
Explore the meaning of memories in this mysterious fairytale where fantasy and reality intertwine. The story unfolds from the perspectives of two women: one who travels in the ruins of Engine City New York, and one who finds herself in an underground world with an eldritch, violet sky.
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Reviews, worldwide (the counter carries no country): 0/day in the week to Aug 4 → 0.14/day in the week after.
For scale, across Steam · Top Sellers · Brazil over the last 30 days: the 26 chart moves that followed a price cut of more than 20% went a median of 7 places towards #1, and the 2,400 moves with no price cut behind them went 2 away. One store, one chart, one country — it is the only place we have enough observations to say even that.
Prices outside the United States have been collected since 6 August 2026 and chart positions since 19 July 2026, so a cut older than that has no market to compare and a market that joined later has no history yet. Nothing here is converted between currencies.
About

The story unfolds from the perspectives of two women: one who travels through the ruins of a steampunk New York City, destroyed in an unexplained disaster some years before; and one who finds herself in an underground world with a purple sky, where the "vanished" city still stands.

You primarily follow Lily, a girl devoid of memories who sets off through the bizarrely transformed version of New York that lies deep underground. Determined to reach something hidden in the violet sky above, you travel through this dangerous world accompanied by an enigmatic young man known as A. In the course of your long and difficult journey, you'll meet many of the city's inhabitants, and fend off the attacks of strange and terrifying monsters.
What lies at the end of your path? How are you connected to the woman exploring the ruins on the surface? And why was New York destroyed? Your journey will unravel these mysteries and many more...

Enjoy a deep storyline full of action, mystery, and dramatic encounters in this 30+ hour tale written by Hikaru Sakurai, the author of the Fate/Prototype novel series, Satsuriku no Matrix Edge, as well as Fate/Samurai Remnant, and more.
The great tragedy that befell New York City has transformed the residents as well as the ruined city they now live in. The many strong personalities Lily will encounter on her travels have suffered and been altered by the disaster in their own ways, yet still they strive towards their own goals. Some may aid you, some may oppose your journey, and others will teach you valuable lessons along the way.
Immerse yourself in a world full of strange and esoteric steampunk devices fueled by eldritch science and invented by the geniuses of history tapping into things from beyond that were never meant to be understood.
*This is the PC port of the Xbox360/PSP Refrain release upscaled to 1280 x 720.
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Reviews
Themes across 43 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
Reviews
Sona-Nyl provides a beautiful, immersive experience in its wonderfully crafted world, populated by characters riddled with undesired secrets in a setting blanketed with a bleak mystique of elements juxtaposing fantasy and reality, all through the lens of its two female protagonists. One young woman and one young girl, lost souls treading through a post-apocalyptic city where they both attempt to reach the end of their goals, learning more of what could have caused the place they were exploring to have become the way it is and mingling with the citizens and the things they have left behind after the tragedy. The latter has no memories of who she really is, while the former suppressed her memories of who she was before, and it is by undertaking this journey through the city, so long as the woman and the girl keep their heads up in spite of everything, only then can the both of them discover their own identity and regain their lost humanity. The story may be slow-paced majority of the time, and the prose a bit too repetitive, but it is all significantly deliberate and meaningful in telling its tale. Every new location has something the protagonists will learn from, and every new character residing in those areas will always have an emotional impact on them, challenging their convictions and teaching them emotions lost and forgotten, for no chapter fails to fulfill its purpose of developing its characters in this story. There are fight scenes, but don't expect them to be action-packed because quite honestly, they all boil down to the enemy being regarded as super strong until they got defeated through one strike to the face. Yes, the fight scenes follow this simple structure. However, don't let that discourage you, for the focus of this visual novel is not to let you read cool fight scenes, but rather to make you feel the emotions and feelings emanating from all the characters. What do they feel about their situation? What makes them calm or uneasy? What will they do when faced with something unimaginable? These questions perpetually influence the progression of both the plot and the characters, and the conclusion they have arrived will manifest in their confrontation against the villains of the setting and the words they've expressed which steeled their resolve in defeating them. It is never much about HOW they will prevail, but rather WHY they will prevail. Why must she go through such a perilous and unrewarding journey with no clear destination? Why does she continue talking to the NPCs when she can just pass by them and focus on reaching that end? Why does it matter to us readers to know what they feel about the experiences they're having and the memories they've accumulated along the way? Why? Well, there's only one way to answer that question. Buy this visual novel, and read it from the beginning up to the end.
