Kryonull is a $100 AI-Generated Visual Novel That Nobody Should Buy

I recently learned about Kryonull via the Steam Release Bot on Bluesky, and to be frank, it’s a title that bums me out. The game is a visual novel currently listed on Steam for a staggering $100 USD (or £90 in the UK), a price point that feels less like a premium offering and more like an insult to anyone browsing the storefront.

It’s particularly frustrating because the core concept actually sounds decent. The plot promises a hard sci-fi experience centered on a small, manned mission to Europa. The crew is forced to make snap decisions with major consequences as they make first contact with something lurking beneath the ice. That’s a rad premise for a visual novel. Unfortunately, that’s where the appeal ends.

Under the “AI-Generated Content Disclosure” section of the store page, developer NovelkaGames offers a blunt admission: “All images and voices in the game, as well as on the store page, were generated using AI.” While the script is purportedly the one element of the game not generated by AI, the heavy reliance on AI slop—coupled with that absurd price—makes the project feel like a blatant cash grab.

The Problem With Kryonull’s Pricing

Kryonull is translated into both English and Russian, which suggests its country of origin, yet the pricing remains universally aggressive. According to SteamDB, even the localized price in rubles converts to roughly $53 USD. When you consider that the vast majority of the assets are machine-generated rather than crafted by human hands, the suggestion that this game is worth full-triple-A pricing is baffling.

The game serves as a depressing example of the current state of Steam. As an open platform, Valve allows almost anyone to upload their projects, which inevitably leads to a river of low-effort content. While Valve has made compromises with payment processors and occasionally displayed confounding prudishness, projects like Kryonull show that the store remains a place where essentially anything can be sold, regardless of the quality or the audacity of the price tag.

Better Sci-Fi Alternatives

If you are looking for short, experimental sci-fi games that actually demonstrate effort and craft, there are much better ways to spend your time—and your money. I’d suggest looking at these two instead:

• South Scrimshaw Part One: A brilliant, hand-drawn nature documentary about alien whales. Its solo developer created the game while working a day job as a dishwasher. While it does use AI-generated voiceovers, the writing is so exceptional that it is easy to overlook, and the game is completely free.
• Water Womb World: A surreal horror game about a religious fanatic searching for proof of God at the bottom of the ocean. It’s a compelling project that costs only $2, and it’s well worth the investment if you enjoy unique, handcrafted experiences.

Don't waste your time or money on Kryonull. It’s a prime example of why being wary of AI-laden projects on Steam is a good policy for any PC Gaming enthusiast.