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Crack the Case and Your Heart in Mirage Noir!

Written by Devil Darling, Writer, Otome Enthusiast, Horror Lover
Published on November 20, 2024
 

Remember when you first fell in love with a game’s characters and story, where every twist pulled you deeper into the world? Mirage Noir does exactly that! This investigative otome game offers a sweet mix of suspense, romance, and lovable characters. I had the chance to sit and interview  Studio Chawan, the creative mind behind it, to uncover how this gem came to life, their inspirations, and what makes Mirage Noir stand out. Get ready for an inside look you won’t want to miss!

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I’d love to hear about the history of Studio Chawan! How did you come together, and what inspired you to start your journey? Were there any challenges you faced along the way?

“Studio Chawan is comprised of one member (me, hello!) and several commissioned helpers. As such, most of the members were reached out to based on my personal preferences and vision of the game. They’ve all been extremely helpful and invested in the game, however, so I’m very thankful for their help!”

“It is the first game for me and a couple other members of the team, so it’s definitely been a challenge, especially administration and marketing-wise.”

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Can you tell me more about your inspirations for the writing? Were there any characters you especially enjoyed creating?

“As we mention basically everywhere, the game is inspired by Ace Attorney and Bustafellows, but also by other investigative games like Collar x Malice, Your Turn to Die, etc. There are a lot of other inspirations that we’ll keep a secret for now, but overall I decided to start this project based on my own experiences these past few years as someone who also relatively recently graduated from college and started a corporate job.”

“As for the characters, most of them are inspired by a mix of various characters I like (this game is pretty self-indulgent at the end of the day lol). For example, Alexei (Childe – obviously, Klavier Gavin – Ace Attorney), Jem (Prompto, FFXV), etc.”

Mirage Noir Bar
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The demo teases us with each love interest having a unique background—from royalty to hackers. How did you come up with each character’s profession and the distinct traits that come along with it?

“Programmer and cosplayer were by plot necessity, and I thought adding a streamer could both be relatable as well as allow the story to explore the online/fandom angle, which is obviously pretty important in our current world.”

“Prince and gangster were mostly self-indulgent haha. The story just required a CEO/physically active type, but they were tweaked a bit to suit personal tastes. Hope they turned out okay!”

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Could you share more about the dynamics Yunie has with each love interest? Each character, from Alexei to Sami, has such a distinct personality. I love the contrast between how Thierry is the most distrustful due to his position, while Alexei trusts you on the basis of not seeing you as a threat.

“Dynamics-wise, I spent a bit of time making sure that even though they’re all very different characters, Yunie shares certain characteristics with each LI. Can’t reveal what exactly they are at the moment, but I wanted to show that even people from very different walks of life can have similarities as well.”

“Glad to hear they’re distinct enough! The duo keychains with their dynamics are some of my favorite pieces of merch just because they show off a lot of personality.”

Mirage Noir Character Profiles
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Given that the love interests are all connected as friends how did you approach writing their dynamics with each other, and how does their shared history impact Yunie’s relationships with each of them?

“I’m a major fan of found family and friend dynamics in general. Having a group that likes to rib on each other was important and we tried to place emphasis not only on the relationship between the four boys, but also between the LIs and side characters as well to make them more fleshed out. The found family relationship was obviously inspired by Bustafellows, but we also took inspiration from other games with RPG parties as well, such as the Persona series.”

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The character designs in Mirage Noir are seriously gorgeous! How did you come up with the designs for Yunie and the boys? Did their personalities inspire their looks?

“Other than the self-indulgent bits (the jackets…) we tried to create designs that overlapped with other characters to show their significance. For example, all the main characters have some sort of flower symbol on their design as a reference to a certain flower-based hooded figure. Alexei and Nikolai also both take certain features from Sasha to symbolize their respect for him. There will be more of that with the other characters as well.”

Mirage Noir Dialogue 2
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How has the community reacted to Mirage Noir so far? Any surprising feedback you’d like to share?

“It’s been very nice! We’re very thankful. The escape section has understandably had the most split opinion, but none of the feedback has really come as a surprise, no. (Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave some!)”

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Are there any moments in the demo or traits about the characters that players seem to love the most?

“Definitely the found family part. The first scene in the hideout where all the characters interact seems to be pretty universally well-liked.”

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Do you think there’s a chance we might see more content for Mirage Noir in the future?

“Maybe an FD? Have to finish this one first though :’D”

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After Mirage Noir, what’s next for you? Are there other exciting projects or ideas you’d love to do?

“Unfortunately, I personally can’t work on multiple projects at once without losing interest, so I haven’t even thought about other projects or ideas. It’d be cool to try something else out though once this is finished and I have a game of experience under my belt!”

“That said, a lot of the other staff do have other projects. Just wanted to highlight our UI designer, Sitraxis, and our editor, illegalileo, in particular for being part of other projects in the indie VN space. Please check them out!”

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Studio Chawan’s passion for creating Mirage Noir is so inspiring, and it truly shows in every detail—from the swoon-worthy characters to the mysterious, captivating story. They’re grateful for the love and support the game has received, and they can’t wait to keep building on this amazing journey together with their fans.

If you’ve fallen for Mirage Noir, you can help make it even more incredible by supporting their Kirkcstarter here!

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