Max's Big Bust - A Captain Nekorai Tale
Max's Big Bust - A Captain Nekorai Tale
Game
Game2026
Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid!
Developer Lached Up Games
After surviving a near death encounter on their first day of work, Hunter has noticed something shocking. They're slowly turning into a mermaid! The latest adventure game/life simulation hybrid from the creators of the Max's Big Bust series. From the Steam store page
85 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
95
LovedLoved
62 positive · 3 negative
95% range 87–98%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 62 | 3 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 17 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
66 of 69 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
95% recommend · 61 yes, 3 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 64 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (69 of 72 positive).
Players praise the game's writing, humor, and characters, calling it a standout entry in the series. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the title is misleading, as the mermaid transformation is not a central focus. [4][5][6] A few players find the puzzles challenging or frustrating, but overall the game is highly recommended. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
The latest in Lached Up Games' Axonverse, Help! I'm Turning Into a Mermaid! (which I'll call Mermaid for short) is a technical marvel, where Lach utilizes a growing mastery over the Renpy engine to create his most technically impressive game yet. For the first time in the verse's visual novel adventures, Mermaid stars a new protagonist: Hunter. He's just moved to Axon City for a new job at the Axon City Police …
- [4]
This game is a great visual novel, and the dev must have worked their butt off to integrate minigames and puzzles into it. If you like old school adventure-puzzle games, or just a crazy world filled with suggestive themes, I say jump right in. The water's fine. Edit: I will mention that unfortunately the games title is a bit misleading. You will become a mermaid off and on, but it is never a forced/accidental thing …
- [14]
Broooooooo, do I feel a little ashamed to have a game with this title in my Steam library? Yes. Was it still a surprisingly well-written story and just an extremely enjoyable game with interesting characters and incredibly nice mini-games and puzzles? YES!!!!!!!!!! I mean, sure — I’ll probably have to replay Elden Ring now just to recover from the blow this awesome game dealt to my masculinity. But still: 10/10, …
- [11]
NGL, very possibly going to be my GOTY for 2026. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a game with such care and meaning put into it. The cast is lovely, the plot is both relevant and just ridiculously silly and fun, and gosh there's so much feels in this game. Love Hunter. Love the whole cast. Love the twists and turns. And gosh the character designs for this game are just so charming. The literal only …
- [2]
Great game, one of Lached Up Games most polished yet. Heaps of content and fantastic Humor. If you've played their games before, you cannot go wrong with this entry. I've played all the way through, and with all the different paths, playstyles and items to collect, I can't wait to play a New Game+! <3
Summarised from 34 of the 84 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! sits at 95% positive across 65 opinionated reactions from 2 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 85 · most liked firstJust played through Lached Up Studio's Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid. This is an absolutely amazing game, and even if you aren't into TF or monster girls or anything like that, it still is an amazing story. I'd recommend anyone interested to try the demo! store.steampowered.com/app/4115180/...
positive · AI labelView post →I really love the lached up games series. I was very excited when I heard about the title because it seemed a fun idea! The game is very well written like most all of the works, but the simple fact is... It isn't about turning into a mermaid at all! From some of the orphaned text that still exists in the plot, it was likely supposed to be a main part of the story originally. It's just that they've removed the mermaid part and it's just a story about the normal mtf story. I'm only not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looking for a fun escapist fantasy in these dark times? Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! and our other games are on sale for the Humble Store Mega Sale! www.humblebundle.com/store/help-i... #trans #genderbender #tgtf #transformation #mermaids #lgbt
neutral · AI labelView post →This game unironically helped crack my trans egg. 11/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We have a release date! Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid releases January 5th 2026!
