The hype is real over the Disney's Twisted Wonderland Japanese mobile game! Not only do you get to live alongside unique characters inspired by some of our favorite Disney villains, you also get an amazing blend of story, battle, card collecting, and rhythm game. World-renowned manga artist and designer Yana Toboso, best known as the creator of Black Butler, created the character designs, scenarios, and concept. Aniplex and Walt Disney Japan released the game on March 18, 2020 and it already has over 1.5 million downloads.
The game takes place at Night Raven College, a prestigious college for mages. You as the player explore the seven themed dormitories: Heartslabyul (inspired by Alice in Wondeland's Queen of Hearts), Octavinelle (inspired by The Little Mermaid's Ursula), Scarabia (inspired by Aladdin's Jafar), Pomefiore (inspired by Snow White's Wicked Queen), Ignihyde (inspired by Hercules' Hades), Savanaclaw (inspired by The Lion' King's Scar), and Diasomnia (inspired by Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent). Each dorm group has a cast of top students to learn about as you explore the story and grow your skills.
The gameplay takes on many styles. First there is an overarching story told through a fully voiced visual novel in which you the protagonist wakes up in an unfamiliar place to find out you've been transported from another world to this unusual Twisted Wonderland. You're enrolled in the Night Raven College magical school as a rarity who doesn't have any magical abilities and are tasked with recording memories of your and your fellow students' lives. You get to learn about the school and its staff along with the backstories of each dormitory's top students. You can collect different rarities of cards of the students and you'll put them through magic history, alchemy, and flying lessons to increase their skills. Like all great magic schools, exams are taken via battles that operate similar to many other games' turn-style battle systems. The rhythm game aspect is similar to other rhythm games you may be familiar with, however it still feels unique and fresh as rather than a static background, your characters may be running down spooky hallways or you may be assisting characters cast magic as you tap in time to earn scores.
Disney's Twisted Wonderland is an exciting breath of fresh air among the wild ride of 2020 so far! There's sure to be more exciting content to come. Already gorgeous merchandise has started being released for those who like to collect and support their favorite characters. Check out the game trailer to start your descent and don't miss the all dormitory trailer to start scoping out your favorites!