Iwakura Aria: Everything We Know

Fans of The House in Fata Morgana will want to mark their calendars for the upcoming Iwakura Aria. You can almost swear Iwakura Aria is the sequel to the gothic suspense visual novel from 2012. But, alas, the developers don’t reveal any relationship between the two. Still, Iwakura Aria has sparked intrigue with her pending release. Here’s everything we know so far about Iwakura Aria, including the release date and trailer.

What is Iwakura Aria?

Iwakura Aria is an upcoming brand-new realistic fantasy suspense visual novel currently in development by Mages. The game features a dramatic suspense thriller story, which you’ll unravel by exploring an old noble family’s mansion for clues and discovering essential items. Mages plans to lead you down multiple endings to the tune of nine total, undoubtedly encouraging replayability.

Story

Iwakura Aria’s story will infuse themes of love and hate in human relationships. It’ll forge strong bonds between its characters, telling a suspenseful tale set in the summer of 1966 in Japan. From the storyline description, you can expect an emotive tale that pushes its characters to explore complex human emotions. These will lead down compelling paths that branch off into multiple endings. Check out the official story description below via the Mages website.

In post-war Japan, which is undergoing rapid changes, a girl left behind by society and a girl cut off from society meet.

Is friendship or love born between the two who exchange glances? Or is it just the beginning of passing each other?

Whether you love it or hate it, time passes, and life goes on.

Beyond this beautiful, painting-like encounter… who will I be with, and what kind of self will I live?

Gameplay

Described as a visual novel adventure, players will likely interact with the environment. They’ll explore the Iwakura residence, uncovering secrets hidden in its rooms. It’s an adventure about putting the pieces of the protagonist’s future together. Depending on the choices you make, you can discover one of nine endings, unveiling the kind of life the protagonist will be leading ‘33 years after the main story.’

Iwakura Aria is an exploration of the life of the protagonist, using the clues and secrets you uncover in the present to predict the future. The secrets you discover, too, can strengthen the bond between Ichiko and Aria or drive a wedge between them. All nine endings will be different from each other, encouraging backtracking to discover them all. A core part of the gameplay will be exploring a mansion, where essential items lie hidden in each room. These items will reveal mysteries about both the mansion and its inhabitants.

The protagonist draws, too, on a sketchbook, which also plays a part in the diverse graphics of the story. You’ll sketch what you see in the mansion that seems essential. And, if you’re lucky, some of your sketches will appear as part of the story. Besides sketches, the game will use cutscenes to develop a compelling storyline. Check out the key features to expect below via the Mages website.

Features

• An emotional experience that goes beyond the game – This work is set in Japan during a period of high economic growth and is a suspense ADV that explores the secrets of the Iwakura residence, where the main character, Kazuko Kitagawa, comes as a maid, and the people of the Iwakura family with whom she will live. The rich story, which follows the complicated and sometimes contradictory emotions of each character and the turbulent development brought about by the movements of their hearts, takes the player's heart back to “that summer” of 1966.
• Multiple endings depicting the life of the main character – This work has 9 endings. 33 years after the main story, what kind of life am I leading in 1999? Depending on the choice, a completely different future awaits the player.
• Mansion exploration – As you progress through the story, a part will appear where you explore the mansion. By finding key items in each room, you can get closer to the mysteries of the mansion and the secrets hidden by the characters.
• Diverse graphics that color the story – The main character's sketchbook. Sketch what you saw in the mansion that caught your attention. What you draw casually can sometimes get to the heart of the story.
• Cut in – Gentle, warm, emotional, and shocking. A number of memorable scenes are expressed with beautiful cut-ins.
• Full voice by splendid voice actors – The main characters, Ichiko Kitagawa (voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro), Aria Iwakura (voiced by Chie Nakamura), Shu Iwakura (voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa), and Sui Miyauchi (voiced by Mariko Honda), are fully voiced.

Development

Developer and publisher Mages is currently working on Iwakura Aria. They have a prime focus on adventure games, with several stories out so far. Iwakura Aria, however, marks the studio’s first new and original adventure game. 

Trailer

You can check out the announcement trailer, which shows sneak peeks into the story and the visuals to expect in the final game. The art style immediately stands out, striking to the eye and intriguing gamers worldwide. 

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Iwakura Aria will launch in Japan on June 27, 2024. Mages plans to release it exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, with only support for a Japanese version across its audio, subtitles, and interface.  As for the editions, there’ll be three available:

• Limited edition: 7,150 yen (tax included)
• Regular version: 4,950 yen (tax included)
• DL version: 4,400 yen (tax included)

For now, it’s unclear whether the game will launch in the USA or worldwide, or even if there’ll be an English version post-release. Perhaps future ports are a possibility, too, at a later date. However, you can always follow the official social handle here to keep track of updates. Meanwhile, we’ll also keep an eye out for new information and let you know as soon as they come up.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Iwakura Aria when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.