STEINS;GATE

I know it's not a popular method for every reader, but I ended up torturing myself reading this and S;G0 in the "chronological" order for my first experience. It was an amazing way to read it all for the first time. Played this game all the way to almost the very end, up to a certain point in the story. Closed the game. PLAYED THE ENTIRETY OF STEINS;GATE 0 .... then came back and finally, after being emotionally drained for an extra 30 hours, finished the true ending of this one. I knew nothing about STEINS;GATE going in, read about this method of experiencing it, and man. I do not regret doing it this way at all. To anyone who has the patience to stop at the climax of the first game's story [which I know not everyone would enjoy], I highly recommend reading S;G and S;G0 this way. Changed my brain chemistry. The pay-off of finally finishing the true ending of S;G after going through all of S;G0 is something I can't put into words. Idk how I'll ever replicate the feelings this gave me, I wish I could go in blind again and do it all over for the first time.

I'm not much into visual novels, but this one is simply amazing with it's incredible story full of twists and foreshadowing. Felt like reading an amazing book with great soundtrack and visuals. But even if you're not into VNs, buy it just for the "tutturu~!"

I watched anime years ago and even then I always thought that Stein's Gate is one of the best anime ever, and now after playing the VN I am even more impressed, it adds so much more to the already peak anime. Make sure to play this game at all cost you will do yourself a big favor. El Psy Kongroo

Absolutely enthralling and phenomenal VN and one that I will cherish for many reasons. As someone who has heard of Steins;Gate through word of mouth or from popular anime websites and discourse, I decided to take a long shot and read the visual novel instead of watching the anime, and I do not regret it one bit. I will keep this review spoiler free, so all I can really say is that this is absolutely worth your time. The way the story builds upon itself not only with each chapter but through all of the alternate endings allows you to explore most of the cast, their feelings, thoughts, and philosophies. This really made the true ending of this VN hit even harder. The character development and emotional build-up are done so well that you truly become invested in every choice and outcome, which makes finally reaching the true ending feel incredibly satisfying. Again I won't say too much on specific events or plot points, but I would say if you ever want to get into this medium and want to give a VN a shot that is a little longer than the casual ones, you cannot go wrong with Steins;Gate. It’s a perfect starting point that shows what makes visual novels such a special and unique form of storytelling. Overall 9/10

The anime has been in my top 3 of all time since the day I watched it. When I found out it was adapted from a visual novel, I had to try it. And WOW. This is a phenomenal experience. I don’t usually play VNs, but this one pulled me in completely. I felt more emotions playing this than I have with almost any other game. Like I literally cried multiple times playing this and other times I have been so hyped for the characters. If you’ve seen the anime, this expands the story in all the best ways. You get deeper character moments, more worldbuilding, and multiple endings that let you explore all the painful, beautiful "what-ifs" of the STEINS;GATE universe. Play this. STEINS;GATE is a masterpiece. El. Psy. Kongroo.

have been playing it for over 5 hours. the story, though a little bit dragging, is really logical. if you like vn, its a must-play. however, it should be noticed that the game's quick load/save system has a problem that makes you lose your progress when turning off the game. make sure to use the hard load/save feature, and after saving go to the title menu before exiting the game.

Around 12 years ago I had watched the anime adaptation of STEINS;GATE and a couple of days ago I had the sudden urge to watch it again. To my surprise, when I was casually browsing the Steam Summer Sale 2025, I was shown STEINS;GATE on the Featured Deep Discounts. I thought to myself, why not [i] play [/i] this wonderful series for a change and then I immediately went ahead and purchased the STEINS;GATE + STEINS;GATE 0 bundle. Once I’ve started playing I couldn’t stop. I played until I hit a certain point in the game and thought that would be it, but something felt strange, as I didn’t remember the anime turning out this way. That’s when I started a new game and fast-forwarded it until a certain point in the game where I didn’t even realize that I was making a decision before. This time I chose differently and my mind was blown when I realized that there was more to this. There was [i] way[/i] more to this. It certainly helped having watched the anime beforehand for me to get instantly invested. So much time had passed for me since then that I had forgotten most of the major plot twists of this series which honestly was exhilarating for me to experience again in a different format. STEINS;GATE hits the emotions just right, it feels alive, the characters feel authentic and layered. The plot has its share of a couple holes, but as soon as you get over yourself and actually experience the plot in this world where these things conceptually just [i] are [/i] this way, it completely envelops you in it. The paths this game let’s you explore must have been even more mind-blowing back in 2009. I urge you to either play this game or watch the anime. No, better do both for your sake!

