hours persons doors hours persons doors visual novel adventure game developed released japan north_america ios version following japan rest world game installment zero escape series predecessor game zero escape virtue reward story follows college student abducted people forced play game puts participants life death situation escape sinking cruise liner gameplay types sections escape sections player completes puzzles escape room scenarios novel sections player reads game narrative makes decisions influence story making branch different endings plot revealed player reach true ending information development game began joined write visual novel reach wider audience suggested adding puzzle elements integrated game story inspiration story question inspiration comes researching came theories main theme game music composed characters designed localization handled worked philosophy keeping true spirit original japanese version opting natural sounding english following original exact wording hours persons doors positively received reviewers praising story writing puzzles criticizing game tone player required puzzles time play game reception game presentation mixed japanese release commercial failure game sold better expected genre united_states gameplay hours persons doors visual novel adventure game player assumes role man named gameplay divided types sections novel escape novel sections player progresses storyline non playable characters sections require little interaction player spent reading text appears screen represents dialogue characters inner thoughts novel sections player presented decision options affect course game decisions result branching storylines unique ending plot revealed player needs reach true ending information mystery reach ending player needs reach specific ending endings contain hints reach endings novel sections sixteen different escape sections occur player finds room need find means escape presented person perspective player able different pre determined positions room escape player tasked finding items solving puzzles reminiscent escape room games points player need combine objects create necessary tool complete puzzle puzzles include brain magic squares game provided math related problems player ask characters hints find escape room difficult escape sections self contained items required solve puzzles available section items carried escape sections finishing escape section available replay game main menu plot characters setting hours persons doors features main characters forced participate game unknown person named zero characters adopt code names protect identities stakes game player controlled joined june nervous girl old friend knows lotus self serving woman unknown skills seven large muscular man santa punk negative attitude ace older man snake blind man demeanor girl prone mood swings 9th man individual events game occur cruise ship external doors windows sealed internal doors locked game characters learn kidnapped brought ship play game challenge find door marked hours ship forced work separate teams way ship solve puzzles find door set special locks numbered doors based digital roots player different digit groups total number digital root marked door pass story start game wakes cabin inside cruise liner wearing displaying number escapes room encounters people including june zero announces participants game zero explains rules states carry explosive stomach try bypass digital root door locks 9th man goes door killed fearing harm come group adopts code names splits explore ship player option select group travels affects story choices lead death choices learns previous game connections characters studies resonance stories egyptian alice frozen ending learns zero participant game set second game revenge ace surviving players confront ace learn manipulated 9th man violate rules killed order cover identity gain access 9th man find door weak santa watches enter door leading ace grabs lotus holds gunpoint discovering activate snake tackles ace lotus seven pull goes consuming snake ace returns finding nearly dead zero says game loser determined acts defiant zero referring investigates nearby room returns find santa disappeared knocked gas grenade ending player access true ending learns previous game run kidnapped pairs siblings separated ocean bound gigantic mock building nevada desert explore fields research anticipated stress game activate fields siblings allowing solutions solved sent fields counterpart location research help ace cradle ceo cure game went brother santa placed location instead separated seven discovered rescued children ship ace grabbed escape forced room faced puzzle solve apparently died reach disappears santa escapes ace hostage trapping inside revealed portion game narrative portrayed screen presented point view game fields connected second game witnessing possible passing information help survive faces puzzle solution past allowing escape seven children realizes zero assistance santa recreated game events witnessed order ensure survival escape discover game taken place building entire time santa fled leaving car ace restrained trunk game epilogue drive away hoping catch shortly pick recognizes alice development hours persons doors developed directed successful visual novels past wanted create new type visual novel received wider audience contacted asked write visual novels came idea include puzzles integrated story need solved order player progress inspiration story question mankind inspirations come researched found british theories fields main theme game theory similar answers question organisms able simultaneously communicate ideas physical social interaction theory develop concept characters able transmit receive information individual vital role number plot characters based personality types source inspiration visual novel cry like hours persons doors begins putting characters state