Under the River
N/A
PC

Under the River

Released: Mar 1, 2026
Genres:
Puzzle Visual Novel
Themes:
Erotic Fantasy Romance
Game Modes:
Single player
Description from Steam STEAM

Game introduction

During the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Sui'an had not yet sunk beneath the lake; it was still a thriving, prosperous city in western Zhejiang.

Shuijsheng's opera troupe received an invitation to perform for a ritual sacrifice to the "River God," and the destination was none other than this ancient capital, nestled between mountains and water.

However, during the journey, he slipped and fell into the river. Contracting a severe illness, his life hung by a thread, until he was saved by Qingqing, a drowned ghost.

From then on, cloaked in a sinister "demonic skin," he was reduced to a half-human, half-ghost existence. His flesh gradually decayed, and his time grew short.

Qingqing informed him that only by consuming her spectral form could he extend his life;

His junior apprentice sister, however, said it would be better to pray for divine mercy to overcome this calamity.

The solemn-looking sacrificial ceremony concealed untold secrets.

Shuijsheng gradually realized he had stepped into a labyrinthine plot that connected the realms of humans, ghosts, and gods...

He must uncover the truth within the profound depths of the ancient city,

Make a choice between Qingqing and his junior apprentice sister,

And find his own path to redemption.

Game background

This work is adapted from Pu Songling's collection of classical Chinese short stories, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, incorporating elements from tales such as The Painted Skin, Old Master Zhang, The Fox's Daughter, and Wang Liulang.

Character introduction

Li Qingqing, an 10018-year-old girl who drowned, refused to be reincarnated and instead became a water ghost, lingering in the rivers of Sui'an.

Huang Cuicui, a 10016-year-old girl, is the daughter of an opera troupe leader and Shuisheng's junior fellow apprentice.

Game experience

Under the River is Nightfire Games' debut title, with initial script drafting by Huyu and subsequent refinement and production by Huyan.

The game features 150,000 words of text, 11 unique endings, and fully voiced dialogue throughout all 1,500 lines.

Players will take on the role of an opera performer in the Ming Dynasty, making choices based on their own judgment and ultimately deciding between two female protagonists.

The game contains some adult content elements:

Combat and weapon imagery without bloodshed or gore, depictions of bones/skeletons, derogatory language, intense pain, criminal behavior, bleeding, violent acts, accidental death, physical injury, corpses, violent depictions, suicide, partial nudity, and alcohol consumption.

The game is currently in full development, and we warmly welcome everyone to come and take an early look.

Description from IGDB IGDB

Under the River is a romance visual novel set in Ming China’s world of spirits and the strange.As an opera singer,you return to Sui'an County to perform for the River God. However, a strange accident leads you to don a demonic skin, transforming you into a half-human, half-ghost.

Basic Info
Release Date: March 1, 2026
IGDB ID: 391026
Additional Information
Release Date: March 1, 2026
IGDB ID: 391026
Платформы 1
PC
Genres 2
Puzzle Visual Novel
Themes 3
Erotic Fantasy Romance
Game Modes 1
Single player
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Keywords
game 38048 be 24685 world 21802 player 17513 character 16396 feature 15873 base 15453 story 14536 make 14384 take 14371 time 14243 find 12717 set 12525 role 12250 unique 11942 own 11404 experience 10848 combat 10402 become 9243 life 8747 weapon 8610 item 8079 journey 7086 year 6795 come 6746 element 6328 secret 6119 full 6113 choice 5875 save 5646 work 5542 lead 5334 good 5205 city 5126 Master 5026 studio 4936 uncover 4344 path 4283 grow 4154 human 4139 content 4086 strong 4050 ancient 4009 title 3980 form 3853 return 3757 class 3554 look 3552 death 3432 old 3418 development 3412 early 3299 don 3245 girl 3090 novel 3033 decide 3015 contain 2660 visual 2647 god 2625 strange 2608 step 2562 realm 2471 protagonist 2447 steam 2446 big 2407 truth 2395 receive 2372 fully 2368 depth 2317 voice 2291 plot 2255 tale 2254 store 2249 line 2225 short 2217 share 2133 welcome 2095 overcome 1909 spirit 1726 contract 1690 say 1687 act 1673 currently 1619 perform 1595 adapt 1556 water 1522 dialogue 1497 word 1492 instead 1461 leader 1394 intense 1389 production 1386 extra 1358 era 1342 mountain 1322 transform 1283 collection 1254 background 1210 connect 1170 physical 1095 chinese 1070 ghost 948 text 941 romance 928 language 885 consume 874 half 833 gradually 801 sister 770 data 763 adult 755 fellow 748 thrive 735 realize 730 skin 726 sacrifice 705 debut 687 reduce 686 span 667 paint 664 western 655 ultimately 653 existence 651 china 627 behavior 624 divine 617 sing 608 incorporate 603 sinister 596 criminal 586 extend 535 capital 530 daughter 521 introduction 501 hang 495 river 495 initial 491 demonic 483 fell 473 script 443 violent 426 ritual 414 height 412 singer 411 asset 409 fox 372 flesh 368 redemption 356 dynasty 350 destination 348 bone 344 skeleton 328 decay 321 lake 312 subsequent 305 sink 304 pain 302 accident 285 classical 281 linger 268 apprentice 257 refuse 212 mercy 206 calamity 204 thread 203 untold 200 slip 196 injury 191 short story 179 tag 179 illness 176 prosperous 174 inform 167 drown 159 draft 155 suicide 155 ceremony 153 gore 150 bleed 145 conceal 139 pray 139 profound 138 opera 135 depiction 134 cloak 127 judgment 124 county 122 labyrinthine 112 reincarnate 111 female protagonist 108 severe 107 invitation 100 junior 93 alcohol 87 consumption 78 spectral 78 imagery 77 adult content 72 performer 59 http 57 nudity 57 ming 54 accidental 53 bloodshed 53 nestle 48 refinement 47 troupe 43 sacrificial 37 half-human 25 width 25 solemn 22 warmly 18 paragraph 14 derogatory 6