The furrier side of itch.io is crowded. You've got your high school romances, your generic dating sims, and enough "slice of life" stories to last three lifetimes. Then there's The Smoke Room VN. It’s different. Honestly, if you go into this expecting a fuzzy, feel-good romp through a mining town, you’re going to be staring at your screen in genuine shock within the first hour.
It is dark.
Set in 1915, this prequel to Echo—another heavy hitter from the Echo Project—takes us to the fictional, soot-covered town of Hindon. This isn't just a backdrop. The town itself feels like a character that's actively trying to kill you. You play as Samuel, a sex worker at the local brothel, trying to navigate a world that is essentially a pressure cooker of industrial decay, systemic corruption, and deep-seated trauma. It's a period piece that actually respects history, even with the anthropomorphic cast.
What The Smoke Room VN Actually Is
Most people find this game through the Echo fandom, but you don't necessarily need to have played the original to get sucked into this one. In fact, some fans argue that starting here makes the inevitable descent into madness in Echo even more gut-wrenching.
The story centers on a murder. Well, several. But it’s not a cozy "Whodunit" mystery where a quirky detective gathers everyone in a parlor. It’s a messy, terrifying scramble for survival. You're dealing with the "Smoke Room" group—a bunch of guys who are basically just trying to keep their heads above water while the world burns around them. Samuel, our protagonist, is complex. He’s not a blank slate for the player to project onto. He has baggage. He has a history. He has a very specific, often cynical worldview that dictates how he interacts with the rest of the cast.
The Characters Aren't Just Archetypes
Writing characters for a visual novel is hard because it’s easy to fall into tropes. You know the ones. The "tough guy with a heart of gold" or the "innocent youth." The Echo Project writers—names like McSquizzy and Howshue—avoid this by making everyone kinda terrible and deeply human at the same time.
Take Nikolas. On the surface, he’s the local law enforcement, or at least a part of it. But in a town like Hindon, "law" is a flexible concept. His relationship with Samuel is fraught with power imbalances and genuine affection that feels earned rather than forced. Then you have William, Cliff, and Murdoch. Each of them brings a different flavor of 1910s struggle to the table. Whether it’s the physical toll of the mines or the mental toll of living in a society that doesn't want you to exist, the weight is palpable.
📖 Related: Why Helldivers 2 Flesh Mobs are the Creepiest Part of the Galactic War
Why the 1915 Setting Matters
A lot of historical fiction feels like modern people wearing old-timey hats. The Smoke Room VN avoids this. It leans into the grime. The early 20th century was a brutal time for labor rights, marginalized identities, and mental health.
The game uses its setting to explore themes that are still relevant but feel more raw in this context. There's a specific kind of isolation that comes with being in a mining town in the middle of nowhere before the advent of modern communication. You really feel the claustrophobia. The art style contributes to this immensely. The character designs are detailed, but the backgrounds—the hazy, smoke-filled streets of Hindon—really sell the atmosphere. It’s oppressive. It’s meant to be.
Narrative Choices and Branching Paths
If you're looking for a game where every choice leads to a happy ending, keep walking. This isn't that. Choices in this game matter, but they don't always lead where you think they will. Sometimes, the "right" choice is just the one that results in the least amount of bloodshed.
The branching paths are extensive. We're talking hundreds of thousands of words. It’s a massive undertaking for an indie team. The way the narrative intertwines the personal lives of the characters with the overarching mystery of the town’s corruption is impressive. You'll find yourself making a choice, regretting it ten minutes later, and then realizing three hours later that it was the only way Samuel could have survived that specific moment.
The Horror Element Nobody Warns You About
People call it a "Furry VN," and while true, that label often carries a certain expectation of lightheartedness. The Smoke Room VN is, at its core, a psychological horror game.
It’s not just about jump scares. It’s about the slow realization that something is fundamentally "wrong" with the world. The horror is atmospheric. It’s in the way characters talk about the past. It’s in the things they don’t say. The game deals with themes of sexual violence, addiction, and systemic abuse. It’s heavy stuff. If you have triggers, you genuinely need to check the content warnings before diving in. This isn't the developers being edgy for the sake of it; these themes are baked into the DNA of the story they are trying to tell about survival in a broken system.