neutral · AI labelView post →Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! tells a serious and topical story about real issues such as the cost of living crisis, fascism, political corruption, sexy catgirls and the ever growing threat of war. It also has silly tentacle artwork. #HITIAM #mermaids #gamedev #tentacles #trans #genderbender
neutral · AI labelView post →The latest in Lached Up Games' Axonverse, Help! I'm Turning Into a Mermaid! (which I'll call Mermaid for short) is a technical marvel, where Lach utilizes a growing mastery over the Renpy engine to create his most technically impressive game yet. For the first time in the verse's visual novel adventures, Mermaid stars a new protagonist: Hunter. He's just moved to Axon City for a new job at the Axon City Police Department, and is about to witness the pure chaos of the city first hand. This…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love everything about this game, except the darn puzzles. They can be fun, but also can be down right discouraging to even continue the game. If you are not a puzzles person, I would recommend caution, as this game contains a few puzzles that even the Australian Medical Examiners later decided to drop from their exams because it was too hard, and that' just one of the many hard ones. If you don't want to spend a few hours waiting for help & replies from the forum just so you can get on with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I obsessed over this game for a bit. Played through the whole thing in one sitting, and then started playing through again to get all the stuff I missed the first go around. I loved the characters, the humour hit my funny bone many times, and I loved the gameplay. But for the life of me, I cannot recommend this game. Why? Simple; the story. I greatly enjoy games about gender bending, from the fluffy to the existential. When this game popped up on my Steam homepage, I picked up the demo right…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been following the series since Max 1. Of the trilogy so far, Hitiam is a fantastic follow up. Positives - Over a dozen new artwork, a lot of new character sprite art, and new comic cutscenes. - Story continues to mix in the "weird ideas" with the main story is here and stronger than ever. The new "and possible last" genderbending formula the game has is paced amazingly well, has funny interactions, and does last all game even up to the end of the game. - New protaganist might take be a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why did I spend all that money on HRT when I could have just moved to Australia and become a Catgirl
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, one of Lached Up Games most polished yet. Heaps of content and fantastic Humor. If you've played their games before, you cannot go wrong with this entry. I've played all the way through, and with all the different paths, playstyles and items to collect, I can't wait to play a New Game+! <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Make a splash in Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! Now on sale for the Steam Summer Sale! #tgtf #genderbender #visualnovel #yuri #transgender #mermaids
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is a great visual novel, and the dev must have worked their butt off to integrate minigames and puzzles into it. If you like old school adventure-puzzle games, or just a crazy world filled with suggestive themes, I say jump right in. The water's fine. Edit: I will mention that unfortunately the games title is a bit misleading. You will become a mermaid off and on, but it is never a forced/accidental thing as the title implies. I still loved it regardless.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid is available now!
neutral · AI labelView post →A TG/TF Monstergirl Yuri Dating Sim slash Visual Novel slash Mystery Adventure game? And it's set in... Queensland? Okay that's a strong pitch to live up to, and this game honestly nails it! (Note: I haven't played any of LachedUp's other games at time of writing, so I don't know how it compares) The script is somehow both hilarious and kinda believable at times, despite the pitch. There's enough niche and kinda bogan Australian Politics jokes that may well go over your head if you aren't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely love it so far :) I keep stupid smiling at a lot of things, the characters are fun. I've only finish chapter 1 at the time of writing this, but it had a lot to offer, so i'm excited to continue. Update - I think i'm halfway through the game, some of the puzzles got me confused but all are fun. I enjoy the chats with the characters, Dani scares me and Kitty should be promoted. I'm very happy with this game and will probably end up replaying it to see all the other routes. Update -…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm only a few chapters in, so this review might be updated, but so far, Lached Up Games has delivered yet another fun romp in Axon City!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The demo for Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid?!? is available now! The demo contains the complete Chapter 1 of the game, and saves from the demo transfer over to the full game. It's about 2hrs long, and it's free! #gamedev, #adventuregame, #mermaids #lifesim, #australia, #anime
neutral · AI labelView post →So I have been in love with this studio's games since Max's Big Bust, first seeing them on Bosskwar's channel on YouTube, and I have got to say, this is one of my favourites. It is without a doubt the one that has had the most thought put into the puzzles and really shines in both its storytelling and presentation as well. With the cast of loveable new and returning characters, HITIAM is an absolute hit in my opinion. If you liked "Max's Big Bust 1 or 2", "Alluna and Brie" or "My Mad Scientist…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Broooooooo, do I feel a little ashamed to have a game with this title in my Steam library? Yes. Was it still a surprisingly well-written story and just an extremely enjoyable game with interesting characters and incredibly nice mini-games and puzzles? YES!!!!!!!!!! I mean, sure — I’ll probably have to replay Elden Ring now just to recover from the blow this awesome game dealt to my masculinity. But still: 10/10, absolutely great game. Would play again, regret nothing. ... But ... THE FACT THAT…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In classic Lached Up Games form, Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid immediately brings the funny Aussie slang and humour. The writing is witty and engaging, and the graphics are gorgeous. Happy to see another installation in the Axon City verse, and who doesn't love mermaids?!?!?!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I animated a bunch of motion comics for Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! It's not something I've done before but I think they turned out pretty well! youtu.be/LONJLHazigo?...