There is no end though there is a start in space. — Infinite. It has its own power, it ruins, and it goes though there is a start also in the star. — Finite. Only the person who (has) wisdom can read the most foolish one from the history. The fish that lives in the sea doesn't know the world in the land. It also ruins and goes if they have wisdom. It is funnier that man exceeds the speed of light than fish start living in the land. It can be said that this is a final ultimatum from the god to the people who can fight.

This game is definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had with a VN, the story is incredible, each character is uniquely well developed, the interaction between them is genuine, the actions made by the protagonist shows how human he is, the game at first glance may seem to require knowledge of physics, but trust me, you don't need to understand much of it, the game provides a dictionary that explains the scientific terms that the characters discuss, the game has a moderate gameplay time, if you want to do 100% it will take about 40 hours or more, I recommend getting the game on sale, since it's very cheap, Stein's Gate made me want to delve deeper into the physics knowledge they talk about in the game, I would like to erase this game from my memory so I can play it as if it were the first time, an incredibly amazing game. 100/10

i will go straight to the point and give it 9.5/10 this is nearly a masterpiece i say nearly that i will tell later i'll go through everything about steins;gate things that are good or bad or kind of a loophole 1)the plot 10/10: I will go straight to this i love time travel and i love things that talk about things like black holes and shit i love things like it 2)the story 9.5/10: i think story is the best in this game maybe im glazing but i literary love the story i love going back to past to solve things it's soo cool but i give it 9.5 cause i think the begining part was boring not going anywhere but when i look at it it just felt necessary for the later elements of the story, but in the end when i first started it i had to go through the boring texts :(( 3) The Worldlines 10/10 I am not glazing seriously but i love the worldlines in this, like when you change the worldlines you know you changed it and it's not a mess, at first we think ALPHA worldline is bad when suzuha talks about worldlines to go to BETA worldline it's very cool shit when they talk about it :)) 4) Alternative Endings 8.5 i think this is the worst they perform at like i seriously do love suzuha(10/10), faris(10/10) and lukako(10/10) ending but i seriously hated kurisu and mayuri endings they just felt like half of the true ending and i had gone through them from suzuha>faris>lukako>mayuri>kurisu>true ending and i felt mayuri and kurisu's ending felt same from different perspective (and yes i did play chaos head so chaos head wins for alt endings) 5) True ending 10/10 this is best ending to round things up i loved it i'll leave it at that 6) Characters 10/10 Best cast loved the voice acting of Mayri, HOUOUIN KYOUMA and Kurisu cause these are my favourite characters and Hououin Kyouma especially i loved his character till the end he never felt like a boring character and felt good to play as Overall 9.5/10 this is why i call it nearly a masterpiece i loved this game and i love all elements now i'll go read steinsgate 0 until then byeeeee :)))