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Languages: English
Hours played at review time, across 43 reviews with recorded playtime.
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I've been a fan of What a Beautiful Series ever since I played Gakthun. This one did not disappoint. Looking forward to seeing more translated VNs from this series/author 🥰
[h1]简介[/h1] 【Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows Refrain】是由Liar-soft制作的一款蒸汽朋克类视觉小说,发行于2010年11月26日,是该系列的第五部作品,本作以其独特的叙事风格和蒸汽朋克的世界观吸引了一部分玩家。 [h1]背景[/h1] 故事设定在20世纪初,那里并不是我们所熟悉的时代,充斥着无数的蒸汽机械。发达的蒸汽文明所产生的排烟将天空埋藏,从人们眼里夺走了蓝天。其中有一处天空最最灰暗的地方。那就是万劫不复地被灰色云雨所覆盖的废墟、旧重机械都市纽约。因为5年前发生的名为《大消失》的不明原因的灾害,全领土上的摩天楼全部化成废墟,都市因被合众国政府完全封锁而一个人影都没有。然而一个女性却踏进了这个都市,故事也随之展开。 [h1]玩法与感受[/h1] 首先,在游玩之前记得先打上涩涩补丁哦。言归正传,本作作为传统的视觉小说,玩法上自然不用过多的介绍,故事整体上分成了七个章节,剧本中充斥着晦涩难懂的语句,如果可以尝试理解,将会发现他们起补充世界观加完善人物形象的作用,一方面,它的世界观和角色设定具有很大的潜力;另一方面,过于复杂的叙述方式极大地削弱了吸引力。但其篇幅实在是较长,明明可以一句话说完的事情,非得整成十几句(另外,谜语人滚出哥谭),这也就导致整体节奏非常的缓慢拖沓,非常让人着急。 本作叙事主要采用的是女主的视角,将地上地下两方面结合起来叙述(放到现在算是一般水平),题材算不上新颖。本作虽然画面细腻,但整体风格却略显老旧,无法与当今精致的视觉小说相提并论。此外,游戏的艺术设计虽然充满了氛围感,却未能有效增强玩家的沉浸体验,是个一味追求深度却忽视娱乐性的旧游戏。音效方面,音乐和环境声效虽有一定的水准,但并没有特别突出的地方,算是中规中矩(但紫黑色的画面主题倒是深得我心)。相较于剧情的重要性,音效显得更像是附属品,未能为玩家提供足够的情感共鸣。这一切共同导致了我在游玩过程中难以完全投入,甚至有时会因为冗长的对话而分散注意力。没有推出官方中文,也算是个遗憾吧,不知道后续还有没有机会了。综合下来可以给8分。 [h1]结语[/h1] 如果你是一名喜欢探索蒸汽朋克世界观的玩家,或许可以尝试一下【紫影的索纳尼尔】,但若你更偏好轻松愉快的游戏体验,那么不妨考虑其他更符合当代审美的视觉小说作品。毕竟游戏的本质在于娱乐,而不是单纯的艺术表达。 [quote]关注「 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44066492//]来者不拒鉴游组」 [/url] [/quote] [u][b] 做最真实的评测,用心为玩家推荐 [/b][/u]
[h1]废墟中幻想与现实交织的梦![/h1] 《Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows(紫影的索纳尼尔)》是一款由Liar-soft精心打造、MangaGamer代理发行的 AVG 游戏,它巧妙地融合了现实与幻想元素,以恋爱题材为核心展开,用散文一般的预言讲述了一段两个世界两位不同主人公的冒险故事,本作深入探讨了一些关于人性、自我、幸福、记忆和爱情等话题,并有些“逃避现实”意味的元素。 [h3]故事背景[/h3] 这是一个蒸汽朋克风满满的废土世界,无论是地上还是地下,已然是废墟的模样,纽约城在大灾难的侵蚀之下,已经沦为一片残垣断壁,废墟中弥漫着焦土的气息,艾丽西亚作为幸存的人类坚信自己的爱人亚拉还活着,于是她踏上了寻找亚拉的旅途,在废墟之中寻找人们曾存在过的痕迹。 “五年前的事件后,连同我们所有人都陷入了被紫色天空覆盖的“地下”世界之中”,在这个世界中,需要躲避钢铁巨人,被他们抓到的话就会变成铁,而我们故事的第二个主人公便身处与这个世界,她就是莉莉。莉莉因为坠落而丧失了记忆,但她还记得自己的目的地是曼哈顿的紫影之塔。她在地下的紫色世界冒险,与地上世界的主角交相呼应! 莉莉和A在地下世界探索,A的身世充满着谜团,而莉莉也有需要去寻找的东西,于是他们一起踏上了寻找紫影之塔的道路,A一直在保护着莉莉,他们相互配合,在冒险之中彼此扶持,莉莉也在旅途之中慢慢的变得更加坚强勇敢,并对A暗生情愫,当然A也有同样的感觉....... 与此同时,艾丽西亚在地面废墟的探索之旅也在稳步推进,她所经历的和发现的问题与莉莉的冒险息息相关,慢慢揭开纽约成为废墟的真相和世界背后的谜题。 [h3]游戏散文样式的描写复杂难懂但优美带感[/h3] 在游玩本作时,由于没有官方的汉化,我就打了个汉化补丁,但是感觉有的地方可能翻译的不太到位,于是之后我选择生啃,发现剧情内容果然有些意思,古怪的诗句语言,看似与故事没有什么联系,实则都息息相关;就比如说游戏中期的废墟百老汇,这本来是一座音乐大城,但现在却已然消失,但地下世界的百老汇还有着戏剧和音乐,让大家看到美丽的东西,让大家聆听悦耳音乐的初衷永远不变,另外琴吉的那番话语也表明了自己的私心,想要唱一首属于自己的爱情之歌!而地上世界的记录也与她的剧情形成了很好的衔接。 [u]游戏故事的衔接与推进主要依靠的是间章和绘本,每一段大剧情(或者说每打败一个纯白之物)后就会触发绘本和间章。[/u] 最终章部分的描绘蛮令人深思的,纯白之物最终被消灭之后,地下世界回归于沉寂和虚无,周围变成了一片空白的世界,就连A也随着这片虚无慢慢的消失了,消失的是过去还是现实呢?如果一切都会消失,那么所做的一切又会有什么意义呢?莉莉却说:这就是“我”真实看到的世界,幻影也好;即使所有人都忘却了,他们也确实在这里存在过。 [h3]背景音乐压抑而紧张[/h3] 游戏的背景配乐是一种蒸汽朋克沉闷的爵士风格,很多时候低沉的声音与游戏的场景CG所呼应,压抑氛围渲染极佳,像第三章的火车头猛击白色物体(A的影子虚化为钢铁之形)的音乐渲染,紧张快速的音乐的沉重音乐紧张感拉满,沉浸感极强! [h3]有好的故事内容做支持,涩涩部分倒显得没那么重要了[/h3] 游玩之前先打上涩涩补丁,虽然精彩的剧情和巨大的文本量使得本作略少的涩涩内容显得不是那么有吸引力,但不得不说,R18部分内容还是比较精致的!虽然画风有些21世纪初的电视动漫感,但高清效果还是非常不错的! [h3]总结[/h3] 这款游戏整体散文般的文本语言输出或许有些晦涩难懂,但其中蕴含的内容却非常的丰富,人性、自我、幸福、记忆和爱情在本作中都有着很多的体现,游戏比较注重艺术表达,所以涩涩内容可能会差点意思,不过剧情画面质量没得说,这绝对是视觉小说系列不可多得的一件艺术品! [quote]关注鉴赏组:[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45134494]浮生评测[/url] ←"浮生若梦,一鉴倾心,邀您共赏人间烟火" 加入Steam组:[url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/LLFLLFF]浮生评测[/url]←“一起追寻'浮生若梦'般的游戏体验” 开始“浮生若梦”鉴赏组的奇幻之旅![/quote]
I've been so excited to play this for years and by the GODS it's an amazing mystical experience for any VN fans. It introduces a bleak but beautiful world that captivates you. While it can be a tad too wordy, the fact everything is voiced is enough for me to slow down and read everything. An absolute must for any VN fan, please please read it! A
Poor, poor Lily the Stranger.
