Nova-box's new game release date set
Nova-box, a French independent studio, is set to release its latest narrative adventure, After the Wane, on PC on November 10.Studio's history and structure
Founded in 2004, Nova-box initially worked on projects for clients, museum installations, and games for Nintendo DS before transitioning to PC with Along the Edge in 2016. The studio now operates with a small team of four core members and collaborates with external contributors.Game's storyline and themes
After the Wane follows Lena, a young dancer who becomes entangled in a conflict between two dance figures while searching for her missing mother. The game explores themes of self-construction and personal choices, with familiar fantasy elements from the studio's previous titles.Gameplay mechanics and replayability
Unlike traditional visual novels, After the Wane uses a gradual approach where decisions influence Lena's personality over time. This system affects the story's direction and outcomes, encouraging players to replay the game to explore different narrative paths.Visual style and animation technique
The game uses rotoscoping, an animation method involving redrawing real-life footage, to create dance sequences. Professional dancers from Bordeaux and Montreal provided choreography, which was then redrawn to match the game's artistic style.Development process and future plans
Development of After the Wane took nearly three years, with an intensive production phase over the past year and a half. The studio plans to consider a Nintendo Switch 2 version in 2027, along with potential PC updates if sales are strong. A demo of the first chapter is available on Steam.
