Phantom After Dark

Independent game studio

Cinematic visual novels, built after dark.

Phantom After Dark is a small studio with a big appetite for story: animated cutscenes, characters with real schedules, a card game that matters to the plot, and an original soundtrack. One project at a time, made with care and a lot of late nights.

Now playing
Chaos Rewind
Latest update
Cycle 3 · public release
Platforms
Windows · Linux · macOS

Chaos Rewind

Chaos Rewind key art: the cast around the shattered clock logo.

Now playing

Earth was rewound. Only one man remembers.

And the galaxy is coming for the artifact that did it.

  • 18+ Mature content, for adults only
  • Free to play
  • Windows · Linux · macOS
  • 11 languages

The story

A stranger falls out of the sky. Everything she carries is a target.

Erik has nothing left. No home, no future, no reason to believe tomorrow will be any different. Then, on a night like any other, a stranger named Nova crashes into his life, bloodied, desperate, and hunted by forces Earth isn't supposed to know exist. What she carries could change everything... and the people coming for it won't stop at her.

Chaos Rewind blends a cinematic sci-fi visual novel with Warriors of Astral Chaos, a strategic card-duel system that plays a central role in the story. Collectible cards, elemental matchups, deck-building, and card-stealing duels that carry real narrative weight. Every story duel can be skipped, so the story is never locked behind a match.

  • Cinematic visual novel

    Animated cutscenes, scene art shot like a film, expressive character sprites, and an original soundtrack.

  • Free roam

    Explore the city between story beats: a home with rooms that change with the time of day, a growing map, a phone that texts you back, and characters with real schedules.

  • Dates and minigames

    Invite a heroine out, play the boardwalk games, and let the evening shape how she feels about you.

  • Integrated card duels

    Collectible cards across multiple series, deck-building, an elemental advantage system, card-stealing mechanics, and several ways to play.

  • 11 languages

    English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indonesian.

  • Adult content, handled with care

    Mature story arcs and explicit scenes for an 18+ audience. Every character in those scenes is an adult; nothing involving minors, non-consent, or real people.

Scenes

Shot like a film. Drawn like a comic.

  • The Intergalactic Council in session, four seats around a bright chamber.
  • A hologram call projected from a wrist device at night.
  • Jade, smiling, welcomes you into a workshop full of books and gadgets.
  • Starlight Pier at night, a ferris wheel lit up over the boardwalk.
  • A hooded general stands in the corridor of a flagship.
  • A night festival with string lights in a desert town.
  • A garage rehearsal room with a drum kit, a guitarist on the couch and posters on the wall.

The cast

People with schedules, secrets and opinions.

  • ErikErik
  • Nova/NiaNova/Nia
  • BiancaBianca
  • JadeJade
  • IrisIris
  • ElenaElena
  • LilyLily
  • ValerieValerie
  • ElliotElliot
  • HarperHarper
  • KraxoKraxo
  • ZorgusZorgus
  • VyraVyra
  • ZathekZathek

Warriors of Astral Chaos

The card game at the heart of Chaos Rewind.

Build a deck from a growing collection, read the board, use the elements against your opponent, and take their cards when you win. Duels are woven into the story, and friendly matches are always a click away. New sets arrive with every update, including a Patron Edition set for supporters.

  • Standard Classic 4x4 duel.
  • Cross Draft Snake draft from a shared pool, then a 4x4 duel.
  • Blitz 3x3 lightning duel, 15 seconds per turn.
A Blitz duel in progress: a 3x3 board with cards on both sides.
Blitz mode

Music

Built in the Fire

Official music video from the Chaos Rewind soundtrack.

Listen on Spotify
The band on stage between walls of amplifiers, Erik in front with a red guitar.

Find Phantom After Dark on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, and most other streaming services.