Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk
Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk
Game
Game2018
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly
Developer IDEA FACTORY
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly and Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk are two otome visual novel video games developed by Otomate. They were published for PlayStation Vita by Idea Factory in Japan in 2015 and 2016, and by Aksys Games in North America and Europe in 2018. Intragames and Idea Factory released Black Butterfly for Microsoft Windows in 2018, and Ashen Hawk in 2019. In the games, the player reads the… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
196 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
162 positive · 21 negative
95% range 83–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 162 | 21 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
262 of 292 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
89% recommend · 169 yes, 20 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 189 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (780 of 921 positive).
Players praise the game's emotional storytelling and dark themes, but note it is not a typical otome game. [1][2][3] The art and soundtrack are widely appreciated, though some find the character art awkward. [4][5][6] The minigame and route system receive mixed feedback, with some finding them tedious. [2][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
I didn't enjoy it. I was looking for a choice-making VN, not a long-winded novel with a few choices sprinkled in + a noob shooter game. The art is pretty, but the anatomy of the characters is slightly skewed. There are not that many decision-making points, so it felt more like I was reading a novel, with A LOT of short stories (that mostly feel like filler episodes) that I have to read to progress in the main story. …
- [1]
Woke Up in a Mansion With No Memories and Immediately Started Collecting Trauma Butterflies I don’t know what I expected. But it wasn’t this. Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly throws you into a haunted Victorian murder house with five emotionally unstable men, a ghost voice telling you to shoot butterflies, and zero warning. Day one? No name, no memories, but plenty of vibes. ✨ It’s like someone made an otome …
- [3]
Wow. Albeit not without flaws, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly may be in my top 3 games ever. I got and first played this game 5 months ago, played all but one ending in the span of a week, and then procrastinated finishing it because I didn't want it to end. I have since 100% it, and in the past 5 months I have continued thinking about it an embarrassing amount. This game has such rich and emotional …
- [9]
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is special. I bought the game when it was on sale for eight dollars over a year and a half ago on a whim, and I never would have expected to walk out of it as one of my favorite games of all time. This game is a beautiful construction on the human condition, grief, guilt, trauma, and how that manifests in different people. It's something I would recommend to anyone. Not just Otome …
- [12]
Bought this game for romance, got stuck in a haunted house escape room with amnesia instead. Story was okay. Grief aspect of the game is great, thought the romances were meh. Karasuba needs to be drop-kicked.
Summarised from 34 of the 202 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
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly sits at 89% positive across 183 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Both games were generally well received by critics, according to the review aggregator Metacritic. Black Butterfly was the 18th best selling video game in Japan during its debut week, selling 5,319 copies, while Ashen Hawk did not chart at all. Famitsu enjoyed the games' dark atmosphere and the mysterious story, and praised the artwork and music. They also enjoyed the flowchart system that shows the story routes.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 196 · most liked firstWoke Up in a Mansion With No Memories and Immediately Started Collecting Trauma Butterflies I don’t know what I expected. But it wasn’t this. Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly throws you into a haunted Victorian murder house with five emotionally unstable men, a ghost voice telling you to shoot butterflies, and zero warning. Day one? No name, no memories, but plenty of vibes. ✨ It’s like someone made an otome game, then panicked halfway through and rewrote the whole thing as a tragic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't enjoy it. I was looking for a choice-making VN, not a long-winded novel with a few choices sprinkled in + a noob shooter game. The art is pretty, but the anatomy of the characters is slightly skewed. There are not that many decision-making points, so it felt more like I was reading a novel, with A LOT of short stories (that mostly feel like filler episodes) that I have to read to progress in the main story. My first playthrough on the common route was okay, but I got increasingly bored…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've given this game all of the time I could possibly muster. I want it to get better. I've heard that some people think it's really good. Here are my qualms (which I'll keep short). They encapsulate almost every aspect the game has to offer: - The character art is, most times, awkward to look at (mostly when it comes to expressions and hands). It takes a lot of the tension out of scenes, and makes this game a challenge to take seriously. - When it comes to plot, this game gave itself a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this after I stumbled upon the second game in the series (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk) and absolutely loved it. But while sharing