Welcome to Missing Stars!

MISSING STARS is an upcoming OELVN by Somnova Studios, inspired by the hit visual novel Katawa Shoujo back in 2012. It follows Erik Wilhelm, an easygoing young man who, through a series of unexpected twists of fate, has recently transferred to Privatgymnasium St. Dymphna, a secondary school in Vienna established for students with special mental health needs. Here he meets a wide, colorful cast of characters, seeing new sights, making new friends, finding love, and discovering himself in the process.

Somnova Studios is a volunteer group convened to realize this VN project, working from all over the globe in an effort to tell a story more than five years in the making--a story that, we hope, will not only be an enjoyable experience, but also an honest and heartfelt one.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (http://somnovastudios.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=299):

Is "Mentaru Shoujo" really going to be the title?
-The title is now "Missing Stars"

Aren't you guys just ripping off Katawa Shoujo?
- While its true that out group was inspired by the novel premise and success of 4LS and Katawa Shoujo, we are confident that our story is viable and can stand up on its own merits. Our goal is to tell our own story in our own fashion, not to copy what 4LS has already done.

Are you seriously going to make a game about sexually exploiting patients with mental disorders?
- Not all mental illnesses impair an individual's ability to experience romance or consent to sexual activity. In any case, all characters engaged in sex acts will be full consenting adults capable of making conscious adult decisions.

Why are you doing a story on mental disorders, of all things?
- For some of the devs, mental illness is a subject that hits close to home. For others, we just want to tell a story.

Where does this game take place?
- The game takes place in a fictional specialized private school which provides specialized facilities and instruction for students suffering from a variety of mental and neurological disorders. This school, Sty. Dymphna's Privatgymnasium, is located on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria, the birthplace of modern psychoanalysis.

When is the game coming out?
- We don't want to get anyone's hopes up, so we're going by the "when it's done" approach. Follow our blog if you want up-to-date details. Join the forums - get involved with our community! We don't bite, promise~

Mental illnesses are impossible to pull off. How can you seriously expect to handle and display them appropriately?
- Displaying the disorders as accurate and tactful has been our top priority from day one. We have a number of medical advisors, psychiatrists and concerned people in our team for the sole reason of being able to make our characters credible while creating multifaceted and unique personalities beyond the disorder that will contribute to a heartfelt and sincere story.

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ERIK WILHELM (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/387)

Erik's our protagonist and viewpoint character, a laidback, fairly normal teenager who's recently transferred into Privatgymnasium St. Dymphna's. He's an outdoorsy type of person and likes exciting activities like hiking.

JEANNE LEFEVRE (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/336)
Writer: Hamadyne

One of the romance options in the game, Jeanne is an ace student who also doubles as a kind, helpful tutor to her peers, mostly in the areas of mathematics and science. She's a very curious girl who likes reading up on subjects she loves, whether in the library or from the Internet. She's the head of the astronomy club with her best friend, Isolda.

ISOLDA GAILLARD (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/421)
Writer: Windreda

Isolda prefers to keep to herself rather than interact with other students as a part of a group. She is quiet yet ambitious, and enjoys a close relationship with her natural surroundings, leading the astronomy club with Jeanne. However, she is also a bit of a worrywart and will often misinterpret passing remarks as holding much more importance than they actually do.

KATJA BÖHM (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/348)
Writer: Gloom

A gentle, sophisticated girl, Katja is the lead soprano of St. Dymphna's Girls' Choir. Though the air she projects of aloof, almost ethereal regality may prove intimidating to some, she's the school's idol for a reason: aside from being academically and artistically accomplished, she's the school's go-to person for emotional support and even helps new students transition to life in the school.

NATALYA VOLKOVA (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/413)
Writer: Kuroe

Natalya is a recent arrival to the school like Erik, having come from Russia two weeks prior. She's a sweet-natured, gentle violinist who also happens to be a little kid at heart, always energetic and curious, but also very fond of lame jokes. Being a sheltered rich girl new to both the school and the country, she's eager to meet new people and try out new things that strike her very flighty fancy.

SOFIYA VOLKOVA (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/420)
Writer: Kuroe

Sofiya is Natalya's responsible sister. She defines herself as a jack-of-all-trades, being an excellent cook, athlete, artist, and gymnast—the perfect sister for Natalya to look up to. She's also vivacious, but much more grounded and reality, and actively seeks out adventure whereas her sister just curiously tags along.

ANNALIESE KOELL (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/304)
Writer: Ultra_HR

Annaliese, always the silent, unassuming type, shuts them off from her world by listening to music on her questionably expensive headphones. What genre she listens to is a mystery, since she's not a very gregarious person. She also prefers very baggy clothes, either for comfort or for hiding herself from people.

LENA FORST (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/127)
Writer: Kosherbacon

Sarcastic, brutally honest, and utterly devoid of tact, Lena is the indisputable star reporter of the school newspaper. She often gets lost in her own world, but doesn't hesitate to voice out her thoughts. Lena, with her sometimes off-putting eccentricities seems to revel in being misunderstood by her peers.

ELA SAHIN (http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook/post/index.php?q=/post/view/400)
Writer: Blank Mage

Ela is definitely the perfect model student, the perfect "face" of St. Dymphna's. A nice, helpful, academically competent role model, she's the kind of kid parents want their children to be.

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LINKS

SOMNOVA STUDIOS WEBSITE: http://somnovastudios.org/
MISSING STARS WEBSITE (access restricted to devs for the meantime) http://missing-stars.net/
BLOG: http://somnovastudios.blogspot.com/
FORUMS: http://somnovastudios.org/forum
ART GALLERY: http://somnovastudios.org/yearbook
DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Z9kEcK8
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/somnova-studios
GAME DEMO LINK: [Watch this space!]