Yandere Simulator is an upcoming stealth action video game for Windows.^{[3][4][not in body]} The story follows obsessively lovesick schoolgirl Ayano Aishi, nicknamed "Yandere-chan", who takes it upon herself to eliminate (through either violent or non-violent means) anyone she believes attracting the attention of her "senpai", Taro Yamada.^{[not in body]} A 1980s-set prequel game mode, Yandere Simulator: 1980s Mode, following the similar story of Ayano's parents, was soft-launched on October 10, 2021. The non-canon Yandere Simulator: Mission Mode follows Ayano as an assassin pursued by a hunter named Nemesis.^{[not in body]}

It began development in 2014 by YandereDev, an American independent game studio led by Alex Mahan, previously known for work as associate designer of the fighting game Girl Fight. It achieved significant attention online the following year, leading to millions of downloads of pre-release versions, as well as crossovers and spin-offs.^[5] Yandere Simulator has also endured a lengthy development and been subject to several controversies.

In 202X Mode, the main story mode of Yandere Simulator, the player assumes the role of Ayano Aishi—nicknamed "Yandere-chan” and originally voiced by Michaela Laws—an apathetic, monoromantic high school student.^{[Note 1][citation needed]} Ayano suffers from a condition known as the "Aishi Condition", a hereditary trait affecting all members of her family that renders them emotionally numb until they encounter their one true love. She becomes emotionally fixated on a fellow student named Taro or Taeko Yamada (depending on player preference), who is always referred to as "Senpai" in-game.^[6][7] Senpai is voiced by Austin Hively (male version, Taro) and Michaela Laws (female version, Taeko). Ayano believes Senpai is the only cure for her emotional emptiness.^{[8][non-primary source needed][9]}

Over the course of ten in-game weeks—while her parents are away investigating a figure known as "The Journalist"—Ayano must eliminate a series of romantic rivals who fall in love with Senpai. To assist her, Ayano receives support from Info-chan, a mysterious information broker who is voiced by Poppy Nott. Each week introduces a new rival with a distinct personality and behavior pattern, requiring the player to adapt strategies to eliminate them.^{[citation needed]}

Players have various tools and tactics at their disposal to eliminate rivals, including kidnapping, torture, poisoning, electrocution, matchmaking, expulsion, freezing, rejection, crushing, social sabotage, betrayal, framing, drowning, and manipulating events to make a murder appear accidental or like a suicide.^[10][11][12] Rivals also have rival-specific eliminations that can only be used on them, like decapitation with a fan, or being crushed on stage. The player can earn money through part-time work at a maid café, purchase items from school vendors and shops, and participate in side activities and minigames to unlock new abilities, social links, or tools to assist in the elimination of rivals.^{[citation needed]}

Yandere Simulator: 1980s Mode is a prequel mode set in 1989. The story follows Ryoba Aishi (voiced by Michaela Laws),^{[13][non-primary source needed]} the future mother of Ayano Aishi, during her final year at Akademi Academy. Like her daughter, Ryoba suffers from the hereditary "Aishi Condition", an inability to feel emotions unless she is in love. She becomes obsessed with a fellow student, Jokichi Yudasei (voiced by Austin Hively), the future father of Ayano, and believes he is the only one who can "complete" her.^{[14][dead link]}

The mode presents a retro aesthetic with a VHS visual filter, grainy textures, and an original synthwave-inspired soundtrack composed to emulate the late-1980s atmosphere.^[15] Gameplay mechanics are slightly modified from the main campaign to reflect the time period: smartphones are replaced with film cameras, the school layout is simplified, and several modern mechanics are unavailable.^{[citation needed]}

As in the main story, Ryoba must eliminate ten rivals, each of whom threatens to attract Jokichi's attention. Unlike Ayano, Ryoba must also contend with The Journalist (voiced by Bradley Gareth), a skeptical adult observing the events at Akademi. If Ryoba acts suspiciously—failing to clean up blood, behaving erratically, or being caught near a crime scene—she earns "Guilty" points. These points accumulate over time and influence the outcome of the story. Ryoba can offset suspicion by improving her social standing, building friendships, and maintaining a positive reputation.^{[citation needed]}

The ten rivals in this mode represent various 1980s high school archetypes.

