FACTSHEET
Developer:
Gaigo Studio
Platform:
Windows/Mac
Price:
12,99 $
Website:
gaigostudio.com
Release Date:
June 4, 2026
Press/Business Contact:
oliviaagostini@gaigostudio.com
DESCRIPTION
Three teenagers discover a mysterious recording—a voice from the past that becomes chilling evidence of a forgotten murder. It’s the end of the world as they know it.
‘1997 RELOADED, Or Whatever Happened to Andy Quinn’ is an enhanced comic: a cinematic interactive experience where the weight of nostalgia meets an emotional coming-of-age mystery.
Immerse yourself in a story that captures the authentic, raw soul of the 1990s by completely reimagining the era's music scene through The Roxyverse – a parallel timeline where Grunge never existed.
PLOT
Hove, England. June 2023.
Italian best friends Marco and Federico are sixteen, away from home, and trying to survive an intensive English summer course. Their days are defined by the seaside air and the company of Shirley, the determined, pink-haired daughter of Marco’s host family.
But their summer of language lessons and teenage boredom takes a dark, unexpected turn at a local flea market. Among the relics of the past, the trio stumbles upon a lost, vintage answering machine.
Inside is a haunting audio recording: clear evidence of a murder from decades ago.
What begins as a curious discovery becomes an obsessive quest for the truth. From the grey coasts of Europe to the neon nights of NYC and the sun-drenched streets of Los Angeles, you will follow them deep into the 1990s music scene to uncover forgotten secrets about good, evil, and the fleeting nature of fame.
Will they be able to right a decades-old wrong? Or is some history better left buried?
HISTORY
For the past decade, our creative mission has been the fusion of literature, visual arts, and music.
This journey began in Berlin, Germany, with the experimental "comic + cassette" releases of Casscomics and evolved into the sonic graphic novels of Infinite Plot.
'1997 RELOADED' was originally intended to be a graphic novel complete with soundtrack, but in 2023 we started developing it into a visual novel (VN), when we acknowledged this storytelling form as the perfect medium to realize our vision of a truly "enhanced" comic experience.
LOST HITS: THE SOUND OF '97
Music is the beating heart of '1997 RELOADED'.
We have reconstructed an entire "lost" music scene, creating original Pop and Alt-rock tracks that feel like authentic relics of the past.
Performed by the fictional artists you’ll encounter in the game, these songs feature the incredible vocal talents of Jessie Wagner (Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran), Ken Gordon, and Rosa Helena.
From the liquid distortion of ‘Fire’ to the melancholic haze of ‘Sun Setting Over Trees’, this soundtrack is a journey in itself.
FULL TRACKLIST
- Fire (September 29th feat. Ken Gordon)
- Maybe Maybe (September 29th feat. Jessie Wagner)
- Sun Setting Over Trees (September 29th feat. Rosa Helena)
- Walk Alone (September 29th feat. Ken Gordon)
- Buzz (September 29th feat. Rosa Helena)
- Pharmakon (September 29th feat. Ken Gordon)
- Fire (Live in Modena '94) [Bonus Track] (September 29th feat. Ken Gordon)
- Buzz (2010 Version) [Bonus Track] (September 29th)
AUDIO PREVIEWS
Alias/Insane - "Fire" (Preview)
Diane Brown - "Maybe Maybe" (Preview)
B.K. Larkin - "Sun Setting Over Trees" (Preview)
THE ICONS OF THE ROXYVERSE
Every track in '1997 RELOADED' captures the soul of an era and the lasting legacy of the artists who defined it.
The legendary figures of the Roxyverse are brought to life by an exceptional cast of real-world musical talents:
ANDY QUINN of ALIAS/INSANE (Ken Gordon): The tormented face of LA Alt-rock. With distorted guitars and visceral lyrics, Andy became the symbol of a generation that never knew Grunge, burning its rage instead under the California sun. His disappearance in 1997 remains the black hole at the heart of the mystery
DIANE BROWN (Jessie Wagner – vocalist for Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran): The undisputed queen of Pop. With her powerhouse vocals and sophisticated productions, Diane dominated the East Coast music scene, elevating the genre to unprecedented heights of elegance. A magnetic diva whose star burned out long before her legend ever could.