[h1]Uma das novels mais bonitas e profoundas de todos os tempos [Eng and Pt-Br review][/h1] Eu sou meio suspeito pra falar dessa série pois gosto muito dela, foi um dos motivos a me levar a ler novels muitos anos atrás. Mas eu realmente gostei de Sona-Nyl. A dinâmica e metáforas desse jogo são muito belas, o mergulho nos sentimentos ficou muito bem executado. A arte também é extremamente boa, a OST está no estilo perfeito para um jogo do tipo e adoro as referências com o mundo real e personagens literários. Enquanto Lily é uma personagem muito boa, o jogo brilha por todos os seus personagens. Adoro esse esquema de capítulos onde cada um foca nos seus personagens, desse modo o jogo nunca fica cansativo e cada personagem se torna realmente vivo, cada um é bem desenvolvido e realmente soa vivo com todos os seus problemas e dilemas, é algo lindo demais. E Lily ainda evolui com cada personagem também, ela nem de longe é vazio como, um MC de JRPG, por exemplo. Toda a construção de mundo, lore e personagens é perfeito nesse jogo. Mesmo as HCGs são todas leves e mais um mergulho nas vulnerabilidades e lamentos dos personagens do que tudo, são momentos sublimes que adicionam ao jogo e soam naturais, algo muito raro num jogo. Mas o que mais me impactou nesse jogo é dinâmica dos seus dois MCs, como cada um evolui do seu modo. Um abriu mão dos seus sentimentos para obter um objetivo maior, outro perdeu as memórias e obter seus sentimentos de volta é o que motiva chegar a seu objetivo. Essa dinâmica de relembrar e aprender sentimentos, emoções com cada interação com personagem ao longo de cada capítulo, até se tornar uma pessoa completa, é uma das coisas mais lindas que já vi num jogo. E o final é extremamente lindo!!! As cenas de luta estão lá também, são legais pelas artes, mas realmente esse não é um chuunige, não é focado em combate, ele apenas faz parte do enredo de forma natural, são previsíveis e o diálogo muitas vezes se repete. Mas ainda são bons momentos. Com isso temos os problemas desse jogo, não problemas, mas pontos que podem irritar algumas pessoas. São texto repetido, bem comum, um passo lento, novamente, esse jogo é como uma grande poesia, não é um jogo de ação e o clima extremamente pesado de melancolia, talvez não agrade ou até faça mal a algumas pessoas, esteja avisado, mas é lindo demais! [b][u]Uma das melhores novels sem dúvida com um dos melhores mundos e personagens, se você gosta de leitura de fábulas, pesadas em metáforas e sentimentos, esse jogo é compra obrigatória![/u][/b] [hr][/hr] https://youtu.be/vuguzsyflww?si=4rZ5ihTPwnYVim5_ [hr][/hr] [h1]One of the most beautiful and profound novels of all time [Eng and Pt-Br review][/h1] I may be a bit biased when talking about this series because I really love it, it was one of the reasons that led me to start reading visual novels many years ago. But I truly enjoyed Sona-Nyl. The dynamics and metaphors in this game are incredibly beautiful, and the dive into emotions is very well executed. The art is also extremely good, the OST fits perfectly for this type of game, and I love the references to the real world and to literary characters. While Lily is a very good character, the game truly shines because of all its characters. I love the chapter-based structure where each chapter focuses on specific characters. This way, the game never becomes tiring, and every character feels truly alive. Each one is well developed and genuinely feels real, with their own problems and dilemmas, it’s something truly beautiful. Lily also evolves alongside each character; she is far from being empty like, for example, a typical JRPG protagonist. The entire worldbuilding, lore, and character construction are perfect in this game. Even the HCGs are all subtle and serve more as a dive into the characters’ vulnerabilities and regrets than anything else. They are sublime moments that add to the game and feel natural, something