I used about 31hrs to reach every worldlines and revealed the truth of steins gate, overall, the game extremely deserves to play, i promise. If you have never tried the type of the game, you should definitely consider to take it a shot. In the beginning of the game, you may think it is so boring and awkward, but pls wait, after you enter chapter 3, you are gonna know why he acts as that, and the shadows behind the time machine, so pls DONT QUIT THE GAME!!!!! YOU WILL LIKE IT! EI PSY CONGUROO!!! Rank:9/10

probably the most insufferable cast of characters I've ever seen in a video game ever. do not play this game if you're a normal human being. the ONLY reason I'd ever recommend this game is the fact that this game has some incredible writing when it counts, which is rarely. suzuha's route and her plotline are SO well done, it's incredible. plus, towards the finish line of the game, the writing once again gets super good. I also like the inherent writing of the science adventure games as they are, as they're labeled, science-y, so I always like the little nerdy tangents they go on trying to explain how everything works. however, it is probably the most inconvenient and painful ride to get to the end of this game, equivalent to dying of thirst but the only way you'd ever get a drop of water is if you have to crawl on pointed shards of glass for miles to get it. the game takes forever to get to its destination, straight up. when the game gets going it's engaging, heart racing, and jaw dropping. however, the amount of brain bleedingly horrible dialogue coupled with the most horrifically boring, stereotypical, and ANNOYING characters makes this a really, really, REALLY hard read, especially the main character okabe and his friend itaru. over the 32.9 hours I played this game, I think the writing only came through for about 5 hours, and I think that's being generous. speaking of okabe and itaru, i. fucking. HATE. these characters. the only time where I can safely say that okabe is bearable is when he's in horrific agony, and even then I struggled to really root for him. if anything, I felt bad for everyone else having to live around this dude, because if I had to experience living or breathing in the same room as him, I'd have to kill myself, straight up. I think the writers wanted you to feel bad for everyone else around him, so that when shit hit the fan, you'd feel bad for them more so for not only having to endure his awful personality, but also because they have to endure all their hardships because of him. don't get me wrong, I felt bad for what okabe went through, because my lord he goes through a lot. however, it's hard to feel bad for a character with such an insufferable personality. and don't get me started on itaru, who is much, MUCH worse than okabe. genuinely insufferable and his inclusion in future science adventure games have me wondering if the writers were huffing lead paint and gluing their mouths to exhaust pipes when making that decision. the only characters I enjoyed were suzuha, luka, and the tennouji family. the rest of the characters just don't have any personality or have a stereotypical personality written with such laziness that just reading their dialogue would put people with fatal familial insomnia into deep sleep. some of the moments in this sh!tter are just straight up awful and have me wondering how many people who wrote this are on a government watchlist because they're sexual deviants and fiends. how do people ever enjoy the creepy ass moments where these grown men act the way they do around women? how do people ever enjoy okabe groping women? how in the hell does okabe EVER get a woman to fall in love with him? however, with all that being said, I think that this game is beloved for the plot, the setting, and the tone towards the end of the game. I genuinely believe this game could've been so, SO much better if they cut out all of the unnecessary stereotypical anime-isms they added to make gooners clap and bang their heads with rocks when a girl gets s3xually assaulted. this game asks good questions and immerses you quite well into it. however, I cannot get over how awful some of these characters' personalities and the writing of said characters, as it's quite literally what makes up 90% of the entire game. when the game is good, it's GOOD. like, really REALLY good. however, for someone like me, I personally cannot review a game and not warn people about how awful a sizable chunk of this game is, which is why I'm saying no to my recommendation. if you're able to handle really bad anime-isms, an insufferable main cast of characters, and if you personally suffer from insomnia and need a way to fall asleep on your way to a better plotline, this game is perfect for you. 5/10

This visual novel is a masterpiece. It has an intriguing premise about time travel, and despite that being a super common trope, it deals with it in its own unique way. The plot has many twists and turns that will keep you glued to your screen. It avoids the problems with pacing that you see in other works were complex worldbuilding. Each of the game's many characters is equal parts hilarious and well-written, each in their own way. The character development is great too. On top of all of that it looks and sounds great too. This story is emotional and breathtaking. Read it. Read it now. Reading is it the choice of Stein's Gate.