some of the characters (main here, minor in the second game) this game has the main problem of most otoge aka a dull cardboard MC and this is a straight out no for me. Plus while the setting is interesting a lot of twists are rather predictable and honestly it just barely surpasses "your average otome" trope by being somewhat dark and not entirely…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game because of the lovely art and quite high rating, but I am very disappointed The story is very cliche and I can guess the ending when I was at half of the game. Characters are very dull, you can tell what kind of people they are very easily (maybe other than the you know who lol). I also find the girl character very annoying, she is not very smart and like do things without thinking about consequences. I don't understand why male characters like her at all, and this makes me…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game that combines Amnesia: Memories, Diabolik Lovers and Orange and ultimately is for fans of friendship-heavy stories that deal with grief as well as for fans who enjoy Goth-like vibes. This game lacks in romance but unlike 7’Scarlet, it doesn’t really raise expectations for larger-than-life love stories that are fated and make the love interests say “aishiteru” after a week or so (yes, that happens in 7S). At the end of several routes in PotBB, the characters are starting to date and are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →⚠️ Otome checkpoint #otomesky show me your... 🌷 Last Game: Virche Evermore Epic Lycoris (completing 100%) 🌼 Next Game: Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly (hopefully 🤞) 🌹 Best Game You’ve Played This Year: Radiant Tale 🌸 Most Anticipated Game: Over RequiemZ
neutral · AI labelView post →omg. what the ♥♥♥♥/. kagiha's ending was INSANE. WHAT WAS THAT. WHO WROTE THAT???? DID THEY WANT TO SHATTER ME INTO A THOUSAND PIECES??? WHAT WAS THAT!!! i will never recover. i am so upset. man if you can get past the misogyny these endings will destroy you emotionally and steal your lunch money. it starts slow and it was hard to get into but yikes i dont remember the last time i was hurt this much. i might be a softie but OOF. OW. i will say, if you want to buy, definitely get on sale like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is a little convoluted without a guide to play. While it's technically an otome game, its really more of a VN with a tiny bit of romance between characters. Good story. Overall a good game even if it's not exactly what I expected to play. Short story: Barely an Otome Story Heavy Minimal Romance Good Game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If it weren’t for Yamato, I wouldn’t play this game at all. He’s the only one who treats the main character like a human being. The others are just jerks and think sexual harassment is a joke. There’s no depth or purpose behind it either... it’s just presented in a stupid, empty way. I don't know if should I recommend this game or not but just for Yamato's sake I'm going to. Art style is also good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, I think it's important to note that Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is not really an otome game. It's more like House of Fata Morgana or the Nonary Games. Most of the endings aren't very happy, and the game sets the MC up to already have a LI--she just doesn't remember this. Like others, I didn't enjoy the minigame, but you only have to do it a few times to get enough points to unlock all the side stories. Once those are unlocked you can gradually access different endings until you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow. Albeit not without flaws, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly may be in my top 3 games ever. I got and first played this game 5 months ago, played all but one ending in the span of a week, and then procrastinated finishing it because I didn't want it to end. I have since 100% it, and in the past 5 months I have continued thinking about it an embarrassing amount. This game has such rich and emotional storytelling that, it has, admittedly, made me both gnaw my arm and lie face down on the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Waking up alone in a manor full of monsters roaming the endless hallways, find the other humans trapped within and ally together to survive. The exits are fake, the windows unbreakable, the only way out is hints gained through text messages asking your group to collect shining shards of glass and make a kaleidoscope that supposedly, somehow, grants a single wish. With no memories or any recollection of who you are or how you joined this twisted game, work together so everyone can leave, or…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After seeing so many good reviews, I was enthusiastic to give this game a try. On paper, it looked like exactly the type of the game I would enjoy. Until it wasn't. Prologue was enough for me to have a complete opinion on this game, and while usually I try giving it at least 4-5 hours, this case unfortunately became clear very soon. The story is detached from reality in the worst possible way, and not only because of the magical mansion but mostly because of characters. There is nothing to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →CW: Child death/death, grief, gun violence, bullying, medical content + comas, suicide, violating consent, childhood abuse, illness, blood Tropes: childhood best friends, amnesia, there's some blurred consent * forcing the protagonist to share a bed * almost kissing the protagonist when shes sleeping * pushing her against the wall * almost kissing as a joke Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is a more mid-tier visual novel but I do praise its darker storyline. Romance does take a backseat to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10, made me sob like a baby LOL.