Rain98 Demo Preview

It’s 1998, and somehow you find yourself in a room with a girl who’s just about to do a terrible thing. She says her name is Reina, although you’re not too sure if that’s true. All she wants is for everything to end. And you’re about to help her achieve that goal. That’s the setup for Rain98, the debut visual novel by C#4R4CT3R. In a Tokyo where the rain never stops, both of you will change the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Y283oNXKs

To do so, you have to perform a ritual. Well, Reina will be doing that, but you have to help her prepare by allowing her to gather the necessary energy. You do that by filling up her Angel Passport, where Reina’s emotions are turned into physical manifestations in the form of stickers. The passport needs 100 stickers to be completed, so you need to create 100 memories that will stick with her.

That’s not all you’re doing, though. In Reina’s room, there are boxes that will allow you to make money if you work for it. You need money to buy food, but also to do things that make Reina happy. And you’ll want to keep her happy, as failing to do so can have pretty dramatic consequences. You see, Reina’s not just a random girl. There’s more to her, just like there might be more to yourself. It can’t be a coincidence that you found each other, surely?

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Gameplay varies between the visual novel interactions you have with Reina to several minigames like filling capsules with toys, playing cards or caring for a micropet. You even spend time just cleaning Reina’s room, which, to be fair, was necessary. It’s a strange relationship that you build up, as Reina can be charming but she can also be a pain. Your time together will always be interesting, to say the least.

The artwork, with its many different shades of blue, evokes a certain sadness that seems to befit Reina’s narrative. It’s a beautiful anime aesthetic, often seen in visual novels, but made to perfection here. You really feel as if you’re in the room, or within the city, alongside Reina. The chill lo-fi music adds to the atmosphere, creating an almost timeless feeling that both fits the 1998 timeline but also feels very far removed from it.

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The longer you spend with Reina, the more your memories become foggy, and the more you begin to doubt that what you are experiencing is real. It doesn’t help that Reina is holding on to a secret, which keeps the relationship between the two of you one of distance. How will your bond evolve the more time you spend together? And will you be able to successfully perform the ritual when the time comes?

Rain98’s setup sure is one filled with intrigue, and its pacing always leaves you wanting more with every plot twist. This could turn into a game full of tragedy, or one of triumph, but there’s no knowing which it will be until the very end. Discover your fate and that of the world when the game releases sometime later this year.

Big thank you to Chris for writing this preview for the Six One Indie Showcase on May 21st, 2026. Follow Chris on Bluesky.