Nice idea, but unfortunately the execution was made by a 14 year old weeb. I guess it also didn't age well, but this is peak anime cringe and unnecessary over sexualization of underage girls, even for 2010 standards. The anime is alright, but still not the masterpiece some people portray it. It gets better half way through. Edit: Just finished the anime with Steins;Gate0. The first half of the first season really is the worst part of it all. The time travel story breaks its own rules, which is usually a no go, but it makes it up with good character development and a nicely paced emotional rollercoaster with interesting twists, so at the end I forgave all the logical flaws. It also gives some explanations to why the main character is so annoying. I am actually happy I stuck with it. I guess my review as someone who has never played a VN before is: If you know you like VNs, this is probably a really good game. If you have never played a VN before: My first sentence still stands. I recommend watching the anime if you are just here for the story. It was easier than clicking through it. But beware there are a lot of really unnecessary questionable scenes regarding the multiple (young) female characters and if you do not have the ability to ignore the cringe for the sake of the story you will not have a good time.

It does start off a little slow, but after chapter 2, i must say I'm hooked!

For $3 it's just nice to be in a calming atmosphere with no pressure to act.

It's a very good game. There's 20000 reviews so i don't believe i need to go into detail but i would rate it an 8/10. Chapter 9 was strange but i'm assuming it will be expanded upon in future games. Took me around 33 hours to get my first ending and 60 hours to get 100%. I've only just now gotten around to playing it and i now understand why it's so loved

I'm not too familiar with visual novels and anime in general, and Steins;Gate is probably my first experience with a long-form VN. At first I was really skeptical. The cringey, childish humor and slow-paced opening didn't exactly win me over, but at the same time I found myself largely entertained by the character dynamics and intrigued by how well real-world science concepts were integrated into the fictional time travel plot. Then Chapter 4 hit, and the story started picking up. Before I knew it, I’d been playing for 5 hours straight and was deep into Chapter 7, completely hooked by the mystery and rising stakes. It was a pleasant surprise. Beneath all that cringey humor (that somehow grew on me lol) was a cohesive, thought-provoking story that made me feel more emotional than most of the 100+ novels I’ve read (as per my Goodreads shelf). I also loved the phone mechanics - it’s a subtle choice system, very different from the in-your-face decisions of traditional VNs, and it really made you feel like you were interacting with the world through your own phone. Steins;Gate might not be for everyone, especially if you're new to this format, but just give it a fair chance. It's a slow-burn masterpiece will move you in ways very few titles can. [i]El Psy Kongroo[/i]. P.S. Holy shit [spoiler]Suzuha's ending[/spoiler] was so dark and twisted it legit gave me minor PTSD. Definitely check it out if you haven't already.

The best piece of media I have ever consumed. I'm so glad I randomly decided to watch the Steins:Gate anime one day a long time ago. My favorite story ever told. The Visual Novel expands so much on what I've seen in the anime, and also ties up some loose ends. Whether it be the Visual Novel or Anime, Steins:Gate is a much watch.

Very cool game, love the concept of time itself and time traveling in general and the art and dialogue of this game are very cute but also cool! The anime is very good as well so this game definitely doesn't disappoint.

Heres a fun drinking game whenever Okabe says Hououin Kyouma or mayuri says Tutturu~ take a shot

to the OG intellectuals: imagine acquiring a narrative masterpiece, Steins;Gate for less than the price of a gas station slushie. reality is truly diverging. El Psy Clearance.

I really enjoyed Steins;Gate it's one a great anime and the VN was even better so yeah buy it

I thought the setting and what was getting set up was cool. I'd heart good things and I tried to ignore the annoying parts and think, "Oh this will get better" or "oh it's not that bad" but an hour or so in it was still really obvious that this game is pretty misogynist. Annoying male characters and not in the, "I'm neurodivergent and just different way," but in the "I don't understand women and I'm not going to attempt to despite talking about them and interacting with them." kind of way. Worse still, the writing seems to be oblivious to this, as if the writers values and thought processes are the same as the characters. I started to skip ahead a little more and speed read to see if it got better but no, it doesn't even like what's probably close to 3 normal hours in. As an androgynous, sci-fi-loving, mostly-sapphically oriented transfem who's lived most of their life as a guy, it's not like I don't see this from both sides of the coin btw. You can write something that appeals to the young masculine gaze and still treats men and women in a sensible way.

