Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar are well known in the realms of indie games for girls. The two have worked together on the popular Cute Knight Kingdom, Science Girls! and Date Warp. Now the two companies have released yet another game, a simulation along the lines of Princess Maker, Spirited Heart, Kudos 2 and Ranshima Monogatari. Players create a female avatar and then help her navigate her first year at a magical academy. The result is a game with plenty of chances to create a customized, life-sim experience…

Date Warp is intriguing. Hanako Games’ description makes it sound like some sort of murder mystery adventure, where your actions can determine the fate of a college student. In reality, it’s more of a supernatural love story where the events that take place in the game influence Janet’s future. You make your way through the visual novel, hoping your choices help find the truth, a way to freedom or even love.

Janet is a freshmen in college, and out on a blind date with a boy named Bradley. Her roommate set them up, and he’s notorious for going through multiple girls, dating them once and then never seeing them again. Janet thinks things aren’t going very well, and they only get worse when his car runs out of gas, in the rain, in the middle of nowhere. The two walk for a while until they find a huge mansion, where every light is illuminated. Now, at this point any sane person who has any horror movie would run, but Janet and Bradley go in to get out of the rain and try and make a phone call for help…

Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar have recently teamed up to release the new independent, anime-style RPG Science Girls!. Hanako Games has long been committed to creating and highlight girl-friendly games, titles that anyone of any skill level can enjoy. Science Girls! definitely falls along those lines, with a strong, intelligent cast of young women who are the only ones capable and rational enough to deal with an overwhelming plant menace Science Girls!‘ whimsical story and atmosphere, combined with adorable character art, will help it win many fans.