A dark fantasy murder mystery built around emotional manipulation, branching relationships, and cult-building is heading to Steam.
Indie developer Not A Cat Studios has announced STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age, a dark fantasy visual novel with romance elements that puts emotion, suspicion, and choice at the centre of the story. For readers who enjoy story-heavy indies, it lands in a space that also overlaps with games we have covered such as Luce Spenta and Pivot of Hearts.
Set in a mysterious world on the brink of catastrophe, the game follows Silviya of House Nebula, who marries Hans as part of a deal only to see him brutally murdered shortly after the wedding. A detective is called in to investigate, but the bigger question hanging over the story is the one the announcement leans into from the start: who is the real monster here?
STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age – Announcement Trailer
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STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age
Release: Q3 2026
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Visual Novel, Romance, Mystery
Developer / Publisher: NOT A CAT STUDIOS
Platforms: Steam (PC)
Official Website: notacatstudios.com
Reading people is part of the gameplay
The main hook in STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age is the Emotion Palette, a system that lets players read the true emotions and intentions of other characters and use that knowledge to shape how interactions unfold. That idea sits at the centre of both the mystery and the relationship system, giving the game a more direct mechanical angle than a lot of visual novels that lean entirely on dialogue and route choices.
Not A Cat Studios also says the game includes an Emotion Frenzy system. In practice, that means refusing to spend emotion can push Silviya into insanity and open up an alternate story route, which immediately gives the announcement a more unstable and unpredictable edge than the usual romance-driven setup.
Key art from STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age by Not A Cat Studios.
An early investigation scene from STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age.
What stands out from the announcement
- Meaningful choices that can lead to multiple endings, including Detective, Hedonist, Mystic, Nihilist, Ascended, and secret paths.
- A relationship system that ranges from romantic and casual to toxic, sadistic, codependent, open, or platonic.
- The Emotion Palette, which allows players to read hidden feelings and influence how others respond.
- The ability to create a cult and decide its purpose as part of the wider story direction.
A strong premise, and a lot will come down to execution
There is no shortage of visual novels promising branching routes and multiple endings, but STARCULT. Night: Twisted Age at least has a clearer angle than most early announcements. The mix of dark fantasy, emotional manipulation, romance, and murder mystery gives it a more distinct identity straight away, and the cult-building element only adds to that.
The Steam page is already live, and the studio is also directing players to its Discord, X, and TikTok channels as wishlist momentum starts to build.
Related Reading
• Luce Spenta – A gothic tale of guilt, death, and the choices you make
• Pivot of Hearts at Steam Visual Novel Fest
Written by Ronny Fiksdahl, Founder & Editor of Fix Gaming Channel.
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