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is special. I bought the game when it was on sale for eight dollars over a year and a half ago on a whim, and I never would have expected to walk out of it as one of my favorite games of all time. This game is a beautiful construction on the human condition, grief, guilt, trauma, and how that manifests in different people. It's something I would recommend to anyone. Not just Otome fans but to those that love characterization, themes, and storytelling in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had gotten a lot of mixed reviews on this game when asking people in several different otome games on whether I should play and I am so glad that I faced my moments of hesitation and purchased this game because I love it. Let me just say that the artwork is absolutely beautiful and probably some of the best I have seen in an otome game so far. Granted, I am new to playing PC otome games and can't really compare it to a wide variety I feel that the art is top-notch and deserving of praise.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never played a game where I reached an ending, any ending, and thought: "If this was all I got from this game, I would be satisfied. I would be okay without continuing through every route." That is until I found Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. I'm glad I kept going with it, the story just got better, but the fact that it felt so complete when it was just getting started surprised me. I spent my money on this game, I want to 100% it like every other game, but at the same time, it was a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good: 1. Japanese Voice actors sounded nice and professional 2. Cute Anime guys Flaws: 1. Terrible user interface. Save system is "auto save" only. I had to read parts of the prologue twice. 2, An hour of reading and I still hadn't gotten to make a Story Choice making this more of a Kinetic Novel. 3. Fighting mini game that doesn't work on my laptop 4. Story: The fact that no one remembers their names or lives, but do remember how to: use a cell phone, make tea, and fight doesn't help.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a lot of good in this game. The characters are selfish and messy, but feel very human for it, which made them endearing and fun to watch (though they may not be for everyone). The writing is mostly pretty tight and, at a roughly 10-12 hour playtime, tells the story it wants without feeling like it drags. Many otome games tend to be in the 30-40 hour range, which I don't normally mind per say, but it was a bit refreshing to play one that got right to the point. The routes system is a bit…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this game for romance, got stuck in a haunted house escape room with amnesia instead. Story was okay. Grief aspect of the game is great, thought the romances were meh. Karasuba needs to be drop-kicked.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alright. You guys lied to me. Everyone in the comments saying this game is worth a shot or its just good? Liars. I've played my fair share of otome games sadly mostly on mobile so you can guess what I had to endure. But this game takes the cake. I am currently on like chapter 2? 3? not sure. There is not a single redeeming quality this game has. The love interests are some of the worst written characters ive ever seen. And I played through Toma's route in Amnesia. I've danced with the wolves…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I made a Otome Community, where you can discuss Otome PC games!. I created a Community on Lemmy to discus Otome Games obviously PC Otome games are more than Welcome I'll Share Links to some Otome games on Steam for those of you who are curios or would like to know what's available on PC since it is a pretty niche genre :) [OZMAFIA!!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/303290/OZMAFIA/) [Steam Prison](https://store.steampowered.com/app/977460/Steam_Prison/) [Psychedelica of the Ashen…
neutral · AI labelView post →Story slaps! The game is an epic VN with a very dark and complex story, but it is only pretty good as an otome. Come for the cute boys stay for the rich narrative.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WOW, this game was really impacting. I LOVED every bit of it. The story is dark --so just know that going in. But, it just melded everything together so well in my opinion. From the VA, to the Art CGs and BGs, to the mystery and tragedy this game throws at you, I loved it ALL!! I'm not always one for wanting to 100% complete EVERYTHING in a game, but it was worth every hr put into this game. Btw, this is not a short game, it's on par with the more recent otome "Dairoku Agents of Sakuratani" in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had gotten this game for a discount (about 7.50 USD) I think its worth the price for that, but for 30 USD I believe it would not be. Here is why - REASON ONE: Lets talk about our nameable MC. I will refer to her as Ai. Where do I even start with her? Oh, I know. She boring. Nothing about her is redeemable. She is your typical weak female character that depends on everyone else. The only time I cheered for her is when she run out on her own at the start. Which is against her character, it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this series is so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ good and depressing, the CGs are beautiful! keyboard/mouse controls are a bit whack and the route tree is a bit confusing at first but i love this game sm
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game gave me depression and forced me to disassociate. PLAY IT!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →youtu.be/siSWlWzY38g Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly also looked kinda tight. I love how fucking obnoxiously bright this game looks. Story sounds cool too. This one's on steam so.... maybe soon....
