I was sent a free copy of Minds Beneath Us to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Minds Beneath Us?

Minds Beneath Us is a very pretty cyberpunk visual novel out now on Steam.

The World is run by AI, and this AI is powered by the poor souls who can’t afford to work anywhere else. You are an AI designed to infiltrate the mind of a target and gather crucial information. But your first mission doesn’t go smoothly. Suddenly, you find yourself in the body of a mysterious man and having to live his life.

You find yourself working for a company responsible for hiring the poor souls that power the city. As you work to make sense of this new world, you find yourself making the choices that will influence the rest of your life. This life is yours to live now. What choices will you make? What secrets will you uncover?

Gameplay

Minds Beneath Us is a beautiful point-and-click visual novel. While there is some action, you are reading a beautifully illustrated mystery. Exploration in this game is limited to two dimensions and is very important to the story’s development. Missing clues or interactions with the environment will close off story paths, so make sure you click on everything.

Player choices affect the outcome of the story. The choices you make in conversation will dictate the type of story you enjoy. You can always restart from a checkpoint if you don’t like the outcome, but this system gives the game its replay value.

There is no voice acting in this game, but I don’t think it needs it. Players who don’t like to read might find it difficult to stay attentive, but the story is well-written and enjoyable for those looking for a new sci-fi visual novel.

Review

I loved the Minds Beneath Us and recommend it to anyone looking for a visual novel. This is a very pretty game with some beautiful illustrations that you have to look through once. This game has a simple art style, but one that successfully captures the complexities and tone of its narrative. Aside from a few awkward translation issues, the story is well-written. The pacing is solid, the themes are great, and the choices get hard when they need to be.

My only real complaint is that the save points are too far apart. If you have to leave halfway through a scene, you’ll have to go through the entire dialogue until you find your spot. This is only a real issue if you’re not able to play continuously, so it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.

Minds Beneath Us is a cool story with some fantastically developed themes. This game should be in your library if it isn’t already.

You can pick up Minds Beneath Us on Steam for only $19.99.