Visual novels have been experiencing a cultural renaissance in recent years as developers continue to challenge genre conventions and tackle themes that AAA titles are hesitant to explore. Last year saw a flood of VNs capture the popular consciousness, but Butterfly Soup, in particular, charmed its way into players’ hearts and shot to the top of critics’ radars. Now there’s a sequel in development, due in the summer of 2019, and I’ve been speaking to developer Brianna Lei about how she hopes to continue the story.
Last October, indie developer Brianna Lei launched her second game, a name-your-price VN about Asian high schoolers, sexuality, and baseball. Come awards season, it had nabbed a Best Visual Novel win from PC Gamer and top spots on several “Best Games of 2017” lists. Next month it’s up for an Excellence in Narrative award at the Independent Games Festival, which secured Lei a place to exhibit at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference.
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