positive · AI labelView post →Very late to the game, but I’ve finally finished Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly! Only two more games then I’ll be done with my Vita era backlog. 🙃 Best Boy: Yamato Runner Up: Monshiro
positive · AI labelView post →depressing but good story (karasuba best wife >:3)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the most visually impressive Otoge. For the beautiful CGs alone, this game is worth playing. The story is sad yet beautiful and never crosses the line into being needlessly cruel to it's characters. Romance definitely isn't the main focus of the game, the character routes are VERY short. If you want mystery, friendship and lots of tears, with a bit of romance sprinkled in, this is the perfect game to get.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly do not even know how to feel about majority of the endings of this game. They never ended how I thought they would and were quite devastating. I am surprised people did not like the mini game I thought it was fun and gave me a nice break from reading. It even lets you quit the mini game and still gives you some points to unlock the side stories. I think it was well worth the money, just make sure to brace your heart for some of the endings.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although I was iffy towards the characters at the beginning, I actually grew to love them throughout the small amount of playtime I had with them! Very nice, it's a full package of feelings and the plot threads are tied up very nicely!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hello there fellow VN enjoyers. I thought 2 share my thoughts and feelings on this game as well. Even if I usually don't do much reviews (compared to how many video games (variety of genres) I've been playing in my life). Also English isn't my native language, so sorry for that. Please be aware that the review could contain a few minor or bigger spoilers (those will be marked as spoilers). Sounds ♫: Once again the music and the VA in this are amazing. Graphics ☼: I am kinda torn here. So…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just 100%ed the game and I LOVED it. The story was really exciting, the characters really interesting and the art stunning. My biggest complaint was the amount of romance at the first route I got, but I had just ended up on the route with the least romance, so it got much better. I also loved that it gave me horror vibes two times in the very beginning. Don't worry if you're easily scared though, I'm too, it's not too bad, just super exciting. Otherwise the game has a lot of (but not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly during the Summer Sale and I definitely don't regret it. What attracted me to it was mostly the atmosphere of the game. The unique art and beautiful soundtrack are another part of its charm. I would even go as far as to say that the art and soundtrack are the main strength of the game. I was initially put off by the shooting minigame. Thankfully the minigame is not hard, and you'll find yourself reaching S rank with little to no effort as time passes.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kagiha deserves only good things ever.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fast-paced mystery and romance otome title. Impressive main plot and character arcs. Something like 20 hours long. I'm not typically drawn to otome games. Exactly zero of the romantic interests caught my attention romantically. Yet I was quite invested. This is probably the first otome game to make me tear up. The pacing hits a good balance. Fast enough to keep you hooked, deliberate enough to slip in slice-of-life moments without feeling like a drag. The main plot carries surprising grief.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't even get to the plot because the interface is absolutely SHOT. The key mappings are ass, and I can't even find or change the most necessary ones. Why does pressing enter kick you into the auto mode - I'm just trying to progress? There is no button to check the log. Half the buttons don't work unless you double click but good luck learning which ones. What the ♥♥♥♥? If I'd seen a single review about this I wouldn't have bought it in the first place.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →technical difficulties: the game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game masterfully tells a story about guilt, grief, trauma, and moving on. The depth of each personality of every character is so beautifully written, down to their mannerisms, imperfections, the way they interact with the MC and each other- I couldn't be more excited to see how it all unfolded. I love the way this game formatted itself, it made it easy to choose routes and piece together plots of the story to fully understand the mindset of the cast and their actions. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was so good. an interesting story that actually has a plot, and fun characters with a variety of personalities.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kagiha is warm just like the hot cocoa he gave me... srsly he deserves all the good things in this world also monshiro.... i love him too..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really liked the characters and story. Works great on deck. I think the minigame is easier using the touch screen than controls especially if aiming for S rank achievement.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After a long hiatus from this game, I finally 100% it. I had a good time experiencing the story and its characters. The art was decent. I'll likely remember this game fondly for a good while.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This story is absolutely beautiful and has so much depth. *RAIN*
