Planned Release Date: 2026

About This Game

Introduction:

When reality crushes ideals, when life erases hope, when everything you saw might be a lie—have you ever doubted that the reality you perceive may just be a carefully woven illusion? When memories can be tampered with and history can be whitewashed, what is illusion? What is essence?

When consciousness is controlled and memory altered, and when conscience clashes violently with reality, what will you wield to cut through this maze of truth and falsehood? Travel across time and space to uncover hidden truths, break through the boundaries between virtual and real, and protect the truths that must not be forgotten. Every choice you make will influence the course of fate. This hunt for truth on the battlefield of consciousness awaits you to ignite the spark of awakening!

Core Game Mechanics：

• Dual Dynamic Numerical Systems: The Neural Synchronization Rate (initial 15%, affecting ending triggers) and core NPC Affinity Levels (Hostile / Cold / Neutral / Friendly / Trusted / Intimate) unlock exclusive dialogues and hidden storylines, with real-time feedback on numerical changes.

• Flexible Operation Adaptation: Supports auto-play and manual click progression. You can roll back read subtitles, fast-forward through shots, pause the game, and view items.

• Multiple Endings Unlock Logic: Key branch choices, Neural Synchronization Rate, Affinity Level thresholds, and prop possession status (e.g., "The Xu Jing Chronicle" fragments) jointly determine the ending. There are multiple endings, with only one true ending.

Core Game Features:

• Cinematic Immersive Experience: Features numerous 2.39:1 wide aspect ratio shots + typewriter-style subtitles, paired with 3D animations and sprite animations to create a cinematic audio-visual experience. Handwritten fonts and dynamic typesetting enhance the plot atmosphere.

• Choice-Driven Narrative: Clearly distinguishes between key branches (affecting main plot/endings/core props) and non-key branches. Major decisions are accompanied by multi-dimensional prompts; irreversible choices directly lead to different plot lines, while non-key choices only affect single-scene interactions and short-term resources.

• Differentiated Multi-Playthrough Exploration: New Game+ (2nd playthrough) and New Game++ (3rd playthrough) replace scene details (e.g., LED screen ads, oil paintings), allow skipping certain story segments via newly unlocked options, and present differentiated content in core 3D animations. New Game++ and beyond retain exclusive visual settings, enabling exploration of hidden storylines and worldview fragments through repeated playthroughs.

• Immersive Interaction Design: A bookmark-style floating status bar that doesn’t block core visuals, mobile/computer pop-ups triggered only in designated plots, and an archive system (character/location/item backgrounds) to supplement the worldview, ensuring smooth and unobtrusive operation.

Text Number Count：

• Main Story & Branches: Will Include 6 Chapters. Over 800,000 words of core narrative text, covering main plotlines, character dialogues, and branch-specific content. Each key decision branches into 2-3 unique text directions, ensuring diverse storytelling.

• Archive & Lore: Additional 20,000+ words in the archive system (characters/locations/items), detailing backstories, worldbuilding, and hidden clues to deepen immersion.

• Dynamic Subtitles: Typewriter-style subtitles for over 500+ shots, with handwritten text inserts for emotional scenes, balancing readability and cinematic feel.

Minigames：

The game focuses on narrative-driven interaction rather than traditional minigames. Core interactive segments include:

• Prop Inspection: Examine key items via pop-up interfaces to uncover plot hints.

• Dialogue Branching: Make real-time choices in conversations to shift NPC affinity and plot direction.

• Decision-Making Nodes: Navigate time-limited or high-stakes choices (with multi-dimensional prompts) that alter the main storyline irreversibly.

Goals：

• Primary Goals: Guide Chen Dingxin to survive crises, unlock multiple endings, and uncover the truth behind "Phantom Dream" and "spiritual energy harvesting".

• Secondary Goals: Maximize core NPC affinity (reach "Intimate" status) to unlock exclusive dialogues and hidden cutscenes; collect all archive entries to complete the worldview puzzle.

• Long-Term Goals: Achieve the unique true ending by mastering Neural Synchronization Rate control, preserving key props, and making critical moral choices.

Challenges：

• Irreversible Choices: Critical branches have no do-overs—poor decisions may lock out the true ending or trigger bad outcomes (e.g., Neural Synchronization Rate ≥100%).

• Neural Synchronization Balance: Maintain the rate below 100% through strategic choices, avoiding excessive "pragmatic" actions that force bad endings.