👉 See also: Marvel Rivals Sexiest Skins: Why NetEase is Winning the Aesthetic War
Dealing With the "Echo" Connection
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or the ghost in the town.
Echo established a very specific tone: a sense of impending doom and supernatural interference mixed with interpersonal drama. The Smoke Room VN carries that torch but places it in a different era. You see the foundations of what Hindon (and later Echo) becomes. You see the cycles of trauma starting. For fans of the original, seeing the "ancestors" or the precursors to the events in Echo is fascinating. It adds layers to the lore that make the entire universe feel much larger and more terrifying.
But even if you're a newcomer, the game stands on its own. It’s a self-contained tragedy that just happens to be part of a larger tapestry.
Technical Prowess in the VN Space
Visual novels often get a bad rap for being "just reading." But the execution here is top-tier. The music? Haunting. The sound design? It uses silence just as effectively as it uses noise. The UI is clean and doesn't get in the way of the art.
The Echo Project uses the Ren'Py engine, which is standard, but they push it. The pacing of the text, the subtle animations, and the way the screen shakes or changes color during intense moments all work together to create an immersive experience. It feels like a premium product despite being an indie project funded largely through community support like Patreon.
The Community and the Dev Cycle
One thing you should know: this is a work in progress. It’s an episodic release. This can be frustrating for players who want to binge the whole thing in one go, but the developers are remarkably consistent with updates.
✨ Don't miss: Why EA Sports Cricket 07 is Still the King of the Pitch Two Decades Later
The community surrounding the game is intense. People write essays—actual, multi-page analyses—on the subtext of a single conversation between Samuel and Cliff. That’s the mark of good writing. When a game can provoke that much thought and discussion, it’s doing something right. It’s not just consumption; it’s an experience that stays with you.
How to Approach Your First Playthrough
Don't try to get the "Best Ending" on your first try without a guide. You'll probably fail, and honestly, the failure is part of the story.
- Read the content warnings. I’m serious. This game covers some very dark territory that isn't for everyone.
- Pay attention to the background details. The environmental storytelling is world-class. A lot of the world-building isn't in the dialogue; it's in the descriptions of the rooms and the town itself.
- Take breaks. Because the tone is so heavy, "binging" it can actually be quite draining. Give yourself time to process the chapters.
- Save often. Like, every time you see a choice. The branching paths are complex, and you might want to see how a different reaction plays out without restarting the whole act.
Navigating the Complexity of Samuel
Samuel is a polarizing protagonist for some. He’s prickly. He’s transactional. He’s a sex worker in 1915, so he’s seen the worst of people, and it shows.
But watching his shell crack—even just a little bit—is where the real emotional payoff lies. His relationships with the other men in the Smoke Room aren't just about romance; they're about finding a common language in a world that wants to silence them. It’s about the tiny, fleeting moments of dignity they can claw back for themselves.
Final Insights for the Curious Player
If you're tired of the same old tropes in the VN space, The Smoke Room VN is your antidote. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere and character-driven storytelling. It’s grimy, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s deeply moving.
You aren't just playing a game; you're witnessing a slow-motion train wreck where you desperately want to save everyone, even though you know you probably can't. It’s that tension—the hope against hope—that makes it one of the best examples of the genre available today.
Next Steps to Get Started
- Download the latest build: Head over to the official Echo Project itch.io page. They usually have the most up-to-date public versions there.
- Join the Discord or follow the Devlog: Since the game is episodic, staying in the loop with the developers' progress is the best way to manage expectations for new content.
- Check out "Echo" first if you want the full context: While not strictly necessary, playing the original game will give you a deeper appreciation for the nods and references scattered throughout the prequel.
- Prepare for a long read: This isn't a two-hour experience. Clear your schedule, grab a drink, and settle in for a long, dark journey into the heart of Hindon.