes of love, memory, and loss. The well-crafted characters, atmospheric music, and detailed daily-life descriptions are praised as a rare gem, with the official Chinese translation faithfully preserving the original tone.
- Moved (weight 0.08): The story's themes of love, loss, and reconciliation, along with the emotional buildup and final phone call scene, deeply move players. The plain, restrained text carries surging emotion, and the daily-life scenes become meaningful as the story progresses, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
- Admiration (weight 0.08): Reviewers admire the game's writing quality, narrative design, and emotional depth, often calling it a masterpiece and a peak of the yuri genre. The protagonist's strength, the characters' transcendent way of living, and the author's use of plain language to express deep emotions are highly praised.
- Frustration (weight 0.05): Frustration arises from technical issues like the achievement for viewing all TIPS not unlocking and the UI requiring excessive clicking. The narrative structure with repeated flashbacks, slow pacing, and lack of voice acting make it hard to follow and empathize, leading to a confusing and tedious experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.04): The game's slow pacing and excessive daily-life content, especially in the prologue and early chapters, are described as boring and tedious. The lack of conflict or progress in the first few hours, along with flat writing, makes it hard for some reviewers to stay engaged.
- Disappointment (weight 0.02): Disappointment stems from the game not living up to its reputation as a masterpiece, with some finding the writing too restrained and lacking impact. Technical inconveniences like limited save slots and no voice acting, along with an incomplete ending and underwhelming mystery answers, also contribute.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Reviewers feel satisfied with the rewarding and bittersweet ending, where the protagonist gets a good ending and the final twist makes the experience worthwhile. The emotional writing provides a sense of fulfillment, and everything clicks into place after reading the last lines.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): The game's atmosphere, music, and vivid memories of the characters' shared 'Golden Time' evoke nostalgia. The daily-life scenes become precious in hindsight, and the digitized photos and drawings remind reviewers of vacation memories, leaving a strong and lasting impression.
- Love (weight 0.02): Reviewers express deep love for the game's story, characters, and the enduring love between the characters. The narrative conveys deep emotional bonds, and the unforgettable journey the game takes players on fosters a strong fondness despite any flaws.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the game's chaotic narrative mixing timelines, perspectives, and hallucination with reality. The lack of clear speaker attribution, low character differentiation, and no voice acting make it difficult to follow who is speaking, leading to a confusing experience.
- Overwhelmed (weight 0.01): The plain narration of powerful emotions, especially in the last two chapters, overwhelms players, causing them to cry throughout. The immense sense of longing and the intensity of the story, compared to Signalis, leave a strong emotional impact.
- Pain (weight 0.01): The story's extreme suppressed regret, the truth about the doctor being a virtual existence, and the realistic contrast between beautiful memories and harsh reality cause emotional pain. The soothing background music combined with the tragic events makes the experience deeply painful.
- Comfort (weight 0.01): The game provides comfort through its healing story, calm and warm background music, and comfortable visuals. The description of a beautiful, quiet port town and the message of remembrance and moving forward give players courage and a sense of peace.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret is felt over the story's ending and the fates of the characters, as their final choice, though best for both, is still regrettable. Some reviewers also regret the mystery overshadowing emotional expression, or not having encountered the work earlier.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): The strong atmosphere and layered characters make it easy to become absorbed in the game. The story's loneliness and desolation gradually immerse players, and the pace increases, making the game fully immersive as questions are explained.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Reviewers are in awe of the game's stunning quality and the discovery of foreshadowing planted earlier in the story. The romantic answer to the question of staying together reveals a glimpse of eternity in a fleeting world, making the game beautiful and impactful.
- Emotional impact (weight 0.01): The story slowly and methodically splits your heart down the middle, with the truth revealed later connecting previous thoughts. The restrained writing style and emotional depth, combined with the game's story and music, evoke strong feelings.
- Warmth (weight 0.01): The daily interactions between Sachiko and Kiku are warm and cute, and the relationships between the female characters are heartwarming. The story, though sad, gives a warm feeling like being lost in a calm sea, with the idea that people live on in the hearts of those who love them.
- Envy (weight 0.01): Reviewers envy the relationship between the two characters that transcends time and life, as they live for a meaning that transcends time. The daily life relationship depicted in the game and the bond between the two main characters are deeply envied.}