Love and Deepspace

Love and Deepspace is an otome game rendered in 3D graphics. The game is a live service game that uses a system known as "wishes", where the player is able to randomly draw cards known as "memories" featuring each of the five companions. While the game is free-to-play, in-app purchases can be made for extra currency and character costumes. Special types of stories, known as "myths", are only accessible through limited-run memories and reveal important plot points related to the protagonist's personal history with the companions. Affinity with the companions can be raised through leveling up memories, reading and listening to their stories, and interacting with their messages. A maximum of two Solar type memories can be chosen. The version 5.0 update on 31 December 2025 introduced a fully customizable home that can be decorated by the player and visited by the love interests. ==Synopsis==

Setting and characters Love and Deepspace takes place in the fictional Linkon City, where in the year 2034, He is also a member of the Backtrackers, a group of Philosians who had traveled back in time to find solutions to prevent Philos and his version of the protagonist from dying. He is also an emissary of the god Astra. Rafayel is also a sea god who created a bond with one of the protagonist's previous incarnations; because he can only revive the Lemurian civilization by killing and taking her heart, he actively attempts to find ways to revive it without her death. Caleb is the protagonist's adopted older brother with the Gravity Evol. He was initially seen early in the story as a non-playable character in the main story campaign and seemingly dies shortly after his introduction. Since being revived by EVER, Caleb has a Toring Chip implanted in him, which the protagonist feels is related to his change in personality. Plot In 2048, 14 years after the Chronorift Catastrophe, the protagonist is initiated as a new Deepspace Hunter and begins fighting Wanderers, who leave behind energy crystals called Protocores. Shortly after, the protagonist's family home is bombed, killing her adoptive family. Her adoptive grandmother, Josephine, leaves behind secret files revealing that she had been involved in illegal human experimentation, where a piece of a rare and powerful Protocore called the Aether Core had been fused to the protagonist's heart. The protagonist learns that she has become a target by EVER, who aim to use the Aether Core to explore the Deepspace Tunnel and seek immortality. Resolving to learn more about the Aether Core experiments, the protagonist investigates N109. With the help of Sylus, she learns that it was once inhabited by the Gaia Research Center. After returning to Linkon City, the protagonist is sent on missions to safeguard more Aether Cores. During a mission to Skyhaven, the protagonist discovers that Wanderers were once humans who were infected by the Protocore Syndrome. Concerned about EVER, the Hunters Association decide to move their Spatial Core, a powerful Aether Core, to a different location, but they are attacked by EVER operatives and the protagonist accidentally absorbs it into her own body. Curious about her origins, the protagonist returns to N109 to investigate the Gaia Research Center, where she finds Dimitri, one of Josephine's former co-workers. Dimitri reveals that the protagonist is an astral being born from the Deepspace Tunnel; her birth was the cause Wanderers appearing and the Chronorift Catastrophe. When he attempts to kill her and send her back through the Deepspace Tunnel, the protagonist realizes she is connected to the life cycle of the planet. Sylus rescues her, and Dimitri is killed. ==Development and release==

Papergames first announced that Love and Deepspace was in development on 23 October 2020 through a promotional trailer. Pre-registrations for the game opened on 2 November 2023, and a closed beta test was offered to a limited audience from 15 December 2023 to 21 December 2023. Love and Deepspace was released globally on Android and iOS on 18 January 2024. The game was released as a spin-off to ''Mr Love: Queen's Choice and as the second installment to the Mr. Love series. Papergames also marketed Love and Deepspace'' as the "first 3D game" in China. Lizi, the creator of Love and Deepspace, stated in 2025 that the original objective of Papergames was to create a 3D game that "would be well-received." In creating Love and Deepspace, Papergames decided on a science fiction setting, as it was popular in 2018 and 2019, but also decided to add romance elements to create an "interesting clash" of genres. Lizi also stated that the combat system was integrated into Love and Deepspace as the idea of "fighting side by side" was "crucial" in the concept of the game. She stated that the idea came from how people in relationships view themselves as equals, Version 3.0, subtitled "Cosmic Encounter", was released on 31 December 2024 as part of the game's first-year anniversary, with Caleb introduced as a playable character on 22 January 2025 during the second update, "Cosmic Encounter Part 2". Version 4.0, subtitled "Witnessed By Deepspace", was released on 3 July 2025. The version 2.0 theme song titled "Visions opposées", is sung by Mikelangelo Loconte and produced in collaboration with the original creators behind Mozart, l'opéra rock. The version 3.0 theme song is a Chinese song titled "Cosmic Encounter", performed by vocalist . The version 4.0 theme song titled "Witnessed by Deepspace", is performed by Angela Zhang. ==Reception==

Love and Deepspace has gained popularity worldwide since its global launch. Its download numbers surpassed 10 million by the third day of its launch, and by 2025, 50 million players were registered worldwide. GameSpot listed Love and Deepspace as one of the best games of 2025, praising it for its interactivity. Famitsu praised the inclusion of the home feature in the version 5.0 update. However, IGN criticized the game for the lighting issues for dark-skinned character customizations. Commercial performance In Japan, Sensor Tower reported that it was the most downloaded and highest-grossing interactive story game from January to September 2024, amassing nearly $30 million. As of March 2025, the game has an accumulated global revenue of over $500 million on the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store, with markets outside of China accounting for 40% of the total revenue, based on data from analytics firm Sensor Tower. The game outperformed several established titles in the genre and has been cited as a commercially successful example of an otome game in the global mobile games market. Accolades Love and Deepspace won the Best Mobile Game in 2025 Gamescom Awards. This marks the first time in history that an otome game has been nominated for and received an award at Gamescom. At the 2025 NYX Game Awards, Love and Deepspace received two honors in the Mobile Game category: Best Experience (Grand) and Best Game Design (Gold). ==Legal actions==

On 26 August 2024, Papergames issued a statement demanding the removal of a diss track by Chinese rapper Pact, which it said contained unauthorized use of gameplay footage with distorted and derogatory remarks, and would take legal actions on this matter. This first court session was conducted on 14 January 2025 at the Yangpu District People's Court of Shanghai. == Notes ==