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THE ACCIDENT WASN'T YOUR FAULT (good game, very interesting and i enjoyed the characters,devlopment and artstyle :3)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No one in this game is very bright and their behavior feels unrealistic... (They had phones but did not attempt to call the police?) My big issue though was all of the men/LIs are super sexist. :\ I could not believe some of the lines that came out of their mouths. One of them constantly degrades the MC and she just takes it. I would not personally recommend the game at all if this would bother you. Also, imo, the butterfly mini game was kind of lame.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it has an interesting plot and all but the characters are sexist asf and the MC is a typical weak and pathetic girly that depends on everyone and has nothing interesting about her. the artstyle is nice and the story is interesting but thats pretty much the only positive thing abt this. the only character i rlly like is the fox dude edit: there is like way too much text and almost no options so it feels like a novel rather than a game, it gets boring rlly quickly
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All the boys are cute and interesting. I genuinely felt the urge to learn more about each and every one of them. The mystery aspect of the VN is good too. So is the artstyle. There's a shooting minigame, that you get points from. You can spend the points to unlock side stories. It's not grindy, and if you got enough points you can skip it by pressing "Force stop". I found it to be fun and a nice change of pace. Some people have performance issues, so once you buy it make sure right away…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I went in knowing nothing about this game and was absolutely blown away. I play a lot of otome games and this one really subverted my expectations in an exciting way. I came in seeing every character as their typical archetype, the white haired tsundere, the black + red color scheme poster boy, the reliable, trustworthy, kind, green-coded character, etc. But as the story unravels my impressions of everyone changed so much. One of my favorite things about the game was the focus on having an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So much fun! Lots of side story fluff, if you look for it! Edit: And then all the feels. I cried so much
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really really enjoyed the game! The VA was great and the CGs were really cute. The plot had a lot of twists I kept on gasping as I was reading. The only thing that disappointed me was Hikage's ending I hate how they never mentioned his real name!! And the ending was really disappointing I need a better ending she never even got to confess T-T All in all I definitely would recommend this game, the interface makes it easier for you to skip if you're playing other routes and I liked how I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was ready for a creepy supernatural ride but DAMN ninjas cutting effing onions! T_T Good Points: - Best otome (plotwise) second to Hakuoki among all the otome I bought here so far - Beautiful art that matches the mood of the story. - Fully voiced (lovely voice actors) - Plot twists. I love how it's unlike the other otome that only focuses on the romance. Bad Points: - Weak heroine. I really hate Mary Sue goody two shoes nearly perfect heroines but I guess that's common for Otome games - Not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. PC. Often on sale for $7. Gothic mystery. Voiced MC. Shooting mini-game + flowchart. Hatoful Boyfriend. PC. Often on sale for $2. Pigeon dating game. Trust me. Not a single person will badmouth this game. A Date With Death. PC. Free. Date a Grim Reaper.
neutral · AI labelView post →I think I probably only have one play session of Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly left so I'll be picking out another otome game soon. If anyone happens to have any recommendations for otome games with a vita (or psp or ps1?) release go for it. I've already played Amensia and Code Realize.
neutral · AI labelView post →Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly (PC) is a gothic horror otome. It isn't murder mystery like CxM, but it is a dark mystery game. Highly recommend, especially since it goes on sale for like $7 often.
positive · AI labelView post →made me cry in the way anohana and clannad afterstory affected me 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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