• High Affinity Requirements: Unlocking "Intimate" status with core NPCs demands consistent, context-appropriate choices.

• Multi-Playthrough Exploration: Discover hidden plot fragments and alternate scene details in New Game+ and beyond, requiring careful observation of visual differences.

Purchase & Update Notes:

• The game adopts a one-time purchase model with no in-app purchases whatsoever. After purchasing, you’ll unlock all currently available content immediately.

• Subsequent updates will include free story chapters, plot branches, and multi-playthrough exclusive content, continuing until all storylines and endings of the entire story are fully completed—no additional payments required.

Story Background:

You—Chen Dingxin, once a member of the struggling urban workforce, gave everything to get ahead, only to be thrown into despair during the post-pandemic wave of layoffs, ultimately settling in a low-cost rental apartment. As if fate had summoned you, you discover a stack of old manuscripts titled "The Xu Jing Chronicle", unexpectedly opening a strange gateway to the VR game "Illusory Dream"—within the cyber mist of New Detroit lies conspiracy, beneath the idealized facade of the Qin Dynasty hides tyranny, and behind the seemingly harmonious westward movement are tears and blood. What has twisted all reality, using countless vivid consciousnesses as its "fuel"?

Faced with the temptations and threats of capital, and the manipulation of false history, will you compromise with reality for stability, or burn yourself out for truth and civilization?

Step into a triple-layered dream maze, become an awakened consciousness, and personally experience the thrilling hunt for truth. Branching storylines weave together destinies, with multiple vastly different endings, allowing you to feel the weight of civilization and the value of truth through your choices!

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Some sequence frame animations, UI, images, and other art assets are generated using AI, accounting for about 30% of the game's content.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

1. Sexual Content
This game contains no explicit sexual images, graphic sexual acts, or vulgar sexual elements. It only includes a small amount of non-vulgar body contour display, aimed at faithfully representing character designs and movement scenes to enhance character appeal. The game avoids any overt sexual suggestiveness or deliberately provocative design, and to maintain narrative flow, it completely avoids excessive exposure or vulgar presentation.

2. Violence Content
Some storylines in the game feature violence, either realistically or artistically rendered, categorized as follows:
-1. Depictions of war scenes based on historical backgrounds (such as army confrontations or melee combat) may include some realistic bloody scenes, but are mostly presented through lighting effects, color symbolism, cel-shading, and stylized impact.
-2. Sci-fi themed scenarios involving psychic conflicts or mechanical battles will focus on driving the plot. Any depiction of body harm, blood splatter, or other disturbing details will be treated artistically to avoid excessive gore.
-3. All violent content serves the purpose of advancing the story and expressing themes, without encouraging or glorifying real-world violence.

3. Corpse Scenes
In investigative storylines, non-gruesome corpse depictions may appear. These scenes are presented only as necessary elements for case clues and plot progression, including minor details of blood or decay, but they do not aim to create a shocking horror effect. There are no graphic dissections or mutilations. The depiction serves the narrative, with a focus on "advancing the investigation logic," avoiding meaningless visual shock.

4. Potentially Sensitive Themes
-1. Self-harm and Suicide: One particular ending involves a character's suicide. This depicts the character's fate objectively and is intended to reflect their trauma and struggles. The game does not provide any specific method, rationalize the act, or suggest positive outcomes from suicide. The portrayal emphasizes respect for life and does not encourage or induce imitation.
-2. Substance and Alcohol Abuse: Some character storylines touch on aspects of 1990s American youth culture, possibly indirectly referencing alcohol or drug misuse. Such content is only used to set up character backgrounds and the atmosphere, without endorsing, glorifying, or detailing the behaviors. The game clearly conveys the negative impact of such actions and critiques them, without encouraging players to imitate.

5. Guiding Principles for Content Presentation
All sensitive content and adult elements serve the game's core narrative and thematic expression, and there is no meaningless vulgar or violent presentation. The game consistently adheres to the principles of "not encouraging bad behavior, not glorifying harm, and respecting life and diverse cultures." All content that could trigger sensitive responses is presented with artistic treatment and guided by proper values, ensuring that emotional resonance is balanced with positive value direction. Character arcs show hope amid adversity, and the narrative realistically exposes the dangers of escapism. All controversial elements are presented from a critical perspective, naturally revealing reflective awareness through the story, guiding the audience toward a correct understanding framework.The balance between artistic expression and social responsibility runs throughout the entire creative process.