Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a character-driven mystery visual novel set in 2029, with occasional interactive sections. You follow Ziek, a college-level student at the Huntley Scientific Research Institute, as he tries to maintain a comfortable life with his friends and discovers they may be caught up in something much larger than they realise.

The institute

People around the world are awakening to new powers of the mind. They are estimated to make up about 0.016% of the next generation. The Huntley Scientific Research Institute takes these young people on as students, studies their gifts and helps them learn to use their abilities.

Ziek’s ability is a unique form of synesthesia: splashes of colour appear in his vision and let him detect the significance of objects. He and his friends follow clues as they investigate the mystery at the heart of the spiral.

Routes and choices

The mystery has multiple routes and heroine endings, including an unlockable True Route and True Ending. A flowchart opens up as you progress, with jumpable tiles to help you navigate the character routes. The story also includes character moments with psychological and philosophical themes.

Interactive sections

Alongside the visual novel, occasional exploratory point-and-click and puzzle sections let you partner with others to unravel the mysteries. The game also includes a tips list with in-game text hyperlinks.

Presentation and length

The game uses a clean visual style influenced by classic visual novels of the 2000s and early 2010s, presented in full HD. It is fully voiced using a combination of voice acting and speech synthesis; the main character is unvoiced. Its original soundtrack, composed by Caleb Coles, contains over 20 songs.

Reading time is estimated at 18 or more hours for a methodical playthrough of all endings, 12–18 hours at a normal pace, or 8–12 hours for a fast reader.