A Message from the Developers

Hello, Detectives — long time no see. After two months, we finally meet again.

First, the most important news:

The full version of Once, in Times of Chaos will officially launch on December 2, 2026!

Since the demo launched on August 20, we've received so much playtime, praise, and feedback from you all.
Every suggestion and every discussion — we've read them all carefully.
And we truly thank you for your support along the way.

So this time, besides the release date, we've also prepared something new for the demo:
The demo is getting another update — with roughly 20–30 minutes of new content, plus gameplay optimizations!

The full version is still in its final polish, but we can't wait to let you play more of it first.
Thank you for staying with Once, in Times of Chaos all this way. See you on December 2 — in the full version!

About This Game

The story takes place in Shanghai in the 1920s.

You will take on the role of an operative codenamed “Oak” and experience firsthand that turbulent and legendary chapter of Republican-era China.

On this chessboard where lies and truth intertwine, can you unravel the mystery surrounding your own identity and save everything you hold dear?

Will you give up the one you love for your country, or betray your beliefs to protect them?

Before dawn breaks, it is up to you to uncover what history has hidden and seek the truth of an era!

You have lost your memory.

Some say you are Song Zizhao, a watch merchant;

others say you are a revolutionary operative codenamed “Oak.”

But the fragments in your mind seem to point toward yet another identity.

You must step into the Shanghai of 1919 and search for clues amid the clashes between rival factions.

You must make choice after choice between lies and truth.

At gunpoint and in moments of tenderness alike, you are forced to question everything as you piece together who you really are, one fragment at a time.

There is no need to guess blindly: the game includes a built-in Republican-Era Diary gameplay system.

From childhood to working undercover, from military academy to Shanghai, your entire past is laid out before you.

Whenever you face a difficult decision, you can open the diary and read about the roads you once traveled, the people you loved, and everything you lost. When the diary closes once more, you are no longer a bystander.

You are the only person with the right to make the choice! Who are you, really?

Perhaps the answer can be found in this Republican-Era Diary.

Every choice concerns life and death—and the people you love.

You awaken in a prison cell, having lost all your memories.

Some call you a comrade. Others see you as a traitor.

You do not know whom to trust, because anyone could be your enemy—and anyone could be your only path to survival.

What you face is never a simple matter of right and wrong.

Will you save one person—or sacrifice many?

Will you believe her—or suspect him?

Will you keep your promise—or betray your principles?

Will you choose your country—or the person who would walk through fire for you?

Every answer will rewrite your fate and the fates of those around you.

Every decision defines who you truly are.

You think you are playing chess. In truth, you have already been pushed into the center of the chessboard.

But fortunately, even a pawn can become a player!

Once, in Times of Chaos features a built-in Republican-Era Encyclopedia system.

As the story progresses, entries containing real historical background information will be unlocked automatically:

Why did the 1919 Shanghai Peace Conference between China’s northern and southern governments break down?

What was Shanghai like on the eve of the May Fourth Movement?

What activities did the Japanese Kokuryūkai (Black Dragon Society) carry out in China?

There is no need to stop playing and look up the information elsewhere.

Every piece of knowledge is naturally woven into the story.

As you immerse yourself in each decision, that bygone world gradually unfolds before your eyes.

When the game is over, you will take away not only a story, but also a piece of history.

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