- The debut visual novel adventure from Tokyo’s new game company, Shinen Studio
- Aiming for official release 6 months after development began… Steam Store and teaser site open
- 13 types of ennings, 9 types of full animation, over 200 CG frames, and 2.5D direction draw attention
SINEN STUDIO, a new game development company based in Tokyo, Japan, has unveiled the official teaser site and Steam store page for its first debut visual novel adventure , ‘PROTOCOL: NOAH’ .
‘Protocol: Noah’ is an ambitious visual novel adventure game for PC (Steam) being prepared by Sinen Studio. The developer announced that they are currently in the final stages of development and preparation for release, aiming for an official launch by November 2026.
In particular, the developer, Sinen Studio, was established in April 2026 and immediately began developing this new title in May of the same year. It is attracting the curious attention of the industry and indie game fans by showcasing an exceptionally fast schedule, completing the entire process from company establishment to game development and actual official release in just six months.
The repeating five days and the girls’ bond… The truth of the world hidden within the labyrinth
The player takes on the role of the protagonist ‘Ray,’ a ‘tuner’ in the story, caring for the bodies and minds of girls battling the mysterious enemy ‘Phantom.’
The main setting of the game is the massive ‘Ark Academy City,’ where battles against the Phantom take place ceaselessly. To face the catastrophic threat that will strike in just five days, Rei must build strong bonds with the three key heroines—Serena, Rin, and Nanano—through deep conversations.
However, the moment the fifth day draws to a close, the world cruelly reverts back to the scenery of the first morning. As the player navigates through this repetitive five-day routine, they gradually uncover the shocking truth surrounding the world.
Currently, the official Steam store page features the poignant phrase, “Whose hope is it beyond endless death?”, hinting at the work’s distinctive and intense narrative atmosphere.
Parameter Changes and ‘Tuning’… The Weight of Choices That Determine the Ending
The game unfolds around in-depth conversations with the characters. Depending on the choices the player makes during conversations with the three heroines, three key parameter values fluctuate in real-time, and the resulting outcomes have a decisive impact on the final ending that prevents the world’s destruction.
In particular, ‘Tuning,’ the core of the system, is a typical branching point choice that can significantly alter a single parameter of the heroine. Depending on how the tuning is guided, the ending of the story and the girls’ destinies will change completely.
The game’s entire scenario amounts to approximately 200,000 characters, and the included character dialogue exceeds 14,000 words. Based on the official Steam store page, the estimated playtime is around 6 hours.
13 endings, 9 of which are fully animated ‘Death End’
There are a total of 13 diverse multi-endings in the work. Among them, 9 are bad endings classified as ‘Death Ends,’ characterized by vivid full animation depicting the despairing conclusions faced by the heroines.
The Steam store page introduces ‘despair’ as the core element running through the narrative of this work, and advises that only by personally experiencing all the prepared endings can one finally approach the true truth hidden within the repeating time.
Meanwhile, the Steam platform has posted a notice regarding adult content stating that it includes scenes of the heroine being defeated and destroyed by enemies, direct depictions of blood and pain, scenes of being bound by tentacle-like creatures, and visuals of characters wearing tight-fitting suits.
Over 200 CG frames, direction adding movement with 2.5D
The work includes a vast amount of CG (still illustrations), with over 200 images.
The developer explained that they applied dynamic 2.5D effects to static images to vividly express the subtle emotional changes of the characters and the tension of dramatic scenes. The Steam store page also introduces this as a key visual feature called “moving still illustrations.”
In addition, the developer disclosed details of how generative AI technology was utilized during the production process via the Steam page. They stated that AI was used as an auxiliary tool in creating assets for the store page, including the ending animation, some still illustrations, scenario text, UI artwork, and the title logo and main key visual.
They explained that generative AI was utilized not only for translated text for the global service but also for voice and background music (BGM), and that the audio portion is scheduled to be finally replaced in the upcoming official release version.
The developer emphasized that the development team personally and meticulously reviewed, selected, and modified all AI-generated results before incorporating them into the game. They also added that this is utilized solely for efficiency during the development phase and is not a system where AI generates content in real-time while the game is actually running.
A small, elite team of former executives from major game companies… Declares establishment of the ‘Despair Experience’ brand
SINEN STUDIO is a small, elite development team founded by developers from major game companies who joined forces.
The company stated that it is building a rapid development system that dramatically increases development speed while maintaining the quality of the work by proactively introducing the latest development technologies, such as generative AI, and efficient workflows.
The CEO is Kojiro Takagi, a veteran game producer with many years of experience at major game companies such as Marvelous, and the company is developing console and online games as well as planning and producing entertainment services as its core business.
According to the official company introduction, a separate new project is also underway within the studio, bringing together veteran producers and artists who have already participated in several global hits.
Starting with this debut work, Sinen Studio plans to continuously showcase original works featuring the “experience of despair” as a core keyword, thereby establishing its own distinct brand identity.
The cruel fate of girls trapped in a repeating five-day cycle, and the narrative of despair and hope awaiting at the end, are expected to deeply resonate with fans of the visual novel genre.
Sinen Studio’s ambitious title ‘PROTOCOL NOAH_’, born from the combination of the know-how of veterans from major game companies and the latest development methods, will be unveiled on Steam in late November.
Information regarding ‘Protocol: Noah’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Game name | Protocol: Noah |
| Development / Sales | SINEN STUDIO (Tokyo, Japan) |
| Genre | Visual Novel Adventure |
| platform | PC (Steam) / Windows, macOS |
| Scheduled for release | November 2026 |
| price | Undecided |
| Player count | 1 person |
| Supported languages | Korean, Japanese, English, Chinese (Simplified · Traditional) |
| Ending | 13 types (9 types of Death End) |
| Playtime | Approximately 6 hours (based on Steam guidelines) |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
| Teaser site | Shortcut |
| Official X | @protocol_noah |
