While Satoshi Kon’s brilliant works—like the seasonal essential Tokyo Godfathers—are rarely far from my mind, it’s his unfinished mid-’90s manga Opus that truly captivates me. That story followed a creator pulled straight into his own narrative, forced to confront the literal fallout of his plotting. Tulpa the Unseen Lover, an upcoming psychological visual novel crafted by alumni of the Spider-Verse films, captures a similar meta-fictional energy. Instead of falling into the page, however, its protagonist accidentally manifests an anime girl inside his own mind.
The *Spider-Verse* pedigree is unmistakable from the opening moments. Beyond the obvious comic-book dot and half-tone aesthetics, it’s the dynamic character motion and inventive framing that truly give away the developers’ background. Even better, the indie studio behind it is run by a husband-and-wife team. It’s an endearing setup, and the underlying premise is fascinating—provided the narrative delivers on its promise.
The story centers on Nick, a 23-year-old solitary manga creator harboring a bizarre secret: a mental companion known as a tulpa—a concept rooted in Tibetan Buddhism where a spiritual entity is willed into existence through sheer focus. Players get to name her, choose her wardrobe, and—crucially—manage her so she doesn’t completely derail Nick’s life. While she looks cheerful enough at first glance, the trailer hints at darker psychological undercurrents that will likely surface depending on the dialogue and story choices you make.
I’m hoping the game offers some genuine introspection, perhaps examining why Nick felt the psychological need to conjure such a character in the first place, especially given the option to dress her in classic maid outfits. That psychological angle points toward a healthy dose of self-awareness, though it’s always wise to keep expectations in check. Regardless, it’s definitely a project I’ll be keeping an eye on.
There’s no official release window just yet, but you can add it to your Steam wishlist if it sounds like your kind of story. (And I will simply leave the developers’ wonderfully baffling studio name, Horse Position, entirely without comment.)