Placebo Love
A lonely young man is guided by a silent Muse to solve the mystery behind his two Doppelganger Soulmates.
Developer
Publisher
Release
September 7, 2021
4 years and 330 days ago
Steam Reviews
Positive33 reviews97.0%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
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|---|---|---|
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Updated: Jul 11, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
18 itemsAbout the Game
Lorne Volley gets spammed. "Find Your Soulmate," it says. Silly. Pathetic. An obvious scam.
He responds.
Twice.
The next day he bumps into twin strangers who look alike, talk alike, and don't seem to know the other exists.
You're Lorne's silent Muse. His guiding hand. His Jiminy Cricket.
Draw him from his loneliness to connect with acquaintances, reunite with family, and explore the ebbing romances of two distant cities. Maybe you'll unravel his doppelganger dilemma and reveal "true" love. Or maybe he'll end up alone.
This is a mystery at its heart, not a love story. Yet, the bond between romance and mystery is always tighter than it first appears. Enter this narrative like a detective, inspecting the crime scene that is placebo love.
He responds.
Twice.
The next day he bumps into twin strangers who look alike, talk alike, and don't seem to know the other exists.
You're Lorne's silent Muse. His guiding hand. His Jiminy Cricket.
Draw him from his loneliness to connect with acquaintances, reunite with family, and explore the ebbing romances of two distant cities. Maybe you'll unravel his doppelganger dilemma and reveal "true" love. Or maybe he'll end up alone.
This is a mystery at its heart, not a love story. Yet, the bond between romance and mystery is always tighter than it first appears. Enter this narrative like a detective, inspecting the crime scene that is placebo love.
KEY EXPERIENCES
- FOMO: Navigate a tight schedule of diverse bonds
- HONESTY: Choose when to tell the truth or hide those feelings
- FUTURES: Unlock multiple endings by juggling contacts
- INSPIRATION: Be the gentle push and pull of lonely lives
OTHER FEATURES OF NOTE
- Narratively rich. Like a dense brownie made of book parts. Expect a lot of good reading.
- Gorgeous soundtrack by Lannie "Merlandese" Neely III and Fernando "Ferdk" Carabajal. We're proud of it.
- LGBTQ+ inclusion.
- A schedule system. That's the heart of it. Think of, like, a Persona game but with none of the dungeon-y stuff.
- Alcohol is represented and in some cases abused. Be careful.
- Sex is implied and mentioned in some cases, but is never the focus.
WHAT NOT TO EXPECT
- A harem. There are many people to spend time with, but not in the "romantic" or "sexual" way.
- True love. We don't know what that is. The best on offer is a placebo.
- Simple solutions. Not everything will become completely clear by the end, like life.
