Bad Apple Wars is a Japanese otome visual novel developed by Otomate and released for PlayStation Vita in 2015. The story centers on themes of death, rebirth, and the nature of life and love, unfolding through a narrative-driven adventure format typical of the genre. As an otome title, the game is oriented toward a female protagonist navigating romantic relationships alongside its central dramatic storyline. Gameplay progresses primarily through reading branching story sequences and making choices that shape relationships and outcomes. The interplay between the cycle of death and reincarnation forms the thematic backbone of the experience, giving the romantic and emotional storylines a philosophical weight. The title sits within Otomate's catalog of story-focused romance adventures, blending character-driven drama with supernatural and existential subject matter across multiple narrative routes.
The game follows Rinka, who, on her way to her first day of high school, is struck and killed at a crosswalk by a passing car while stopping to grab her shoe that falls off her foot. After death, she is greeted by Mr. Rabbit (a teacher with a rabbit mask) in the afterlife in front of NEVAEH Academy, a purgatory-esque setting for deceased students with strict rules including masked headgear for all faculty and students. A teacher at the school, Mr. Rabbit brings her to the academy's opening ceremony, which is attacked by the 'Bad Apples,' a group of students who oppose the strict authoritative nature that the schools runs on. Players are given the choice to side with bad apples or good apples (those who abide by the rules of the school administration, including the student prefects which enforce them), with each pathway involving unique branching paths and multiple endings which are dependent on choices made by the player during their playthrough.
