Katawa Shoujo is a very unusual game. Notable enough that it’s a romantic visual novel developed by a western studio. Even stranger is the setting – a boy with a heart condition seeking romance in a special needs high-school. More unusual still is that the demo version was translated to Japanese, and earned no shortage of fans when it and associated art materials were sold at key comic markets around Japan. But the strangest thing of all? It started out as a joke. A tongue-in-cheek sketch done by a Japanese artist, detailing a range of disabled dating sim characters led a team to assemble from 4Chan – first to mock it… then to try to turn it into a full-length game. And now? It’s just a few weeks away from release.

The release date – January 4th – is set to coincide with the day the 4Chan forum thread that started it all began several years ago. No price tag has been set yet (Update: It’s confirmed as freeware – good times), although the Act 1 preview is still available and free. It’s been a strange saga to see unfold these past few years. What started out as mockery seems to have developed into something rather sweet. The development blog is full of stories on the highs and lows of development, along with some interesting art-design timelines, comparing the original character sketches to what they evolved into over the course of 8 years.

It’s been absolutely fascinating to see this bizarre and unlikely project unfold. From a sketch drawn 11 years ago, to a minor international phenomenon, this is definitely one of the more unusual tales from the indie game development scene. All there’s left to do is see how the finished product shapes up. It should also be noted that – unlike the demo – the full game will apparently contain some sexual content, although there will be an option provided in-game to skip it for those who would rather things tastefully fade to black when clothes come off.

[Katawa Shoujo]

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