The Journalist compiles Ryoba's actions and ultimately brings her to court following the final rival's elimination. If Ryoba has accumulated more "Guilty" than "Innocent" points, she is convicted and sent to prison. However, if she successfully maintains her cover and manipulates public perception, she is declared innocent. In this outcome, Ryoba kidnaps Jokichi and imprisons him in her basement until he relents and agrees to become her partner, mirroring the obsessive behavior later seen in Ayano.^{[citation needed]}

An optional "S+" ending, considered the "canonical conclusion", is unlocked by eliminating each rival in a specific, clean, and secretive way. In this ending, after Ryoba captures Jokichi, he is secretly abducted by Saisho Saikou, the founder of Saikou Corp, a powerful conglomerate with hidden ties to Akademi. Ryoba must pass a hidden test of "yandere purity" devised by Saikou. Upon passing, Jokichi is returned to her, having been brainwashed to accept her as his partner.^[16] This ending retroactively sets the stage for the events of 202X Mode, providing lore context for Ayano's condition and the twisted legacy of the Aishi bloodline.^{[citation needed]}

Yandere Simulator: Mission Mode is a non-canon gameplay mode and a parody of the stealth-assassination genre, inspired heavily by the Hitman franchise.^{[17][dead link]} In this mode, the player assumes the role of Ayano Aishi, who becomes an assassin hired by Info-chan on behalf of the yakuza to eliminate specific student targets within Akademi Academy.^{[citation needed]}

The targets are selected at random from the student population, and each mission includes unique variables such as weapon restrictions, disguise limitations, or detection penalties, requiring strategic planning and stealth to succeed. Failure to eliminate the target or being detected results in mission failure, creating a high-stakes environment that rewards precision.^{[citation needed]}

A unique gameplay feature of Mission Mode is the introduction of "Nemesis", a mysterious rival assassin. Nemesis is a highly skilled female operative (voiced by Dawn M. Bennett) who stalks Ayano throughout the campus. Her behavior is unpredictable, and she cannot be identified using the player's HUD, making her a constant threat that forces the player to remain vigilant.^{[18][dead link]} In a spin off manga, Nemesis: Retribution, she is revealed to be Taro's sister, Hanako Yamada. She is seeking revenge against Ayano for murdering Taro as he was her first target.^{[citation needed]}

Yakuza Mode is the highest difficulty setting available in Mission Mode. In this mode, the player character is changed from Ayano to "Ryoba Aishi", her mother, depicted as a hardened, fully-dressed yakuza enforcer wielding a katana.^{[19][dead link]}

Ryoba's version of the missions features significantly more challenging objectives, such as multiple targets, no access to Info-chan's services, and permanent Nemesis presence with enhanced AI. Unlike the main game or standard Mission Mode, Yakuza Mode removes many conveniences such as the ability to save mid-mission or use intuition-based UI elements. It is designed to appeal to experienced players seeking a high-risk, high-reward challenge. Mission Mode and Yakuza Mode are not considered canon within the main Yandere Simulator storyline but serve as an experimental and stylized alternative gameplay experience.^{[citation needed]}

Yandere Simulator is developed by YandereDev, a freelance game developer run by Alex Mahan and based in Temecula, California.^[2][20] Then-associate designer of the fighting game Girl Fight, he first pitched the idea on 4chan around 2014, and after receiving positive feedback, decided to begin development.^[21] Mahan has stated that the series Mirai Nikki, Persona, Hitman and School Days were inspirations. In order to work on it full-time, Mahan opened a Patreon account in 2016; he has stated that prior to this he worked as a freelance programmer.^[22]

The project garnered attention on YouTube, where Mahan regularly uploaded development updates, including bug fixes, new features, and community polls. This allowed a growing fanbase to contribute feedback and ideas, helping it maintain a strong cult following.^[23] In 2016, Twitch banned Yandere Simulator from its streaming platform, despite it not having an ESRB rating at the time, and without publicly explaining the specific reason.^[24] On November 16, 2016, a non-canon Mission Mode was released; a parody of Hitman, the mode follows the assassin Ayano Aishi as she is hired to kill various targets around Akademi Academy, pursued by a rival female assassin known as Nemesis.^[25] From March to December 2017, YandereDev partnered with tinyBuild to help him polish, promote, and publish Yandere Simulator,^[26][27] the partnership ending due to tinyBuild's programmer and Mahan conflicting.^[28] As of late 2010s, where was no confirmed release date and remained in a debug build with regular updates. Despite controversies over content and slow development pace, it continued to be a subject of fascination among fans and critics alike.^[29]

On August 31, 2020, the first official demo was released, introducing Ayano Aishi's first rival, Osana Najimi.^[30][31] On October 10, 2021, a prequel mode titled Yandere Simulator: 1980s Mode was released.^[32] The mode follows Ryoba Aishi, Ayano's mother, during her high school years and includes ten rivals. It adopts aesthetics and themes inspired by 1980s slasher films and was developed as a prototype to test core game systems.^[32] Throughout 2022, multiple quality-of-life updates were added, including revamped NPC behaviors, new animations, and performance optimizations. YandereDev also added a mission mode, allowing players to create custom assassination objectives. Additionally, a stealth-focused tutorial level was added for new players.^[33] On March 31, 2024, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Yandere Simulator, YandereDev estimated that the final version might be released "towards the end of 2026, or maybe the beginning of 2027".^[34]

