Steam’s latest mini-sensation has arrived and it’s called MiSide. Meta-thriller style Doki Doki Literary Club it’s already earned one of the highest ratings on Valve’s website just weeks after its completely stealthy launch, thanks in part to streams from Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach and others.
If you’re just starting to get back online after the summer break, you might be surprised to learn that 2024 has Steam’s latest hit in its digital sleeve. MiSide is a horror anime about a programmer who is magically transported to the world of a cute, mini-game-filled mobile SIM where his virtual love, Mita, lives. The premise is a combination of a visual novel and elements of a cozy walking simulation that eventually goes to much stranger places and begins to break the fourth wall in the process.
Markiplier streamed the game a few days after its release and a few weeks later, the VOD had garnered over 3 million views. Edd special, xQcand others also reacted to the game. YouTube and TikTok are also flooded with tiny films MiSide reaction videos i Mity fan cams. As a result, the game has over 43,000 reviews on Steam, and the positive rating is only a fraction higher than Balatro‘S, making it one of the highest rated games on the Valve storeat least for now.
MiSideSuccess didn’t come completely out of nowhere. A very polished demo was released on itch.io over a year ago and quickly gained fans. At this point, the comments page is filled with people sharing YouTube videos of their own experiences with this disturbing, Creepypasta-infused, action-packed story. In some ways, it’s perfect catnip for Steam’s user-powered algorithm: psychological horror + waifu anime + social media viral sweepstakes = Steam’s first early winter break.
“We didn’t expect this before the game’s release MiSide be so popular” – the creators of the game posted on Steam last week with an update adding photo mode and other improvements. “We are very grateful to every player who supports us! In addition to continuing to refine the game and create planned content, we will also carefully consider future plans that will cover all aspects of the game, both inside and outside the game. We will share the new plans with everyone as soon as they are available!”
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