discomfort started writing script working ending continue work backwards order confused writing plot game setting characters trapped try escape meant humanity desires unconscious desire return mother shut oneself away desire escape overcome current condition theme writing visual novel infinity scrapped story elements use hands major story final stages production higher ups accept focus forcing write story characters originally supposed try escape idea scrapped seen appearances games escape sequences created appeal players desires wanted feel pleasure described found puzzles consider details story props found game deciding integrated puzzles puzzle websites reference design puzzles instead leaving puzzle direction staff checking multiple times release hours persons doors originally released japan spike december nintendo american release followed november united_states replica game included pre orders low pre orders available website shop separately bundled game release hours persons doors eleventh nintendo game rated coinciding release game sequel virtue reward hours persons doors got reprint titled hours persons doors new box art featuring zero escape brand game soundtrack published december novelization game titled written released volumes ios version game novel developed second entry smart sound novel series released japan worldwide english march version lacks escape sections nintendo version features high resolution graphics added helps players track narrative paths experienced additionally dialogue presented speech bubbles announced port game platforms added voice acting localization north american localization game introduced spike looking company publish game north_america evaluated game company believe turned people evaluate games speak japanese difficult determine game good end decided considered big risk company localization philosophy keeping true spirit original japanese making dialogue sound like native speaker english instead strictly original exact wording localization editor looking writing wider view line line scene scene word word sentence sentence thinking convey ideas english parts game include joke localization joke japanese version different try similar types jokes similar contents ideas game use japanese language led problems relied japanese function replaced new english given free change add long disrupt plot localization track numerous plot points game script written chronological order numerous endings game took roughly months big challenge getting localization time game translator worked days editing process took months work fly started playing game prior starting work localization finish playing halfway translating learning plot japanese pun halt localization discuss come solution game sure sense reception hours persons doors holds score review aggregator metacritic indicating generally favorable reviews commercial failure japan copies sold additional reaching total copies sold american sales described strong according surprise visual novel genre seen particular japan unlikely accepted overseas writing narrative received critics labeling strong argument video games new medium storytelling reviewers famitsu called story enigmatic thrilling gamespot felt lengthy novel sections fear tension game gamesradar compared high quality thriller novels wired criticized prose inconsistent said use narrator clever unusual called story multi layered liked dialogue found person narration dull slow place metaphors eurogamer ign felt urgency portrayed game story odds tone timing dialogue lengthy conversations trapped inside dialogue jokes thomas called premise gripping said mythology character backgrounds said characters initially like stock anime cast player discovers complexity moving past impressions felt character developed unique pass real people famitsu writer said enjoyed solving puzzles gave sense accomplishment similarly called puzzles satisfying solve found puzzles said liked puzzles hunts visible long player looks carefully lack red time limits dead ends found better escape room games applauded large content saying buying game puzzles satisfied thomas appreciated puzzles found solutions hints obvious explanatory found puzzles challenging disliked difficult reach true ending appreciated puzzles felt logical thomas criticized player puzzle sequences subsequent appreciated fast forward function repeated thomas felt didn far speeding process found sound design saying music add players likely mute game hearing sound effect dialogue long liked called score said gets skin right moments said appreciated sound called atmospheric sending spine unimpressed environments said clear easy look liked character portraits calling expressive paired dialogue player care lack voice acting felt game need voice acting felt way game favored narration animated cutscenes allowing player imagine scenes said graphics atmosphere called presentation awesome saying looked great artwork stood despite simplicity animations soundtrack fantastic accolades game won awards ign awarded best story award rpgfan gave award handheld system awarded editor choice award featured hours persons doors list play nintendo visual novels citing story themes narrative experimentation included list play visual novels worth playing people like anime rpgfan included list essential calling engaging thoughtful narratives seen video game sequels hours persons doors game zero escape series originally intended stand game development sequel began game got positive reviews virtue reward successor hours persons doors announced august developed nintendo 3ds playstation game released february japan later year north_america europe virtue reward follows group people focuses game theory specifically prisoner dilemma set events previous games facility intended test logistics mars colony psychology people living morality main theme
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors