The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, a visual novel and strategy-RPG hybrid, revives interest in multiverse narratives through its 100 endings. Developed by teams behind Danganronpa and AI: Somnium Files, the game challenges players with branching timelines after an initial linear prologue. It blends absurdity and sentimentality in a structure that rewards exploration of alternative outcomes.
In The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, players take on the role of Takumi Sumino, one of 15 high school students dispatched to the Last Defense Academy to defend humanity from invaders over a 100-day period. The game begins as a seemingly linear visual novel, incorporating strategy-RPG battles and character-bonding free time, reminiscent of Danganronpa's structure. However, reaching day 100 marks only the end of the prologue, after which the narrative shifts dramatically.
Inspired by AI: Somnium Files and series like Zero Escape, the game unveils a flowchart system for navigating multiple timelines. Players make decisions that branch into diverse what-if scenarios, leading to 100 endings. This setup allows exploration of varied character perspectives and events, from comedy routes to zombie transformations. Danganronpa lead designer Kazutaka Kodaka told Bloomberg that writers had freedom to take characters in wild directions.
The collaboration between developers of Danganronpa and AI: Somnium Files—evident in the game's eShop preparation following a July 2025 sale—culminates in a true ending that resolves overarching mysteries. Unlike choice-driven games such as this year's Dispatch, where outcomes feel predetermined, The Hundred Line offers a treasure trove of surprises, manifesting developers' whiteboard ideas. Reviewer Diego Nicolás Argüello, writing for GameSpot on January 1, 2026, praised it as a bold showcase of ambition in the Best Of 2025 series, noting how it rekindled appreciation for multiverse stories amid fatigue from Marvel's influence.
The game's interactive depth highlights video games' unique potential for expansive narratives, prompting reflections on personal life choices.
