202X Mode 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
1980s Mode Yandere Simulator: 1980s Mode is a prequel mode set in 1989. The story follows Ryoba Aishi (voiced by Michaela Laws), 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Mission Mode Yandere Simulator: Mission Mode is a
non-canon gameplay mode and a
parody of the stealth-assassination genre, inspired heavily by the
Hitman franchise. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Yakuza Mode 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. 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. == Development ==