道之华隐

This work is a philosophical galgame.

It follows the intricate, intertwined story of Ting Ruxu, a third-year student at Renhe High School in Tongzhou District, Beijing, alongside his classmates — twin sisters Hua Qiaohong and Hua Qiaozi — and Mo Ruowu, an enigmatic underclasswoman shrouded in mystery. Through the protagonist’s first-person perspective, players witness his contemplation, dialectical analysis, critique and insight into a range of topics: school life, society, and life-defining choices.

At the heart of this game lie two questions: What kind of path do you wish to walk? And what truly lies ahead at the end of that path?

It is less a narrative than a meditation.

People tend to categorize creative works first by their medium — novels, games, animation, films and so forth. Within games, there are further divisions: RPGs, action titles, simulation and management games, text-based games, and more. We are so used to defining a work by its form that, when tagging this very game, "visual novel" is placed as the top-priority label purely for the sake of marketability.

Yet while the medium matters, I do not believe it is the core of a work, nor its most essential label. What the creator intends to convey, and what the player takes away from the experience — these are the true foremost criteria for classifying a work.

Compelling fictional works are, in essence, creations that stand on the threshold between fantasy and reality. A work utterly divorced from reality cannot move anyone: it leaves no room for reality to take root, and thus no place for the reader or player to inhabit.

I believe genuine meaning springs from reality. For this reason, parts of the game’s plot and setting are adapted from real life.

Thematically, the work is rooted in the Tao Te Ching, woven into a vibrant collage of cross-referential exploration that draws on history, philosophy, religion, literature, animation and galgame culture. Its prose style will resonate particularly with readers fond of I-novels and denpa-style works.

I will not elaborate further. I hope every player will walk away with new thoughts and reflections from my creation.

                                                                                                                                                                 — Li