neutral · AI labelView post →I really enjoyed this game. Every once in a while game comes out of no where and grabs my undivided attention. I loved the characters and story. Honestly first time in a long time I went out of my way for all the achievements. I am glad I did. I have never played any of the developers games, but now I really want to. I hope we get another game especially with Hunter as the MC. I want to see more of them and what happens to them in the future.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →yeah i think it's pretty good ngl 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played all of Lach's games. All of these games have transformation and gender bending themes, but in a very light-hearted and fun sort of way. Luckily you don't need to play all the previous games to play this one, although it's even more enjoyable if you did. The main character, Hunter, is new in town, so he needs all the general craziness in town to be explained to him. Which makes this a pretty good game in the series to start with, if you've never played one of Lach's games. These…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've got a new game coming out later this year! Wish list Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid! here store.steampowered.com/app/4115180/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Disclaimer: I don't think the game's title is accurate, I do not believe it accurately represents the overarching story/gameplay as it'd lead someone to believe it would. Despite the above, HITIAM is still an excellent experience in many regards for someone looking for a TG/TF/TSF experience on the less serious and more fantastical side. The music hits (tho can sometimes feel repetitive due to a game environment where you can spend quite a bit of time in one area with one track or the mall…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great new adventure VN from Lachedup games! I've played all of the Adventure game VNs so far and this is the best one, Also works as a great entry point for newcomers who don't know where to start, the protagonist starts out just as lost as you. Great characters, great story, great puzzles, the full package.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another fun story in the weird world of Axion City! New story, some returning characters from other games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is the best one in the franchise yet and I think Hunter is my favorite protagonist of the bunch. Really great world building and the crime drama part of it is fun. It will be more meaningful if you've played at least Max's Big Bust 1, but outside of one chapter, it should work for newcomers. The final chapter is tense and dramatic, but it all plays to Hunter's personality really well and they don't sacrifice the character's beliefs for the sake of an easy ending. The Coffee Shrine…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NGL, very possibly going to be my GOTY for 2026. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a game with such care and meaning put into it. The cast is lovely, the plot is both relevant and just ridiculously silly and fun, and gosh there's so much feels in this game. Love Hunter. Love the whole cast. Love the twists and turns. And gosh the character designs for this game are just so charming. The literal only criticisms I have is that the game does have some minor graphical bugs, and some of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid by @lachedupgames.bsky.social might be the most Made For Me game I've ever seen
positive · AI labelView post →updated review after beating the game: the 2500 money outfit is very easy to get late game so don't bother farming before you unlock the coffee shrine minigame, secondly the minigames themselves give off very early 2000s flash game vibes, and i enjoyed interacting with them ( even if the cooking minigame is a bit complex sometimes and the game return one takes some getting used to). The narrative itself is very well written and deftly touches on the topics it chooses to interact with. it also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still have to finish it and will update review later - however since i'm in chapter 4 i can tell Lach once again delivers the comedy I was waiting for. So if anyone liked Lach's previous games - will love this one too. And if it your first contact don't worry - the protagonist is not native to this City so you will learn that city rules together with you as you go further is story.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What to say about Lached Up Games latest game. From what I have experienced so far people will be in for another wonderful story about the adventures of the people in Axon City. Even from just the few hours I have spent I have enjoyed both playing through the story and the mini activities you can partake in. There are as always many call backs for those that have followed the other games Lached Up Games have released from the beginning as this story takes place after the others. While a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's the title screen art for Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid!, a brand new gender bender adventure game from the creator of Max's Big Bust! If you missed it please add the game to your Steam Wishlist, it really helps us out! Link below! #indie #lgbt #lifesim #anime
neutral · AI labelView post →The Steam sale is over, but you can still grab Help! I'm Turning Into A Mermaid on sale over at The Humble Store! It's DRM free and you also get a steam key.
