Nova Hearts is a dating sim visual novel seamlessly blended with turn-based strategy, developed by Lightbulb Crew and published by Shoreline Games. Embark on a summer vacation alongside quirky young adults in an exciting adventure filled with mystery, danger, friendship, and love.
As Luce, escape the burdens of your past in the big city by returning to your hometown, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new people. But beware—a strange cosmic force is about to unleash havoc. Through your choices, shape relationships with a diverse cast of characters—from loyal friends to potential rivals—each with their own agendas and vibrant personalities.
Text, date, and fight in strategic battles to win the affection of your love interest and save your friends from an enigmatic magical presence that consumes the city and twists its people. Transform into a superhero, unleash unique powers, and uncover the secrets of Vermillion in this colorful, inclusive adventure that celebrates connection and heroism.
Sounds fun and promising, doesn’t it? Let me share my mixed experience with this outstanding game.
The game opens by immersing players in Luce’s daily life, drawing them into her struggle to escape a troubled existence in the big city.
Returning to her hometown of Vermillion for summer vacation, she hopes a change of scenery will offer relief. Dealing with her parents’ divorce, relationship challenges, and the pressures of young adulthood, Luce is a deeply relatable protagonist for many players. She’s a simple girl with a grounded life, vividly brought to life through heartfelt dialogue.
The story’s pacing and narrative are notably fast. Compared to a visual novel, the game has less dialogue text and shorter character lines. Characters speak in concise, solid lines without over-explaining, creating dynamic and lively dialogue. The game avoids overwhelming players with lore, backstories, or cosmic metaphysics, instead inviting them to go with the flow and shape the story through dialogue choices.
This approach suits a lighthearted, novel-like adventure, but it can occasionally falter. In Nova Hearts, the game treads a fine line in delivering the right mood and plot. The sudden superhero transformation sparks chaos that escalates rapidly, with random events piling up. To avoid spoilers, I’ll note that clarity arrives in the final part when the villain is revealed, but until then, players may feel confused for much of the game unless they can switch off their critical thinking and avoid questioning the narrative.
Beyond classic dialogues, the game features messenger-style conversations with NPCs, reminiscent of otome games like Mystic Messenger or similar titles. Characters message Luce after each plot milestone, with these chats serving as an additional narrative driver.
However, despite containing some crucial information, about half of these conversations devolve into nonsense and jokes. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not against humor in games, far from it—but by the midpoint, sifting through these silly exchanges becomes tedious.
If you’ve explored fandoms or read fanfiction, you’re likely familiar with “chat-fics,” and that’s exactly what these in-game messenger chats resemble. Expect random in-jokes, floods of emotes, and discussions about the weather or who shouldn’t be in the chat. Initially, it’s charming, mimicking real-life group chats, but the inability to mute these conversations turns it into a source of frustration.
The role-playing aspect of the narrative remains strong, with a slight caveat for the ambiguity of some choice options. As Luce, players can be moody, grumpy, or even a bit rude at times, which adds a refreshing sense of control over the character’s vibe and the story’s tone. Choices primarily influence the relationship dynamics, while the main plot remains largely linear. These choices yield immediate feedback through visual effects and notifications about relationship status changes, viewable in the dedicated Astro Link app.
Regarding the app and the game’s UI/UX, the phone-based interface integrates seamlessly with the experience. All key information—relationships, updated skills, CGs, and extra narrative flavor like city news—is accessible through distinct apps on Luce’s phone. Combined with the 2D animated art of the heroine and the Lo-Fi music, this design fosters a cozy, relaxed atmosphere, offering a pleasant breather between action.
Anyway, Nova Hearts is the kind of game that should primarily spark interest with its romance and character interactions, right? It features nine characters for building relationships, but only seven are available for romance. Friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers friends-with-benefits—you name it. However, if you’re into older women or handsome grumpy guys, I have bad news for you.
