Earlier this month, I wrapped up my first playthrough of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, marking the completion of an in-depth journey through a sprawling franchise that has captivated me since its resurgence during 2020’s pandemic lockdowns. As luck would have it, this timing was perfect, as I approached the demo of The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy during the Steam Next Fest with Kazutaka Kodaka’s signature work still vivid in my mind.
Kodaka, along with a group of former Spike Chunsoft colleagues, founded the indie studio Too Kyo Games around the time V3 launched in 2017. Since then, their releases have generated buzz as potential spiritual successors to Danganronpa, even if they don’t carry the name. This connection has left fans hoping for a Danganronpa 4 and slightly let down by games like World’s End Club in 2020 and Master Detective Archives: Rain Code in 2023. These games, despite their Danganronpa-like qualities, lacked key elements—such as the notorious killing game or the engaging school-life setting.
Now, it’s The Hundred Line’s turn to undergo similar scrutiny. After playing the demo, it’s clear the game leans heavily into Danganronpa comparisons more overtly than anything Too Kyo Games has done before. Some musical themes and sound effects might feel like a trip down memory lane for Danganronpa enthusiasts, though the similarities extend to the art style and character archetypes, creating a feeling akin to meeting distant cousins at a family reunion—familiar, yet intriguingly different.
The game starts with a half-hour of animated, voiced cutscenes that depart from the familiar visual novel style of Danganronpa, yet they follow similar thematic beats. A typical teenage boy and the not-quite-a-girlfriend girl face a series of bizarre interruptions on their way to school. This escalates until the protagonist finds himself in a mysterious classroom, confronted by an unsettling cartoon mascot pulling the strings.
Too Kyo Games plays into the expectation of a killing game narrative by including a character excitedly anticipating exactly that kind of scenario. However, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy takes a different path, opting for a turn-based strategy where the cast must collaborate to fend off evil robots and monstrous creatures, aiming to prevent an apocalyptic disaster—a significant thematic shift from the Danganronpa series.
Though I’m fairly new to turn-based strategy games, The Hundred Line offers intriguing strategic challenges, albeit nothing groundbreaking. It feels like the kind of introductory strategy game that will appeal to visual novel fans, courtesy of an experienced narrative-driven development team branching into new territory.
The demo spans the first week of in-game events, concluding with a cliffhanger crafted to intrigue fans familiar with the creators’ previous efforts. The game’s approach seems committed to steering clear of reintroducing the killing game mechanics under a different genre façade. After all, Kodaka’s latest work argues against recycling the same narrative unless there’s genuine desire from the creator to explore it again. With Too Kyo’s amicable ties to Spike Chunsoft, should Danganronpa 4 come to be, it will likely bear that name or similar.
Approaching The Hundred Line with expectations of it being more Danganronpa could set one up for disappointment. Yet, the game acknowledges what fans cherished about Danganronpa—quirky, endearing characters and adventurous plots—while exploring these themes through varied gameplay and without the confines of a well-worn formula.
This demo successfully juggles a fresh endeavor with a nostalgic nod, and while it’s uncertain which will prevail in the final product, I’m intrigued enough to continue the journey. Releasing in 2025, this could remind us of the strength in unity over division. In that sense, it might not be subverting tropes, but rather evolving them.
For those eager to experience it, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy demo is now available on Steam, with the complete game slated for an April 24th launch on Windows and Nintendo Switch. Plus, there’s good news for PC players—your progress in the demo will carry over to the full release.
