Buried Stars

About

Buried Stars is a mystery-themed visual novel set after a live audition show’s stage collapses. Contestants and crew are trapped underground relying on smartwatches to access social media posts from the outside world. As rescue delays mount tensions rise when an anonymous account warns of impending murders forcing survivors into uneasy alliances. Players follow shifting perspectives through branching conversations and social media interactions that reveal hidden motives and escalate the crisis. Choices impact relationships and outcomes as the line between victim and perpetrator blurs. The game’s strength lies in its tight script and character dynamics. With 8.5 10 on Metacritic it balances survival tension with sharp dialogue. The smartwatch SNS mechanic adds a fresh layer to visual novel mechanics letting players see public reactions that influence in-game decisions. Multiple endings and relationship paths encourage replays across its 10 15 hour runtime. Available on Switch and PC its portable format suits episodic play while the claustrophobic setting and moral ambiguity keep the stakes high.

Storyline

"Nobody can wear two masks without revealing their true self." It was the finals of the fourth season of "Buried Stars" a survival audition competition featuring public contestants. The stage collapsed during the live broadcast, trapping the contestants and a number of the staff. With hours to go until the arrival of a rescue team, their sponsored smartwatches are the only way to know what's going on in the outside world. By connecting to SNS via their smartwatches, they can see thousands of comments of worry, support, criticism and mockery. The survivors on the inside and the communicators on the outside wait for rescue. Then an anonymous user on SNS forewarns of murder, saying that they must pay for their crimes, and the survivors become further divided as their predicament worsens... Will the survivors be able to last until the rescue team arrives? Who is the unknown killer, and why are they doing this? What choice will the main character make at the end of this survival game?