On May 1, 2024, Ayano's second rival, Amai Odayaka, was released to the demo, marking a major step in the progression.^[35] This update introduced a week-long gameplay sequence for the second rival and enhanced AI routines, including cooking club interactions and poison mechanics. On July 15, 2024, "The Hardware Update" added a virtual store that allowed players to purchase items using in-game currency, aiming to increase replayability and game depth.^[36] Later that year, on October 21, the "1980s Revamp" was launched, significantly improving character models, animations, and UI for the 1980s Mode.^[37] On Halloween, YandereDev revealed that visual novel elements were being integrated to deepen the narrative experience. He also confirmed the inclusion of supernatural themes in the full game.^[38] On January 1, 2025, YandereDev announced that a port for the Android platform was in development.^[39][40]

Yandere Simulator has received considerable criticism over its content and themes, particularly focusing on the depiction of sexuality, murder, and the portrayal of mental health issues.^[41] The core gameplay revolves around a character, often referred to as the "yandere", who exhibits obsessive and violent behaviors towards a love interest, which raises concerns about glorifying stalking and violent obsession.^{[42][dead link]}

In their 2022 doctoral dissertation, Kristian A. Bjørkelo noted that some hearing about or playing it found it transgressive due to the themes of sexuality and murder, while others took particular exception to an update that would allow players to kill cats as a way of avoiding police detection. They further argued that Yandere Simulator exemplifies a conflict with "the idea that play is harmless fun, something that can be considered for children, a notion that can be referred to as the idealization of play... or the fallacy of play".^[41]: 11 Cecilia D'Anastasio, writing for Kotaku, covered the debug version in a 2017 article; she commented that it had received criticism for "glamorizing suicide, bullying and Bipolar Disorder—allegations that I strongly agree with, the merits as simulator for sociopathy."^[22] D'Anastasio also interviewed the developer, Alex Mahan, who stated that it "pivots on the archetype of an obsessed, violent stalker, rather than female stereotypes."^[22]

Additional criticism has been directed at the portrayal of violence against women and the potential normalization of harmful behavior. Psychologists and commentators have debated whether such content could desensitize players or encourage toxic attitudes towards relationships.^{[43][dead link]} Supporters argue that it serves as a form of dark satire or social commentary on obsessive love and extreme behaviors in media.^{[44][dead link]} The developer has also faced criticism for the slow pace of development and the inclusion of controversial updates, such as the option to kill cats, which sparked backlash from animal rights advocates and players alike.^[45] Yandere Simulator has maintained a dedicated player base and continues to be discussed in academic circles regarding its impact on gaming culture and transgressive play.^[41]

In January 2016, Yandere Simulator was added to the list of games that are disallowed for play over the streaming platform Twitch. The platform did not publicly disclose the specific reasons for the ban, which led to speculation among the community and criticism from the developer, Alex Mahan (also known online as "YandereDev").^{[citation needed]}

Mahan was a vocal critic of the ban, stating that Twitch never explained what prompted the addition to the list. He expressed frustration, saying that he would have been willing to "modify minor, innocuous things that were never meant to be the focus of the game, but I would not be willing to remove gameplay mechanics, remove core features, or change the focus of the game".^{[46][dead link]} He further criticized the decision as being influenced by "self-righteous ideologies",^{[46][dead link]} and suggested that Twitch's opaque moderation policies were unfair to independent developers. Mahan claimed that he had attempted to contact Twitch for clarification multiple times but received no meaningful response.^{[dead link][non-primary source needed]}

In 2024, Alex Mahan received allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a fan. In a response video, he denies the claim that he intentionally groomed the fan, but admits to engaging in "inappropriate" conversations of a sexual nature with her when he knew she was 16 years old.^[47]

YandereDev has released several animated prequel shorts delving into the backstories of Ayano Aishi and Osoro Shidesu. These include Yandere-chan's Childhood (2017), Delinquent Backstory (2018), and A Childhood Lesson (2018), which explore the emotional development, trauma, and early experiences that shaped key characters.^[8][48][49]

LoveSick, a web series adaptation of Yandere Simulator, was written and directed by Abby Roebuck and animated by Sakura Media with permission from YandereDev. The series aired from June 6, 2017, to January 24, 2020.^[50][51]

A spin-off manga series based on Yandere Simulator: Mission Mode and entitled Nemesis: Retribution, written by Alex Mahan (also known as YandereDev) and illustrated by Vanelover and JIBJAB, was published online from August 1, 2019, to March 19, 2022. It follows Nemesis, the antagonist of Mission Mode.^[52][53]

The manga expanded upon lore elements such as the Saikou Corporation, the role of Info-chan, and the ethics of the assassination program. All chapters were initially released on the official Yandere Simulator Development Blog and later compiled into a digital volume available for download.^[54][55]

• Official website
• LoveSick: Yandere Simulator at IMDb