Gnosia, a Critically Lauded Debate-Style RPG, Is Coming to the West

There were a number of announcements in today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase that were pretty exciting, but one might have flown under your radar. Gnosia, a visual novel that’s maybe best described as a single-player, story-driven version of Among Us, is finally coming to North America on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s one you should really keep an eye on.

Gnosia is essentially a single-player version of popular social deduction games like Werewolf or Mafia, made famous by current mainstays like Among Us. Each playthrough takes roughly five to 15 minutes, and you can customize the number of Gnosia—the impostors—and other roles. There are also deeper mysteries to discover by playing through different repetitions, like what the Gnosia is and why time is looping.

Developer Petit Depotto, a small Japanese studio, originally released Gnosia on the PlayStation Vita in 2019, mere months after Sony ended production of the system. It was a bold and, according to an interview with Engadget, unintended move; development had actually begun in 2015 and was initially designed for the PlayStation Mobile.

Still, Gnosia became something of a cult classic in Japan. It received an impressive 10 out of 10 from IGN Japan, and was featured in Japan’s March Nintendo Direct Mini earlier this year. Now, the social deduction game is finally finding its way to North America on the Nintendo Switch in early 2021.

Others who have played the game have reported it has RPG mechanics in its looping playthroughs as well, likening Gnosia’s cult status to other small-studio indie darlings like Disco Elysium.

According to Engadget, the gameplay blends the social deduction format with verbal boss fights, skill systems, and character classes, using the loop system to make it replayable. Even the player can, according to a write-up at DualShockers, be one of the Gnosia. And once a winner is determined, human or Gnosia, the loop starts over again.

With the cult classic finally coming to North American shores, it’s heartening to see this four-person team’s own unique take on the “werewolf” genre reach even more audiences. Going from niche interest on the PlayStation Vita to a spot on Nintendo’s end-of-year Indie Showcase is a big journey, and one that hopefully marks just how impactful Gnosia and Petit Depotto could be.

Gnosia will arrive on the Nintendo Switch in North America sometime in early 2021.