B.K. LARKIN (Rosa Helena): The sophisticated and mysterious soul of the scene. A poetically laconic musician and lyricist, Larkin represents the most intimate and refined side of the Roxyverse—an artist capable of translating the shadows of a decade into a sonic legacy that defies categorization.
44BC & 200 MUSCLES: he kings of the Hip-hop scene and architects of "The Friction"—the historic feud between Miami and New York that defined the transition between 1996 and 1997. While their voices do not appear on the official soundtrack, their iconic presence commands the screen, leaving behind only the heavy silence of untold truths.
They are more than just names on a tracklist. They are the voices of an era demanding to be heard—witnesses to a 1997 that refuses to stay buried.
FEATURES
- KINETIC VISUAL NOVEL
A focused, linear narrative designed for maximum emotional impact. - CINEMATIC RUNTIME
Approximately 5 hours of gameplay: perfect for a two-part "movie night" experience. - "NEO-RETRO" AESTHETIC
Over 2,000 original illustrations that combine philological research of the '90s with a sharp, modern directorial style. - THE SOUND OF '97
The original soundtrack includes tracks by fictional artists from the game’s lore, brought to life by professional vocalists. Featuring the amazing vocals of Jessie Wagner (vocalist for Lenny Kravitz, Chic), Ken Gordon and Rosa Helena. - THE ROXYVERSE
Explore an alternate timeline where Grunge never existed and Los Angeles was the epicentre of the 1990s Alt-rock scene. - ANALOG INTERACTIVITY
Features a vintage answering machine with 12 authentic voice messages recorded by real actors to take you back in time. - MINI-GAMES & READING ROOM
Interactive breaks and a dedicated space to browse vintage-style articles and lore. - ENGLISH WITH AN ITALIAN FLAVOUR
Designed for a global audience, the interface and core dialogue are in English. However, to stay true to the characters' roots, some exchanges between the Italian protagonists remain in their native tongue—always translated or rephrased within the narrative. For a deeper dive, entire key segments of the game can be experienced in both English and Italian, offering a fluid, multicultural journey that captures the authentic spirit of a summer abroad.
MEDIA COVERAGE / TESTIMONIALS
"The exact opposite of corporate [AI] logic... a handcrafted interactive comic made of over two thousand hand-drawn plates where the soundtrack plays an essential role. It revisits—or rather, reinvents—the nineties through the lens of a mystery novel... It certainly doesn't lack originality."
"1997 RELOADED is a complete and deeply satisfying experience. The presentation alone puts it in a category of its own among visual novels ... This is a small studio doing something special, and the sheer amount of effort and love put into it is noticeable in every frame."
"1997 Reloaded feels constructed by people, not a huge organization. The result is a visual novel that keeps itself in-line with the alt-rock vibes of its soundtrack and soul, differentiating itself from ‘polished’ and ‘smooth’ titles on the market with blended mediums and a home-made construction, lending itself to the idea that this is Marco, Shirley, and Federico telling their story and sharing the truths they uncovered on their journey."
"For readers who grew up on zines and mix CDs, and for players who like narrative games that experiment with form, 1997 RELOADED promises a short, stylized trip back to a year that felt like the end of one era and the start of another."
"A murder mystery set in an entirely fictional 90s music scene that feels so authentic, you can't help but feel nostalgic for a universe that doesn't exist!"
The developers are available for interviews, podcasts, and guest features regarding the music production and worldbuilding of the Roxyverse.
Contact: oliviaagostini@gaigostudio.com
VIDEOS
SCREENSHOTS
LOGO & ICON
ABOUT US
Gaigo Studio is a small independent visual novel studio based in Genoa, Italy.
We create 'enhanced comics': original and thought-provoking interactive stories full of pathos, with striking images, a bit of irony, and a musical heart. Both in English (our Latin) and Italian (our native language), or using a combination of both.
We are proud to belong to the new wave of indie game developers and authors who are currently redefining the VN genre, expanding its limits and rephrasing its rules, with the sole and ultimate goal of telling the best narratives possible.