A familiar pattern repeats itself: major AAA titles are scarce, and many releases fail to impress, while niche indie games surge into the spotlight. Examples include titles like Sublanguage and Stardew Valley preceding Hades and Disco Elysium. In the final weeks of 2024 a new sensation arrived. MiSide, a horror anime created by Russian developers, centers on a charming girl named Mita who turns the protagonist’s life into a creeping nightmare.
The title quickly became a surprise success. Early rough estimates place sales around 900,000 copies, with earnings near $9 million for its creators. The momentum shows no sign of fading as MiSide continues to hype the year ahead.
The question is what fuels this buzz and what exactly is MiSide, and does it warrant such rapid popularity? This review aims to unpack those questions for readers in North America and beyond.
For readers who have not yet encountered MiSide, the reviewer suggests approaching the game with minimal foreknowledge. The title aims to reveal itself gradually, and the developers echo that approach in promotional material, offering hints rather than full explanations. In short, the experience can feel more revelatory when approached with fresh eyes.
Where does this MiSide of yours come from?
The studio behind MiSide is AIHASTO. This project is not their debut; the team has released a dozen titles, with five on Steam. Their catalog tends toward dark, atmospheric experiences with a surreal, psychedelic edge. MiSide marks the sixth release and the breakout one for many fans.
Elements carried over from an earlier project, Wire Lips, show up in MiSide, shaping its design and atmosphere.
MiSide landed on Steam on December 11 and quickly gained momentum. Within a week it captured the attention of streamers and drew a broad player base. YouTube walkthroughs accumulate millions of views, and in informal year-end lists for 2024 it topped many rankings, even edging out highly praised titles like Balatro.
MiSide finished among the top rated Steam releases of the year, taking a leading position in user polls.
The question arises why such attention, especially since the team is tiny, with only two contributors credited as MakenCat and Umeerai. The pair, believed to be Russian and possibly from the Ural region, have intentionally kept their identities private. Yet their work has earned fans across the globe, including Japan, whose aesthetics influenced the project, and there are clear reasons for that appeal.
Hello, I’m Mita!
In the game a pragmatic, diligent programmer becomes the avatar of a Japanese schoolboy who spends days inside four walls, glued to a computer, showing little inclination to tidy up.
Then Mita enters the life of the protagonist. A cute anime girl with twin tails appears as a dating sim style partner, a charming virtual companion on a handheld screen who spurs the player to fulfill her many requests.
What starts as simple chores around the room—picking up items, sorting tasks, smoothing over daily routines—soon reveals a darker pull. Mita’s requests escalate; she seems endlessly indulgent yet sweet, pleading for a real togetherness that goes beyond the screen.
Early mini games feel light and approachable, yet they hint at something offbeat beneath the surface, signaling the creeping tension to come.
Soon the player is drawn into the virtual domain. Its cheerful, pastel tones give way to a more unsettling mood, and fear begins to fester just beneath the surface. Rather than a sudden fright, the moment brings a long overdue encounter with Mita.
The tone remains surprisingly calm as conversations, shared meals, and small games unfold. Subtle oddities reveal Mita’s hidden nature. The creators use contrast to build suspense, offering that syrupy sense of an approaching nightmare that is rare in mainstream horror.
Mita is shown watching unsettling videos, hinting at something darker behind the smile.
Disruption comes with a knock from a bedroom closet. When the protagonist investigates, Mita’s expression shifts and reveals a secret that shatters the calm, signaling trouble ahead.
From a wet dream to a nightmare
This is where the game truly deepens. A second version of Mita appears, benevolent at first, guiding the player through older iterations of the simulator and presenting a far more intricate chase than expected.
Without revealing too much, the title starts to shift its tone and even morph into different game styles. A DOOM inspired sequence appears, followed by stealth sections, a looping puzzle area reminiscent of The Exit 8, and playful nods to classic indie works such as Eeverlasting Summer and other brief genre parodies.
Who else recalls these influences?
That odd blend somehow clicks. MiSide turns a scattered mix into a cohesive, intriguing experience. The kaleidoscopic progression invites curiosity about what comes next, echoing the appeal of earlier landmark titles such as The Stanley Parable.
Even the shadow feels unsettling, and the forces that cast it begin to unsettle the scene.
Throughout the game the horror tone remains constant, successfully eliciting fear. The pacing includes quiet, unsettling moments and sudden bursts of action. Breakthrough moments, such as the 2D world of Mita breaking the fourth wall, demonstrate a bold approach to movement and camera work that pays off for players.
I didn’t screw up
On the script, some critics note a predictable path. Mita embodies a well-known yandere archetype, the type in anime who becomes dangerously devoted. The character echoes many familiar versions from the source material, though some of the iterations feel justified by the game’s mood and goals, and the intent remains to please fans.
There are plenty of choices and branches that cater to different tastes and sensibilities.
The plot and dialogue lean toward a surface level, prompting comparisons with Doki Doki Literature Club, another indie horror that drew attention a few years back. While MiSide nudges the fourth wall, Doki Doki drives the idea further. This difference doesn’t ruin MiSide but leaves a lingering sense that some depth could have been explored more deeply.
As the finale approaches, the impression is that the ending was trimmed. Mita remains intriguing but lacks a fully drawn motive, and the conclusion could have benefited from a clearer arc.
This may feel like closure, yet it does not actually resolve everything.
The game offers multiple endings, yet none feels fully clear. The late twists appear dramatic but converge toward similar beats, leaving the conclusion feeling unresolved. Some readers may find the choices interesting, while others may wish for a sharper payoff beyond repetition.
Was the MiSide ending satisfying for players?
Still, the critique remains minor. The title leans into its strengths and avoids overreaching. Yet after a playthrough that lasts around four hours, there can linger a sense that something essential was left on the cutting room floor.
Will there be an addition?
The creators acknowledge there is more to explore. Umeerai and MakenCat intend to build on the momentum by expanding MiSide with further content.
A new mode has been announced that unlocks after finishing the game, allowing players to spend time with Mita in a calmer setting. Additional endings are planned, including paths where players assist other Mits in the world.
The fan base remains vocal for more content. MiSide delivers strong value, and extra content would make it a true must-play in many circles.
Technical points
From a technical standpoint, the visuals and audio set the mood well. The visuals are deliberately minimal, yet they conjure the feel of a dating sim with a shadowy edge, while sound design supports the tension and scares when needed.
Even glitches feel purposeful. The game leans into a virtual space that runs on imperfect logic, where opening a door might reveal a loading screen, textures that don’t load correctly, and windows with error messages. It’s a distinctive charm that gives MiSide its own personality.
Technology and performance stay steady throughout, with no major hiccups on typical hardware.
Russian voice work anchors the character voices with solid quality. None of it distracts, yet none of it steals the scene either. The music and sound design may not grab attention on every beat, but they reliably contribute to suspense and fear when needed.
A modest PC is sufficient, a factor that helped the game reach a wide audience across Canada and the United States. The question remains whether the acclaim matches the experience.
One word captures the vibe: charming. The title blends experimental ideas with humor against a dark backdrop, inviting players to stay engaged even when some aspects disappoint.
What stands out is a genuine passion behind the project. The team treats the game with care, and that devotion shows in small choices and overall atmosphere.
On whether MiSide earns its hype, the answer is a confident yes. While big studios chase flashy budgets, two programmers from Russia crafted a title that has drawn hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. They are just getting started, and fans can expect more from them in the future.