Chaos;head

Chaos;Head is the first entry in the Science Adventure series, and was originally released for Microsoft Windows on April 25, 2008. An enhanced, upgraded version of the game, titled Chaos;Head NoAH, was released in 2009 for the Xbox 360, and has since been ported to multiple consoles. NoAH features a wide range of additions—such as new heroine routes, redrawn artwork, and a resolution upgrade—and is thus considered the definitive edition of the game. It would later see an official English localization in 2022.

The story follows a shut-in gamer and otaku named Takumi Nishijou who gets caught up in a series of bizzare murders called the “New Generation Madness.” He frequently experiences delusions, which are chosen by the player through the “Delusion Trigger” system. The player can choose if Takumi experiences a positive delusion, a negative delusion, or no delusion at all—these choices may affect Takumi’s mental state, and thus, the outcome of the story.

As the first visual novel in the Science Adventure series, Chaos;Head NoAH would be followed by related entries such as Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes, Chaos;Child, and its own direct sequel, Chaos;Head Love Chu☆Chu!.

Chaos;Head and Chaos;Head NoAH were well-received when they initially released in Japan, and they paved the way for future titles in the Science Adventure series. After the original game’s release, three manga, an anime adaptation, and an internet radio series based on the title were produced. Chaos;Head Love Chu☆Chu!, the direct sequel to Chaos;Head NoAH, was originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. Chaos;Child, the thematic sequel to the Chaos;Head visual novels, released in 2014.

An official localization of Chaos;Head NoAH was released on October 7, 2022 for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. This release was unfortunately lackluster, containing many bugs and a poor translation. Interested readers are advised to apply this fan patch, which seeks to improve the release on all levels.

We highly recommend against watching the Chaos;Head anime adaptation. It is widely considered the worst adaptation of the Science Adventure series, and for good reason: much of what makes the story excellent was, unfortunately, mishandled or poorly altered in production.

Characters

Takumi Nishijou

Takumi Nishijou is the protagonist of Chaos;Head. A second-year high school student and a borderline NEET, Takumi is content to waste his days away inside his container house, playing video games and watching anime—that is, until, a mysterious encounter at the scene of a murder throws his life into a cycle of constant chaos and confusion…

Rimi Sakihata

Rimi Sakihata is a mysterious girl that Takumi encounters at the scene of a murder—one of many in a series of brutal homicides known as the New Generation Madness.
Though Takumi believes she’s the perpetrator, things aren’t quite as simple as they seem…

Nanami Nishijou

Nanami Nishijou is Takumi’s little sister. She’s kind and outgoing, and she often stops by Takumi’s container house to “check in on his survival.”
Though her relationship with Takumi is constantly on the rocks—which is usually Takumi’s fault—deep down, Nanami truly cares about her hopeless big brother.

Yua Kusunoki

Yua Kusunoki is a third-year student at Suimei Academy, the school Takumi attends. She’s polite, and driven.
Takumi initially believes Yua to be a stalker, but he quickly befriends her after they discover their mutual interest in anime and manga.

Ayase Kishimoto

Ayase Kishimoto, aka “FES,” is the introverted lead vocalist and leader of a wildly popular Shibuya band, Phantasm.
Her lyrics have a mysterious, prophetic power to them; they seem to speak of the future of the New Generation Madness, consistently predicting events that haven’t occurred yet.

Kozue Orihara

Kozue Orihara is a small, cheerful transfer student at Suimei Academy with a particularly distinctive perspective on the people around her.
Kozue doesn’t speak—with that being said, she makes up for her silence in an interesting way…

Sena Aoi

Sena Aoi is an unfriendly, aggressive third-year student who’s strangely obsessed with a certain brand of popsicles.
Sena often ditches class, choosing instead to prowl Shibuya in search of suspicious people known as “porters”; these individuals are easily identifiable by the unusual rucksacks they wear.

Seira Orgel

Seira Orgel is a fictional character within Blood Tune, an in-universe anime series.
Seira is Takumi’s favourite delusion, and she often appears before him in a very life-like manner. She frequently encourages him to ignore the real world to focus on video games, anime, and herself.

For all Chaos;Head-related news, please visit this page.

More Chaos;head

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of Chaos;Head side material. Please visit this page to view all currently known Chaos;Head-related material.

  • Delusion of Zero is a short story that serves as a prequel to Chaos;Head’s events. This story explores the actions taken by Shogun prior to the events of the main game, which would, in turn, influence the course of its narrative.
  • Chaos;Gate is a crossover short story featuring Sena Aoi and Steins;Gate’s Rintaro Okabe. It serves as a midquel to Chaos;Head, and is one of Okabe’s first appearances in the series.
  • Tomorrow in the Box is a three-way crossover short story featuring characters from Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate, and Robotics;Notes. The Chaos;Head segment of the story takes place after the events of Chaos;Head NoAH and Chaos;Head Love Chu☆Chu!.
  • Chaos;Head Love Chu☆Chu! is the direct sequel to Chaos;Head NoAH. While it presents itself as a stereotypical dating simulator visual novel, Love Chu☆Chu! sets out to parody that genre in a number of different ways while also concluding the overall Chaos;Head arc of the series.
  • Chaos;Child is the thematic sequel to Chaos;Head. It takes place a few years after the events of Chaos;Head, and follows protagonist Takuru Miyashiro as he investigates a series of brutal murders that hearken back to the New Generation Madness of Chaos;Head. Click here to read more about Chaos;Child.