Get Ready: Authorized Serial Experiments Lain Spinoff Game Drops April 30!
Explore an exciting Windows/macOS game available on Steam and itch.io, with a rare limited CD-ROM edition for collectors!
Upcoming Game Release: //signal.
Team MJM is set to launch //signal., an intriguing occultic role-playing game that serves as an officially authorized spinoff of the acclaimed anime Serial Experiments Lain. The game will be available on Steam and itch.io starting April 30.
Pricing Details
- Digital Version: 1,000 yen (approximately $7 USD)
- Limited Edition CD-ROM: 1,700 yen (approximately $11 USD)
© 2023 by Joel Brown.
© 2023 by Joel Brown.
Game Features
In //signal., players will:
- Interact with characters from the Serial Experiments Lain anime.
- Assemble emails and event logs from the past.
- Rebuild broken bonds and uncover new facets of the character Lain Iwakura.
This gameplay experience aims to deepen the understanding of Serial Experiments Lain itself.
Background on Serial Experiments Lain
The original 13-episode anime aired in Japan from July to September 1998. It was directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura, with scripts written by Chiaki J. Konaka and character designs by Yoshitoshi ABe.
Interestingly, the anime's staff had initially envisioned a game project that eventually evolved into a PlayStation title released by PIONEER LDC in November 1998.
Recent Developments
In June 2023, digital collectible anime studio Kasagi and Tokyo-based company Anique announced an alternate reality game (ARG) based on Serial Experiments Lain, titled Layer 3301: De-Cipher. However, this project was canceled just four months later.
Funimation licensed the anime in 2010, previously held by Geneon, and released it on home video in 2012 and 2014. Crunchyroll began streaming the series in 2017 but removed it in 2018.
Crunchyroll's Description of the Series
Acclaimed artist Yoshitoshi ABe brings to life the existential classic that paved the way for blockbuster films such as The Matrix. Follow along as fourteen-year-old Lain—driven by the abrupt suicide of a classmate—logs on to the Wired and promptly loses herself in a twisted mass of hallucinations, memories, and interconnected psyches.
For more information, check out the sources: Famitsu, Hachima Kikō, and the press release.