Dear me, I was… — Everything We Know

Arc System Works, a developer famous for fast-paced fighting games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, is taking a major creative turn with Dear me, I was…. This upcoming adventure title is a quiet, emotional experience meant to explore the story of a woman’s life, all without using any dialogue or text. Designed as a short, interactive story, this game is built around emotion, visuals, and music. Below is everything we currently know about Dear me, I was….

What is, Dear me, I was…?

Dear me, I was… is an interactive, story-driven adventure game. Unlike typical games that use lots of spoken dialogue or on-screen text, this one removes all of that entirely. It tells a deeply personal story using only visuals, animation, character behavior, and sound design.

The game focuses on real-life experiences and emotions in a unique way. It features things like growing up, love, grief, connection, and personal reflection. According to Arc System Works, it’s designed with women in mind, suggesting the emotional tone and themes are tailored to speak to female players in particular, though anyone can enjoy it.

Story

While the full plot of Dear me, I was… hasn’t been revealed yet, we do know the basic structure. The game follows one woman across seven chapters, each showing a different stage of her life. These chapters seem to cover childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.

The story doesn’t follow a traditional hero’s journey or an action-packed plot. Instead, it’s about ordinary but meaningful moments, like walking alone or reconnecting with family. Scenes shown in the teaser include quiet city streets, cafés, and rainy afternoons.

Even without words, the game aims to connect emotionally with players. Each moment is designed to feel real and intimate. You’re not just watching this character’s life, you’re experiencing it alongside her. The developers also confirmed the game will have multiple endings. While the exact method for unlocking these hasn’t been explained, it seems your small decisions and interactions throughout the game will change how the story wraps up.

Gameplay

Although Dear me, I was… leans heavily into storytelling, it isn’t a pure walking simulator or visual novel. It does include interactive gameplay elements, mostly in the form of puzzles that are naturally integrated into the story. Now, instead of solving traditional logic puzzles or picking dialogue options, players will interact with the world in subtle ways. These actions may include using motion controls, touch inputs, or other features unique to the Nintendo Switch 2. However, these mechanics haven’t been officially revealed, but insider leaks suggest the game is built entirely using the console’s hardware.

Each of the seven chapters is expected to introduce new gameplay styles that reflect the stage of life the character is in. For example, childhood might involve playful or imaginative puzzles, while adulthood could feature more grounded, emotional interactions.

One of the most surprising details is the game’s length. It’s only about an hour long. Arc System Works describes it as an “interactive short film” rather than a full-length adventure game. But even in that short time, they promise a rich, memorable experience. The game encourages replaying to see different outcomes, so there’s still value in returning to it.

Another standout element is the art style. The game blends hand-painted watercolor visuals with rotoscoping. This is a technique where real human movements are traced to make the animation feel lifelike. This gives the game a soft, dreamlike look, almost like watching a living painting.

Development

Arc System Works is well-known for its flashy, competitive fighting games. That’s why, Dear me, I was… feels like such a surprising project. It’s a complete shift in tone and gameplay style. The studio seems to be exploring new creative ground, focusing on quiet, personal storytelling instead of action.

The watercolor art is led by Taisuke Kanasaki, who previously worked on narrative-driven titles like Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Another Code: Recollection. His work brings a soft vibe to the game that contrasts with Arc’s usual bold, sharp style. One of the most technically interesting parts of development is how the team blends rotoscoping and hand-drawn backgrounds. The goal is to make the game feel like an animated film. Each frame is designed to be expressive, showing emotion through body language and camera movement instead of words.

Creating a game with no text at all also requires a unique approach to storytelling. Therefore, the devs had to focus on sound, visuals, and pacing to make sure players still understand what’s happening. This likely required a lot of trial and error during development.

Trailer

The official trailer for Dear me, I was… is short and vague. It doesn’t show much gameplay or puzzle-solving, but it does set the tone for what to expect. The scenes include quiet walks, emotional glances, and slow moments of solitude, all painted in the game’s distinctive watercolor style.

Interestingly, there’s no UI, no menu, and no subtitles. Everything is visual. The music is soft and reflective, which suggests the soundtrack will play a major role in helping players feel the story. Notably, the trailer doesn’t reveal much about how the branching endings or player choices work, and no puzzles are shown. Before the trailer was officially released, there were leaks hinting at the project. These leaks referred to it as a “silent adventure,” and that description turned out to be very accurate.

Release Date, Platforms, and Editions

Dear me, I was… is set to release in summer 2025, with the exact launch date yet to be announced. The game will launch exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, taking full advantage of the system’s new features. It will be available as a digital-only release, meaning no physical copies will be sold. With a playtime of around 60 minutes, this visual novel is designed as a compact, emotionally driven experience, and will be priced affordably, between $3 and $5. More details about the game are still under wraps. Stay tuned on our socials here for more updates as we get closer to the official release date.