Steam’s newest mini-sensation has arrived and it’s referred to as MiSide. The meta thriller within the vein of Doki Doki Literature Membership has already racked up one of many highest rankings on Valve’s storefront only a couple weeks after its utterly under-the-radar launch, thanks partially to streams by Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach and others.
In case you’re simply beginning to come again on-line after the vacation break, you is perhaps stunned to be taught that 2024 was hiding one final Steam hit up its digital sleeve. MiSide is an anime horror recreation a few programmer who finds himself magically transported into the world of a cute, minigame-filled cell sim that’s dwelling to his digital love curiosity, Mita. The premise is a mashup of visible novel and comfortable strolling sim components that ultimately goes to some a lot weirder locations and begins breaking the fourth wall within the course of.
Markiplier streamed the sport a few days after it got here out and, weeks later, the VOD has amassed over 3 million views. Particular edd, xQc, and others have since reacted to the sport as effectively. YouTube shorts and TikTok are additionally flooded with MiSide response movies and Mita fan cams. Consequently, the sport has over 43,000 opinions on Steam with a optimistic score only a fraction larger than Balatro’s, making it one of many highest-ranked video games on Valve’s storefront, at the least for now.
MiSide’s success didn’t utterly come out of nowhere. A really polished demo was launched on itch.io over a yr in the past and shortly acquired followers. At this level, the feedback web page is stuffed with individuals sharing YouTube movies of their very own playthroughs of the unsettling, creepypasta-infused, twist-filled story. In some methods it’s good catnip for the user-powered Steam algorithm: psychological horror + anime waifu + social media virality lottery = Steam’s first early winter breakout.
“Earlier than the sport’s launch, we by no means anticipated MiSide to be so well-liked,” the sport’s builders wrote on Steam final week alongside an replace including a photograph mode and different tweaks. “We’re very grateful to each participant who helps us! Along with persevering with to shine the sport and produce the deliberate content material, we may even fastidiously take into account future plans, which can cowl all features of the sport, each inside and out of doors the sport. We’ll share new plans with everybody as quickly as they’re obtainable!”
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