So You Wanna Play Steins;Gate?" Well... do you like: ✅ Microwaves ✅ Mad Scientists ✅ Time Travel ✅ Quantum physics ✅ Conspiracy Theories ✅ Emotional Trauma ✅ Broken Timelines ✅ And 2000s flip phones? Then Stains Gate is for you.

If you don't buy this for $3 you should be a ward of the state with a government handler assigned to manage your finances.

Ignore time. Play offline. I was misled by all the very positive reviews. Got it on sale. Its not a game, its a PowerPoint presentation but with much worst controls. The most tedious progression and nonstop cliche. I thought, why am I negative but it gets all these great reviews. Looked at the progression achievement stats. There it was is the numbers 95% make the first achievement, but by the 4th achievement only 46% remained and it is still only at chapter one. This game loses more than 50% of players in the first few hours and only around 20% seem to get to the latter chapters, seems like about 10% make it to the end. That should tell you all you need to know. Are you going to join the 90% like me who buy and wasted our money or the 10% who can crawl through all the hours of tedium?

Too much talk and no gameplay at all. I feel I was scammed into thinking I was buying a game (like Zero Escape series) while I actually bought a visual novel (with no choices so far- and I have played for a while). I am sorry, the game might become good after a lot of time of reading conversations and bs scenes, but it ends up being no entertaining at all. If a game cannot give gameplay since the beginning, then it means IT IS A BADLY MADE GAME, so I cannot recommend it.

If you got this game because: 1. You heard good things about Steins;Gate 2. Did not realize it was a VN 3. Are still stuck sitting through dialog but want to get the achievements Then this is a great game to practice holding CTRL

Played a ton of the game. There is a constant save icon. The game never told me how to save. There is no save icon in the phone. I assumed given the constant save icon that it saved my game. Nope, I now have to do the entire first 3 hours of the game again. I'm just not going to. What kinda of idiot game doesn't auto save or just show you how to save in the first minute? Why isn't there just a simple save system?