very rare in this medium. But what impacted me the most in this game is the dynamic between its two main characters and how each of them evolves in their own way. One gave up their feelings to achieve a greater goal; the other lost their memories, and regaining their feelings is what motivates them to reach their objective. This dynamic of remembering and learning feelings and emotions through each interaction with the characters throughout each chapter, to become a whole person again, is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in a game. And the ending is extremely beautiful!!! The fight scenes are there too, they’re nice because of the gorgeous artwork, but this isn’t a chuunige. It’s not focused on combat; it’s simply a natural part of the narrative. The fights can be predictable, and the dialogue often repeats itself, but they are still good moments. With that said, the game does have some aspects that might bother certain people, not exactly problems, but points that could be irritating. There is repeated text, which is quite common, and the pacing is slow. Again, this game is like a long poem, it’s not an action novel. The extremely heavy melancholic atmosphere may not appeal to everyone and could even affect some people negatively. Consider yourself warned, but it is an incredibly beautiful game! [b][u]Without a doubt one of the best visual novels, with one of the best worlds and casts of characters. If you enjoy reading fables rich in metaphors and emotions, this game is a must-buy![/u][/b]
Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows ~What Beautiful Memories~ is a dark fantasy steampunk-themed visual novel and the sixth entry in Liar-Soft’s What a Beautiful series. The MangaGamer translation team did another excellent job with the English localization, making my reading experience enjoyable. [h3]Background Setting[/h3] The plot takes place in an alternative version of Earth’s 19th century, centered on New York. On December 25, 1902, the “New York Great Disaster” struck, reducing the city to ruins and causing all three million of its inhabitants to disappear. [h3]Gameplay[/h3] The story follows two heroines—Elysia Wentworth and Lily—on their separate yet intertwined journeys. Five years after the disaster, Elysia Wentworth investigates the “Surface” side of New York to solve the mystery of the Great Disaster. Her mission is tied to uncovering the truth behind the catastrophe and its connection to the “Underground.” Lily, an amnesiac girl, falls from the Surface into the Underground’s Verrazano Narrows district, one of New York’s former neighborhoods. Immediately, she is hunted by the Dark Gang, a group that turns people into metal. In a pinch, she is saved by Milia, a blue-haired girl with a mechanical right arm. The Underground is home to peculiar creatures: Gremlins that beg for food and drink, people turned to metal (called “moles”), cat girls, and many others. Lily refers to herself with male pronouns, remembers only her name, and is driven to reach the Tower of Violet Shadow. Most inhabitants of the Underground have been turned to metal or lost their memories, leaving few who remain fully human. Thus, Lily’s journey is also a search for her identity, haunted by her lost memories. A downside is that the story can feel slow at times, with long stretches of dialogue. There are also instances where themes or explanations are repeated, making the game feel tedious. You can check the in-game encyclopedia via the blue question mark (?) in the bottom right corner at any time to gain a better understanding of story trivia. [h3]Endings[/h3] There are multiple endings, determined by the choices you make, which influence character interactions and the story’s progression. These endings reveal different aspects of New York’s mystery and the fates of the characters—each with their own motivations, fears, and hidden pasts. You can refer