Okabe and his friends rig up a phone that sends messages into the past, and it grows into one of gaming's great alternate histories. 5pb. delivers a rigorous, devastating visual novel; the Japan-only release genuinely frustrates.
Your verdict
Category
Visual Novel1 player12+
Description
Rintaro Okabe and his friends accidentally discover a way to send messages to the past, triggering a cascade of time changes with tragic consequences. Published by 5pb., released in Japan in June 2011. Multi-branching narrative, rigorous science fiction blended with humour, deeply developed characters, memorable soundtrack. Japan exclusive.
Steins;Gate review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
A group of amateur inventors stumbles on a way to send messages into the past, before their game turns into a nightmare. A time-travel thriller of rare rigour, the tale binds paradoxes, sacrifice and love with poignant intensity. A peak of video-game science fiction, it moves as much as it fascinates.
Gameplay
"Decent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Following a time-travel plot where the slightest message can upend everything pulls you toward "just one more hour" to untangle its threads. The phone system, the branching paths and the revelations chain tension and choices heavy with consequence. The long preamble tests your patience, but the paradox mechanic and the masterful writing keep a grip that's hard to loosen.
Difficulty
"Very easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Manipulating the timelines to save your friends unfolds a visual novel of rare intensity, with multiple branches and endings to explore. Rereading each thread, untangling the time paradoxes and reaching every conclusion demands long hours. That cult tale, a peak of video-game science fiction, offers a lifespan visual-novel fans cherish.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A sci-fi visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus about time travel and Akihabara conspiracy theories, become a pillar of the genre before its worldwide reach. Its appeal lies in this status as the original PSP version of a cult story and a measured Japanese run, prized by fans wanting the native form of the work. An import target for fans of narrative visual novels.
Is Steins;Gate still worth playing in 2026?
Steins;Gate on PSP puts Okabe Rintarou and his Future Gadget Laboratory friends building a phone capable of sending messages to the past, one of the greatest video game uchronies. 5pb. signs a rigorous, moving visual novel with a phone trigger system turning SMS into a central narrative tool. Mostly Japan-only for the PSP version. An absolute classic today.