neutral · AI labelView post →You can romance a steampunk catgirl. 5/5 stars. oh and there's also like an interesting story i guess, and guys getting turned into girls.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an amazing VN, and my favorite in the series by far. Even if you aren't a fan too much of TF content, most of it is fairly well handled and while some of it is played for laughs, the drama and emotions are felt, and the comedy and some 4th wall leaning don't feel out of place. It strikes a good balance. The story is also excellent, and never did anything feel too out of place for the series, and everything was explained well. It is also beginner friendly, and as such while it does…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is fun and the world building is super good. You get to go to a lot of places and meet all kinds of people. All the characters are likable and their dialogue feels natural for the world they are in. This is a great VN!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another installment in the Axonverse, the visual novel is quite fun, and tells a zany story in ways that kept me coming back for more. There are some fun minigames, the soupa noodles minigame, and silly jokes with the gifting system. The only major complaints I had were the soupa noodles minigame being a major chore when you unlock the dishes that use the cutting board, and a few of the puzzles are very moon logic based
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I learned about the economics of Australia. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Possibly the best game in the series so far, which is saying quite a lot since Max 2 and RBM are among my favorite games. Hunter is a wonderful protagonist, and her dynamic with the rest of the cast is genuinely compelling. The world feels more alive than ever, with nearly every single character from the past games showing up and having their own goals without ever feeling overwhelming. The plot itself is interesting, Hunters arc is a blast to watch unfold, and the puzzles are all incredibly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Has a good and unique sense of humor with the Aussie theming. I would say the biggest change is the focus on politics, which I personally liked as a subtheme. It is a dating sim, but it seems like there is less focus on that and more on puzzle, story, transformation, and gender bender. Each of the four love interests does have four unique events each, but it far less development than you see in a standard dating sim. I do think that could be improved and expanded and I would be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just finished 100% the game, and overall it was a grand time. As a onboarding for the rest of Lached Up's games it was great at getting me interested in the rest of the series. Despite me never having heard or played the other titles. Some puzzles can be a bit grating but there are guides up now for most of the real head scratchers. If this game remotely peaked your interest I would highly recommend picking it up, or at least trying the demo.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →amazing game again with now competition for my favorite protag of the series
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →>game claims to be about mermaids >look inside >game is about catgirls
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was randomly in my steam queue, and honestly, It was a hell of a blast, I hadn't played any previous titles by the creator but after this joyful story with plenty of mind bending puzzles and fun games, as well as a great story, i will definitely be picking up the other games as well as looking forward to future projects!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Help I'm turning into a mermaid? alright I'll try to
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lached up games never disappoints, his sense of humor is pretty good and writing is top notch. I don't have much time at the moment but I look forward to working my way through another banger game. Support Indie devs!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was a blast and very funny
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You will turn into a mermaid during the underwater section of Chapter 2. After Chapter 2 is completed, more changes will occur. Turning Mermaid is a point click story game about a pacifist police officer that moves into the Australian city of monster girls and humans. After meeting your girlfriend Ember and a little girl named Kitty, you discover the culture of this unusual new world and learn about a war between pirates and witches. Solve puzzles and take on part-time jobs to earn money. Make…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a great game, the story is fun, the music is enjoyable, and the mini-games are great. I picked it up on a whim when I saw it in the discovery queue and now I want to play more games set in the same world setting. I want to talk so much about the plot but I don't want to spoil things. Quick pick it up and try it yourself - Xadlly the Imp Girl
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game so far. The dialogue is just as hilarious as previous games, and the character and background art is beautiful! Can't wait to see how the story unfolds.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another fun story in Axon city! A great mix of story and puzzles that just sucks you in and doesn't let you go even into NG+. The three minigames are all fun in their own ways (personally I had some annoyance with the cooking minigame until close to the end when I realized just how much easier coordinating your sexy/cute style with it) and allow you to choose the way you want to earn your money for the Heart Beat items. The creator was great at watching both the bug discussion threads here on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's really good! I liked Max and this plays a lot like those games, except the social system has been expanded a lot. There's job minigames and you can go shopping and there's a cute/sexy morality system. I'm really enjoying it so far.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the Dev's humor! I'm excited for the next game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →kept going with Help I'm Turning Into a Mermaid and toward the end there's a fascinating turn where suddenly the game is like "hey this is fun and all but the consent issues inherent in the genre are a real problem and we should maybe address it"
neutral · AI labelView post →Update: Finished the game now! Keeping my first chapter only review below because it still pretty much applies. Overall really fun, filled with all the weirdness and absurdity expected of the series. It sort of has two main throughlines, one more fantasy based and one more detective/investigation based - I think it works well to balance out the strengths of both genres. The puzzles are all top notch too, probably my favorite batch in the whole series. I will say that there ended up being quite…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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