to the guide page. [h3]Art and Music[/h3] The anime art style is unique, blending dark fantasy and gothic influences, with rich CG scenes drawn by AKIRA that bring characters and environments to life. Character designs feature a mix of Victorian and steampunk fashion. The Underground locations use moody color palettes (deep purples, blacks, dark reds) paired with surreal elements like giant mushrooms, enhancing the dark fantasy and mysterious atmosphere. The soundtrack amplifies the eerie, enigmatic mood, while sound effects—such as clanking steam machinery and the bustling hum of the Underground—contrast sharply with the Surface’s desolate, gray-skied ruins (now empty of residents), creating distinct atmospheres for the two worlds. This attention to detail makes the world-building immersive and deserving of high praise. All characters—main heroines and supporting roles—are fully voice-acted by talented seiyuus, brings each character’s personality to life. [h3]Summary[/h3] This is my first experience with the What a Beautiful series and a Liar-Soft visual novel, and it was nicely translated by MangaGamer. The world-building and story are interesting enough, accompanied by stunning artwork and sound effects that enhance the mysterious atmosphere, immersing me in the story and the characters’ lives. Though there are occasional repetitions, it is still worth reading and makes me want to explore the other entries in the What a Beautiful series. 8.5/10 [quote]欢迎关注鉴赏家: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/DCYXJLB] 大川游戏俱乐部 [/url] 欢迎加入Steam组:[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45300930] 大川游戏俱乐部 [/url] 来一起感受游戏的乐趣喜欢这篇评论,也是可以顺手点个赞哟[/quote]
uln aslında güzele benziyo ama bn üşeniyom o yüzden yarım kaldı biara oynicam ama oynanır çizimi fln güzel hikaye de sarar gibi :P
Very polished and high-quality VN in pretty much every aspect. The art, story, music, voice acting, are all wonderful. The fact it's so dense and constantly serious (without being grim) might turn off some people, though. There's also lots of repetition, making the prose rather ritualistic in a charming way. It's a very sentimental, poetic kind of story in general. I would say it's much closer to a traditional book than a VN than most games in the genre, and more specifically feels like a modern fairy tale. I somewhat wish it could have received an English dub, considering the story takes place in a fictionalized America, but the fact it got a translation is a blessing on its own. A very well-handled one, too ! Props to MangaGamer for porting the game so nicely and faithfully on a modern engine (Ren'py), while also combining both the original R18 version and all-ages re-release with its added bonus content in a single game. Speaking of, the former is only unlockable by downloading a patch on the publisher's site, but the Refrain (all-ages) version is overall more complete ; if you only intend on playing it once, I would recommend playing this version (the R18 scenes from the original are more poetic and softcore than anything, too, so don't go in expecting an usual eroge). To conclude, it's an easy recommendation, no matter one's tastes (as long as you're interested in a serious, character-driven VN). A truly lovely violet verse, unknown to all...
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| Game | Estimated lifetime revenue | Reviews | Review score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19K | 80 | 79% | $7.99 | |
| $4.3K | 8 | 100% | $13.99 | |
| $819 | 38 | 76% | $1.99 | |
| — | 0 | — | — | |
| — | 0 | — | — | |
| $1.2M | 2.4K | 94% | $29.99 |
Related
| Game | Estimated lifetime revenue | Reviews | Review score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.4K | 134 | 78% | $9.99 | |
| $25.4K | 95 | 98% | $10.49 | |
| $25.4K | 84 | 83% | $5.99 | |
| $25.4K | 568 | 79% | $1.79 | |
| $25.4K | 94 | 91% | $9.99 | |
| $25.4K | 82 | 88% | $12.99 |