Help! I’m Turning into a Mermaid! A Weird Title for a Cool Story – Weekly Indie Spotlight

Help! I’m Turning Into a Mermaid! should draw people in just because of the name. Indeed, when I saw it in my recommendation queue on Steam, the name alone motivated me to download the demo. While I don’t yet own the game, the demo was quite a memorable experience. So exactly what is Help! I’m Turning Into a Mermaid! Well, it’s a visual novel that’s a bit of a simulation game and a bit of an adventure game.

About Help! I’m Turning Into a Mermaid!

Developed by Lached Up Games, Help! I’m Turning into a Mermaid! tells the story of Hunter, a newly-recruited police officer who has just moved to the magical city of Axon City. In Axon City, there are frequent invasions from a magic dimension, creatures like fire elementals and cat people are citizens, and if something goes awry, you might find yourself changing into some fantasy creature. Hunter, however, thinks he can handle the madness. 

Of course, as the title suggests, he will find himself slowly turning into a mermaid, but that’s not his only problem. His fire elemental partner, Ember, doesn’t approve of his less confrontational methods, which leads to tension at work. There are also the ongoing attacks to consider. As such, there’s plenty going on, leading to a gripping story that draws the player in immediately. 

While the game is a visual novel at heart, there are several minigames that liven up the experience. There are cases to solve in which you search for clues, question people, and sometimes combine items. In addition, you can work part-time at the mall for extra money. The game store has you identifying bootleg games, while the restaurant has you preparing several meals at once to impatient customers. This variety helps keep the gameplay fresh. There’s always something new to be doing. 

My Experience with the Demo

As stated earlier, I have only played the demo. The demo, strangely enough, doesn’t get to the part where Hunter starts turning into a mermaid, so I don’t know what causes him to start transforming. However, the demo was still packed. The introduction is a bit lengthy, since it consists only of visual novel reading without any action or dialogue choices, but it’s still interesting because of all the wacky characters Hunter meets and all the shenanigans that happen. 

Soon Hunter got his first case, and I was off solving mysteries. Solving cases requires interrogating, searching for clues, and using items. You might also get rewarded for extra searching – for example, I found some money just lying around. At this point, the game opens up its interaction with free periods where you can hang out and decide where to go. During the game’s first free period, you hang at a mall, where you can wander around stores, chat up potential love interests, buy stuff, and work for some extra cash.

Speaking of work, those part-time jobs give you a chance to test your reflexes. If you work at the game store, you have to separate the legit games from the bootlegs by checking the boxes and discs, all while the customers are losing their patience. At the restaurant, you’ve got to prepare food and serve it, juggling several orders at once while the customers are waiting. Visual novel purists might say this kind of nerve-wracking gameplay doesn’t belong in a visual novel, but I found it fun and refreshing. 

I Want Help! I’m Turning Into a Mermaid!

As soon as I finished with the demo, I added Help! I’m Turning into a Mermaid! to my Steam wishlist and ranked it near the top. It’s been a while since a visual novel’s demo has grabbed me so well. Once I’ve got some extra money, I’m definitely buying this game, and I recommend it for fans of visual novels or adventure games. Help! I’m Turning into a Mermaid! can be purchased on Steam for $29.99.