STEINS;GATE is a masterclass in visual novel storytelling, weaving a rich tapestry of science fiction, suspense, and human emotion that transcends its medium to become one of the most celebrated narratives in gaming. Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE takes what could have been a convoluted time travel premise and delivers a deeply personal, intellectually provocative experience, grounded by a memorable cast and a razor-sharp script. What begins as a quirky, slice-of-life story about self-proclaimed “mad scientist” Rintarou Okabe and his band of misfit friends in a cluttered Akihabara lab gradually unfolds into a gripping and emotionally resonant thriller that tackles fate, identity, and the unintended consequences of technological curiosity. At its core, STEINS;GATE is about time travel—but it treats the concept with unusual respect for theoretical grounding and narrative complexity. The game introduces the concept of “world lines” and causality through a fictional but convincing scientific framework, using its central mechanic, the D-Mail (a system for sending messages to the past), to explore the butterfly effect on both large and intimate scales. Unlike many science fiction stories, STEINS;GATE does not rely on spectacle. Instead, it roots its sci-fi elements in human experiences: grief, love, fear, and hope. The stakes become more personal as Okabe, initially an eccentric and arrogant figure, is forced to confront the psychological toll of repeated timeline shifts, memory divergence, and moral responsibility. His transformation throughout the game is one of the most compelling aspects of the narrative, supported by an exceptional supporting cast. Characters are the heart of STEINS;GATE. From the brilliant but socially awkward Kurisu Makise, to the loyal and tragic Mayuri Shiina, to the mysterious and determined Suzuha Amane, every major character is intricately developed, their personalities, motivations, and arcs interwoven seamlessly into the main plot. Relationships feel authentic, shaped by shared moments of levity and pain alike. The dialogue is sharp, often hilarious, and occasionally devastating, capturing both the warmth of friendship and the horror of watching those bonds strain under the weight of time travel’s consequences. These character interactions make every decision feel heavy, and the game’s branching paths—triggered not through explicit choices but through Okabe’s cell phone interactions—reinforce a sense of uncertainty and inevitability that perfectly mirrors the themes of the story. Visually, STEINS;GATE utilizes a distinct and atmospheric art style—dark, soft-colored palettes and heavy shading convey a sense of realism tinged with melancholy. The game’s interface, while minimalist, is functional and never distracts from the flow of narrative. Backgrounds feel authentic to the Akihabara setting, and character sprites, though not animated in the traditional sense, are expressive enough to deliver emotional nuance. Combined with a stellar Japanese voice cast and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that oscillates between ethereal, tense, and quietly tragic, the presentation heightens immersion at every turn. Pacing-wise, STEINS;GATE does require patience. The early chapters are deliberately slow, focusing on character development and world-building before the narrative pivots into its more suspenseful and emotional beats. This gradual escalation is a strength, however, as it allows the player to fully absorb the stakes and become deeply invested in the characters’ lives. When the emotional blows start landing—often unexpectedly—they hit with far more weight because the game has earned its impact through careful buildup. It’s also worth noting that STEINS;GATE is a rare example of a visual novel where multiple endings genuinely matter. Each route reveals different aspects of the story and characters, and the coveted “true ending” is not simply the happiest resolution, but one that wrestles with sacrifice and consequence. Players are encouraged to pursue all routes, not just for completionism but to gain a holistic understanding of the narrative and its philosophical underpinnings. If there are criticisms to be made, they’re minor. Some cultural references or character archetypes may feel unusual or exaggerated to Western audiences unfamiliar with anime or Japanese media tropes. Additionally, the text-heavy nature of the game and the lack of traditional gameplay mechanics may limit its appeal to those looking for more interactive or action-driven experiences. However, these elements are inherent to the visual novel genre and are executed here with exceptional craft and purpose. In conclusion, STEINS;GATE is a brilliant fusion of science fiction and emotional storytelling—a game that invites players to ponder the limits of choice, the fragility of time, and the power of human connection. It is at once intellectually stimulating and profoundly moving, blending hard science with soft, human truths. For those willing to immerse themselves in its intricately woven world, STEINS;GATE offers one of the most unforgettable journeys in gaming. It is not just a standout visual novel; it is a narrative experience that rivals the best in any medium. Rating: 9/10

Fix quick save and showing keyboard prompts instead of controller when using a controller!

I literally had to take a break from finishing this because of how emotional it made me.

Hey master, I am mad scientist. It's SO COOOOL! Sonovabitch.

The existence of this Visual Novel must be the choice of Steins Gate...

No es la mejor visual novel que existe por nada, me la terminé en 1 semana, gran historia, grandes personajes, si te gusta la física y el universo, la vas a amar.

Amazing game cause has best character Faris nyannyan from stein gate

my first visual novel and had a really enjoyable experience. didn't think that it would take me long to finish yet It did take me multiple days to finish. Loved the story and the fact that it has multiple endings

Incredible... One of the most moving works I've ever experienced..

One of the greatest & most meaningful stories ever. God a bad ending on my first run which was annoying, but otherwise peak.

Best science adventure game, but that's obvious

Got for less than a dollar— might’ve just unlocked the best timeline.

神作，一切都是命运石之门的选择。 打工战士qwq

This visual novel gave me enough motivation to go purchase a new microwave.

Can't say no to a huge discount to the best VN ever

このゲームはたのしかったよ。今、携帯電話をこわがる。

its the game/anime to ever be witnessed by humanity

bcuz it's the choice of shutainzuu gēto!!

Something something peak fiction please read through it yo

a masterpiece. 10/10.