The character cast is likable, though most are simply quirky, defined by a single trait and their societal role. You won’t get much background beyond basic info—no dark secrets, except for one key character. As the plot goes, Luce returns to Vermillion for summer vacation, likely not expecting serious relationships to blossom. Every flirtatious line and romantic moment feels like a sweet summer adventure, without digging deeper into your partner’s true self beneath the surface. Apparently, the characters are fine with this, as half of them have already made out in the past and don’t hide it.
Personally, I tried to maintain friendly relationships with everyone, as no one truly appealed to me, but the game had other plans by the end. Whether due to unclear choices or that realistic scenario where someone mistakes kindness for romance, Will began seeing my Luce as her love interest. It could’ve been fine—childhood friends turning into lovers is often a cute trope—but not here. Throughout the game, Will is the horniest character, making borderline inappropriate comments about nearly everything. She’s ready to jump on anything that moves and have fun, and that’s what happened to my Luce.
Starting with cringeworthy flirting texts, Will quickly escalated to invading Luce’s home and insisting on closeness (not entirely in a lewd way for the moment), despite my consistent rejection. It progressed to suggestions of sexting and other uncomfortable messages, even after I repeatedly chose “No.” After three refusals in a row, she persisted, proposing a threesome with CJ and trying to organize a date while inserting herself into it. In the end, despite all my efforts to push her away, a kiss occurred in the final cutscene. I’m unsure if this was the only ending, the true ending, or choice-based, but after trying so hard to avoid it, it felt like a letdown.
Anyway, what about battles? The turn-based battles are a solid choice for a novel-like game, given their flexible format. They work well in Nova Hearts’ 2D environment, just as they would in 3D, regardless of the game’s perspective. However, they fall short in a few key areas. As noted, the narrative pacing is light and fast, but the battles disrupt this flow. Battles typically trigger at key plot points before each chapter’s climax, interrupted only by brief character dialogue.
The battle process feels sluggish, even slower than typical turn-based games. Each action—whether by a character or enemy—causes slight delays as the game system processes stats and parameters. Then come the animations, damage calculations, and effects, leaving players watching the outcome of a few button presses for half the battle.
Another issue is game balance. The game offers numerous skills for specific scenarios across chapters, suggesting strategic depth, but this is largely an illusion. While some battles demand particular tactics, the main challenge is randomness. Toward the end, certain fights require specific combos and skills, but enemies can render these strategies useless by one-shotting characters or forcing them to attack each other.
Yes, it’s possible to beat the game with careful planning and some luck, but is that the experience suited for this light, funny, chaotic adventure? Ultimately, the battle system can be a major deterrent to replaying the game to explore other romances or choices.
What truly stands out in Nova Hearts is undoubtedly its art direction, which brings the game to life with vibrant flair. The characters are vividly animated in 2D, showcasing a rich array of emotions and reactions that make them feel dynamic and engaging. In battles, each combo is accompanied by unique, short animations, adding a layer of polish to the combat. The sheer volume of animated shorts throughout the game is impressive. Every chapter features its own distinct introduction animation, while key plot points and romance milestones are highlighted with beautifully crafted CG art.
The character designs are thoughtfully tied to their personalities, giving each a distinct visual identity. Meanwhile, the enemies often take on grotesque forms, reflecting their origins and adding to the game’s world. Sometimes, I caught vibes reminiscent of the love novel Queen of Thieves, which once existed in the Lovestruck app before being discontinued several years ago. The world itself bursts with vivid colors, practically breathing through the screen, creating a visually captivating experience that enhances both the narrative and gameplay.
My experience with Nova Hearts was a rollercoaster, swinging between love and hate, leaving me with complex feelings. On the one hand, the game’s lighthearted, self-aware humor and unapologetic silliness make it genuinely fun. On the other, it feels like a fleeting weekend fling—enjoyable but forgettable. I’m certain many will find it engaging and delightful, while others won’t last an hour in its chaotic world.
Nova Hearts is the kind of game you need to feel like playing or be in the right mood for. When its vibes resonate, it’s hard to put down before unraveling the mysteries hidden in the finale.
