Dawn Bell Horror Adventure Launches on Steam
This launch adds a compact, narrative-driven horror title to Steam's indie scene, with a cooperative memory-loss premise and a low price point that may appeal to fans of short-form atmospheric adventures.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
Developer USAGI STORE released the 2D side-scrolling horror adventure game 'Dawn Bell' on Steam on June 23. The game follows Rosa, a girl who wakes up in an unfamiliar old castle with no memory of her name or past. She meets a boy who has also lost his memory, and the two cooperate to explore the castle, collecting notes and items to solve puzzles and evade grotesque monsters. The story features a multi-ending system with four different outcomes, and the player's choices influence which ending they reach. The game is priced at 700 yen, with a 20% launch discount reducing it to 560 yen until July 8. A demo version is also available. Alongside the game, USAGI STORE released the 'Dawn Bell Original Soundtrack' for 150 yen, also discounted to 120 yen during the same two-week sale period. The soundtrack includes in-game BGM and bonus tracks. The estimated playtime to see all routes is about 90 to 120 minutes.
USAGI STORE is the developer behind the game. The press release, published in full by Denfaminicogamer, describes the title as a "side-scrolling 2D horror ADV." The game's official website is listed at dawnbell.usagistore.com.
The boy Rosa meets in the castle is also amnesiac. The two cooperate to solve "mysteries and gimmicks" set within the castle, according to the press release. The story's four endings are influenced by the player's choices and actions. The diary left in the castle gradually reveals lost memories and hidden truths, Game Spark notes.
During exploration, players may encounter "grotesque beings with strange shapes," Game Spark writes. The press release advises players to "dodge traps blocking your path and escape to safe places." The estimated playtime to see all routes is about 90 to 120 minutes.
The 'Dawn Bell Original Soundtrack' includes in-game BGM and bonus tracks. Both the game and soundtrack are sold at 20% off for a limited two-week period ending July 8. A demo version is also available on Steam.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.