Welcome to our weekend segment, where we showcase recent or upcoming Japanese indie games that share a specific theme. This week, we’re taking a look at visual novels! Because the only thing better than reading a book is playing an interactive one.

Save My Scrap

Starting on a reflective note, Save My Scrap puts you in the shoes of an android mechanic. Tasked by a doctor named Miomaru to repair Harima, his outdated personal android, you soon learn that there is more to these two than meets the eye.

The majority of Save My Scrap revolves around you fixing Harima. As you repair her wiring and swap out old parts for new ones, you restore functions that reveal her and Miomaru’s story. Conversations occur between repairs, and your dialogue choices determine the pair’s reactions, as well as whichending you will get. Save My Scrap also lets you tune in to several car radio stations during your downtime to learn more about the world.

An upgraded version of developer Unio Anou’s free game Fix My Junk, Save My Scrap is being published by AMATA Games and Digital-Touch Co., Ltd. It includes new dialogue and endings written by Unio Anou, a gallery mode, controller support, and runs on a different game engine. The game is set to release in 2026 for Windows (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Shinjuku Anomaly

Continuing the trend of mystery visual novels published by AMATA Games is Shinjuku Anomaly, a title that has you taking photos of anomalies in nighttime Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The trick to taking photos is to get within a reasonable distance of an anomaly. Getting close allows you to get the best pictures possible. Too close, however, and you risk the chance of getting caught. Should you run out of film (Shinjuku Anomaly apparently occurs in a time before digital cameras), you must run back to your base of operations to restock. All these decisions take the form of word prompts that you must click to progress.

Based on screenshots of the game, anomalies take the form of human-shaped shadows. When viewed up close, the shadows reveal strange-looking characters whose faces wouldn’t be amiss on an internet meme template. According to the Steam store page, this horror visual novel will come with multiple endings.

Developed and published by AMATA Games, Shinjuku Anomaly is set to release in 2026 for Windows (Steam).

Iris Odyssey

Shifting to a brighter color palette and lighter tone, we have Iris Odyssey. This title stars Iris, a magic crime investigator on the hunt for a criminal organization known as the Skyseekers, and Fuka, an orphaned girl on the search for her missing brother Mitsuba. Alternating between real-world Shibuya and a magical realm, Iris and Fuka find themselves travelling together to achieve their goals.

Early in the narrative, Fuka discovers that she, too, possesses magical powers of her own. Intrigued by her companion’s unique predicament, Iris brings Fuka along on her investigation. As the story unfolds, the two learn that Fuka and her brother might be connected to the Skyseekers crime group.

Though not explicitly stated in the game’s Steam page, certain segments suggest that Fuka and Iris’ relationship evolves from acquaintanceship into something more intimate as the story progresses, with several scenes featuring the two staring longingly into each other’s eyes.

Developed and published by Eisnid, Iris Odyssey is set to release in 2026 for Windows (Steam).

Drowning Song of the Stagnant Sea

Whereas Iris Odyssey’s Steam images suggest an intimate relationship between two female characters, Drowning Song of the Stagnant Sea outright claims that it contains “platonic yuri.” Set underwater, the title follows the scylla Gisela and human Aisha, both of whom are perceived as the most beautiful beings of their respective races.

Jealous of Aisha’s beauty, Gisela would love nothing more than to kill and devour her. While this is one of the four major story paths, your choices will determine if Gisela succumbs to her murderous urges or gives in to something more romantic.

Don’t let the game’s picture book-style illustrations fool you. Drowning Song of the Stagnant Sea contains, and I quote, “depictions of murder, mutilation, suicide, human trafficking, sexual violence, and drug abuse”. That’s a lot of dark topics to cover for a 3- to 5-hour visual novel. Thankfully, most of these subjects (aside from bloodshed) are expressed through text, so the game can only get as grim as your imagination.

Developed by Imagination Workshop, Drowning Song of the Stagnant Sea is set for a 2026 release on Windows (Steam).

EDEN.schemata();

Just like its title, EDEN.schemata();’s premise can be quite confusing. Locked in a small laboratory with a limbless android named Eve and an integrated discipline interface called Cherry, you play as an amnesiac trying to uncover who killed Eve’s creator.

All signs point to Eve being the primary suspect in her creator’s murder. As such, Cherry jumps at any chance to convict and punish her. To clear Eve’s name and escape, you must interact with various apparatus and evidence strewn throughout the lab to deduce what really happened.

EDEN.schemata();’s steampunk aesthetic lends to its ever-changing UI and design. Depending on your choices, certain features become accessible while others are locked off. These changes are a visual manifestation of your decisions, which distinguish succeeding playthroughs while adding to the immersion.

Developed by WSS playground and illuCalab, EDEN.schemata(); is set to release in 2026 for Windows and macOS (Steam).

Those were five Japanese indie titles that forgo traditional gameplay in favor of more focused storytelling. Though not every visual novel here will likely float your boat, the beauty of the genre is discovering an interesting premise and seeing where it takes you.