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No Sleep for Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files
Released On: Jul 25, 2025
79
5.4
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
79
63% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
37% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
79
63% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
37% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files is a kind of filler release, and that’s okay. Not every game needs to be something that overs tens of hours of highly emotional plot and deep gameplay, and the first two AI: The Somnium Files games have already established an intelligent pedigree for the series. It’s nice to have something that goes for pure comedy as a contrast. The Zero Escape team stuck to what they knew with the gameplay, and clearly had bundles of fun doing so. That makes it very easy for fans to have fun with the game in return.
No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is a wonderfully effective mashup of puzzle-based gaming styles held together by fun characters and a chaotic story. A knowledge of the series is useful, but this entry served as my introduction, and I still had a blast.
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is a great game that bridges the gap between the first game and its sequel, nirvanA Initiative, while delivering a compelling story and new gameplay via the newly introduced Escape sections. The game doesn't take any risks with its narrative and features, but it offers a lot of content that AI fans will certainly appreciate.
No Sleep For Kaname Date might not move forward the narrative of this franchise in a major way, but it does provide a really entertaining and engaging side story to AI: The Somnium Files that fans of anything from the mind of Kotaro Uchikoshi will absolutely adore.
This review may come across as more negative than intended, simply because there’s such a strong baseline to compare it to. No Sleep For Kaname Date has pros than cons for me because I have a preexisting investment in the aspects it carries over the most elegantly from the rest of the series. The cast, puzzles, and humor are undoubtedly its best parts, and the story’s issues are thankfully not so severe as to drag those parts down. I at least recommend it to fans of the series, just with a few asterisks.
It might seem like I’m harsh on this spin-off, but I think I’ve grown more fond of the title the longer it sat with me. To get the most out of No Sleep For Kaname Date, you need to align your expectations in advance. The story isn’t devoid of emotional pay-offs, but it’s hardly going to hit things out of the park as hard as the previous games did. What it sacrifices in the typical mind-bending mystery, it makes up for with excellent comedy writing. This game knows it can’t meaningfully advance the plot of the main series, and it blatantly doesn’t try to. It wants you to have another go with characters you grew fond of throughout two really special games. It wants to make you laugh over the most ridiculous jokes, and applaud as Date powers up with his signature porno mags. As an AI fan who didn't need this to be the next big thing, I can’t help but appreciate what this offers.
No Sleep For Kaname Date is an enjoyable side story for fans, but lacks the impact of a full-fledged new chapter. The atmosphere is solid, but real surprises are missing.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 User Ratings
5.4
38% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
50% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 User Ratings
5.4
38% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
50% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
I love the AI series, but this feels like it isnt even from the same developers. Its way too short. Only 3 somniums and four puzzle rooms?? Almost entirely reused assets from the last games too. Maybe buy on a sale, but otherwise it just feels like greediness from some corporate boardroom
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Nintendo Switch
The shortest entry in the series, it is essentially a self-insert OC fanfiction, relying on established tropes and jokes without really adding anything to the mix. Frankly, it seems that the developers forgot what actually got people invested in the series.
There are no branching paths, no piecing bits of the mystery together, and pretty lackluster puzzles compared to what we normally get from Spike Chunsoft. It was a linear short story based on references to the first two games and it never feels like there are really any stakes. Long time fans won't be satisfied with what little is on offer, while new players won't have the buy-in required to sit through awkward obtuse dialogue and cringe-worthy action pieces.
I was excited for No Sleep for Kaname Date, but by the time credits rolled all I could think was "Is that it?"
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Nintendo Switch
Summary A day after The New Cyclops Serial Killings was resolved, internet idol Iris Sagan (known as “A-set”) is abducted by a UFO and forced to participate in a perilous escape game called The Third Eye Game. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a mysterious device is discovered. It resembles a coffin, and attached to it is a note that reads...
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch
- PC
- Nintendo Switch 2
Initial Release Date: Jul 25, 2025
Developer:
Publisher:
Spike Chunsoft
Genres:
