Collar x Malice
IGDB
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About Collar x Malice
Collar x Malice dropped on August 18, 2016 as a single player adventure from developer Otomate and publisher Idea Factory. You play Ichika Hoshino, a woman patrolling Shinjuku, Tokyo who survives an attack involving a poison collar. This incident kicks off the X-Day mystery that draws five former police officers into your orbit. The game runs on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita platforms. It is a visual novel where you make choices to uncover the truth behind the poisoning while navigating relationships with these investigators. The story focuses heavily on dialogue and decision making rather than fast action or combat sequences.
Gameplay
Sessions revolve entirely around reading text and selecting responses from a list of options. You control Ichika as she moves through Shinjuku districts, triggering conversations and events based on your previous choices. Every interaction determines how much trust each of the five detectives gains with you. The poison collar creates a ticking clock element that influences urgency in certain scenes. You spend most minutes reviewing dialogue trees or managing relationship stats to unlock specific endings. There are no minigames or combat mechanics here. The interface is standard for the genre with background art changing to match locations and character portraits reacting to your lines.
What Players Think
PlayPile data shows this title holds a solid 81.2 out of 100 rating based on twelve IGDB reviews. Community moods lean heavily toward serious and suspenseful as players tackle the X-Day mystery. Average playtime sits around twenty hours for a standard run, though completion rates vary depending on how many endings you chase. Critics note the strong pacing and character depth while some users mention repetitive dialogue sections slow things down. No other site tracks these specific community vibes or detailed score breakdowns alongside our own internal mood tags. The player base appreciates the unique setting but finds the story structure somewhat linear until late game reveals.
PlayPile's Take
This is a niche pick for fans of mystery visual novels who want a structured narrative with consequences. The price point is standard for the genre on Switch or Vita. You earn achievements by finding all endings and maxing out relationships, which requires multiple playthroughs to see everything. If you dislike reading long blocks of text or prefer action, skip this one. The poison collar mechanic adds tension without becoming overwhelming. It is worth buying if you want a complete story experience with clear cause and effect choices rather than an open world.
Game Modes
Single player
IGDB Rating
81.2
RAWG Rating
4.0
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