A Shot in the Dark is an adult Ren'Py visual novel from ViM Studios, built around player choices and a mystery that grows out of a college fresh start. You play a young man entering his first semester, trying to build relationships while a sorority student's disappearance pulls him into darker questions. The game uses 3D CG and animated scenes, with a dating sim structure where decisions shape multiple endings and reveal lewd content. Ten main love interests have different personalities, body types, and skin tones.
Development is ongoing, with the current Chapter 4 build released on April 24, 2024. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android in English, and this version is uncensored. The newest update introduced Chapter 4 achievements and fixed some small bugs. Earlier notes mention a Chapter 4 beta with sixteen scenes, nine lewd, more than fifty-five thousand words, thousands of renders, animations, and music tracks, plus a walkthrough guide for Chapter 3.
Developer's description
A Shot in the Dark is a choice-driven adult 3D visual novel about new possibilities and dark secrets. Navigate romance, relationships, and rivalry as a young man during your first semester of college. Can you make a fresh start, or will the past catch up with you?
Spoiler:
Trailers & More Info
A mystery to solve
You play as a young man hoping to make a fresh start in college. But when a sorority girl goes missing, any hope of a normal semester disappears along with her. Will you be able to solve the mystery of her disappearance before it's too late?
Your choices matter
Choose wisely. There is no right or wrong. There is no one "happy path." From the first chapter to the last, your decisions can have permanent impacts on the story. Many branching story paths—each with its own joys and tragedies—will eventually lead you to one of the multiple endings.
Compelling characters
Ten main love interests represent a variety of body types, personalities, and skin tones. Your choices will decide how each relationship progresses and whether lewd scenes are revealed. Additional romanceable characters will be included based on Patron polling and requests.
Transparent gameplay
The mystery is in the story, not the gameplay. You will always know what aspects of the game your choices affect, for optimal replayability. No grinding or pointless minigames to stretch out the content. Every mechanic is designed to move the story forward, not to slow it down.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 achievements have been added, along with some minor bug fixes.
Chapter 4 Beta
16 scenes, 9 lewd
~55K+ words
2,226 renders
97 animations
28 songs, 21 sfx
Chapter 3
Walkthrough & Guide DLC added
Chapter 3 (V0.25)
Known/potential issues with this update:
Some testers reported issues opening old saves: For some testers, opening old saves sent them to the beginning of the scene in question. Some testers received an error upon opening an old save they were able to Ignore without further issue. Some saves were entirely unusable. Saves that open onto a choice seemed to present the most issues.
If you encounter problems with old saves: We suggest saving over any problematic saves you find so you are not tempted to use them in the future. You should not have any problems with new playthroughs or new saves made this update.
Some testers reported issues with their Memories gallery: This seemed more likely to be a problem on Android. A few testers encountered issues trying to replay Memories they'd already unlocked.
If your unlocked Memories are not working properly: Try closing and reopening your game. Play through the entire part of the game again where the Memory happened. Make sure you get all the way to the end of the scene because that's where Memories are unlocked. As a last ditch effort we included a "Reset All Memories" button in the Options menu. It will LOCK the entire Memory gallery and you will need to play through the game again to unlock each one.
As always, some Android devices will encounter issues with playing this game, especially as it increases in size. We did our best to optimize the UX/UI for Android players. If you encounter issues on your Android device please let us know and we will try to help!
The Chapter 3 (V0.25) update to A Shot in the Dark includes:
- 13 scenes
- 55K words
- 1,830 renders
- 98 animations
- 42 songs
- 17 sfx
- 274 GUI elements
A Shot in the Dark (Chapters 1-3) now includes:
- 70+ scenes
- 150K+ words
- 5,000+ renders
- 275+ animations
- 115 songs
- 34 sfx
- 493 GUI elements
- Interactive Phone feature
Chapter 2 - 2nd half (V0.2)
15 scenes
~45,000 words
1,344 renders
121 3D animations
65 GUI elements
2 sound effects
15 songs
Chapter 2 - 1st half (V0.15)
18 scenes
~22,000 words
796 renders
27 3D animations
2 2D illustrations
49 GUI elements
2 sound effects
18 songs
v0.1.1
Adjusted mouse cursor alignment
Fixed a minor script variable that was incorrect
Fixed duplication of Photogram objects (hopefully)
Chapter 1 v0.1
24 scenes
36,000 words
1,073 3D renders
28 3D animations
9 2D animations
107 GUI elements
11 sound effects
39 songs
Player reviews
Player rating4.5 / 5 · 20 ratings
Written reviews20 · avg 3.8★
Positive (4–5★)60%
Latest review2026-01-14
What players say
Most players praise characters, visuals, and story, though some criticize slow animations and weak MC; overall reception is positive but mixed.
5★10
4★2
3★2
2★5
1★1
Players like
Attractive, diverse cast of female characters
Strong visuals and character renders
Engaging story with suspense and choices
Helpful user interface and choice information
Common complaints
Slow, stiff, and boring animations
Insecure, passive male protagonist
Shallow writing and choice systems
Best for players who enjoy college-themed adult stories with attractive characters, suspense, and helpful menus.
Summarised from 20 written player reviews.
Newbe1632026-01-14★★★★★
Really a pity, that it got abandoned. Nice characters, a storyline behind, male MC learning more and more with either the older female partners or his friends in college. But with understanding, not corrupting, cheating a.s.o. Would have loved to…
Zorro#342024-11-24★★★★★
One of the most well-rounded games out there and one of the best college-themed ones. Pros: 1) Tons of great QoL features. How the devs care about their players' experience is commendable . 2) Good plot and decent writing. I…
Jaga Telesin2024-08-12★★★★★
See MixQQ's review below - what I have to say about the game would almost identically mirror his experiences. Especially the part about the threesome with Sara and Sophie. It was perhaps the most disappointing sex scene with three characters…
★★★★★(20)
