Dohna Dohna

About
Dohna Dohna (ドーナドーナ いっしょにわるいことをしよう, literally translating to "Dohna Dohna: Let's Do Bad Things Together!"), stylized as "doHna:doHna," is a RPG/Management game developed by Alicesoft released on November 27, 2020. Its title is derived from the Yiddish folk song Dona Dona, which is about a calf being led to slaughter. The song gained popularity in Japan for its appearance in the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena, and the phrase "dona dona" has since been adopted as slang to refer to any instance of a person or thing being forcibly abducted from a place of comfort to somewhere dangerous or unpleasant.

Created by the creative team responsible for the production of Rance 01 and Rance 03, Dohna Dohna began development shortly after the release of the latter. It was conceived as a spiritual sequel to Haruurare, a prostitution simulation game released as part of the Alice 2010 compilation disc and the first game ever directed by Ittenchiroku, the project's leader; even marketing itself as a "Haruurare RPG". It is also notably the final Alicesoft game to feature soundtrack composer DJ C++ as a regular staff member. DJ C++ actually left the company during development, but was hired back as a freelancer to complete the job.

While announced as early as 2016, Dohna Dohna underwent a lengthy development period of four years before receiving an official release date. Though no official reason has been given for this delay, it is notably one of the few Alicesoft titles ever to feature guest artists; with several notable illustrators from outside of the company providing artwork for the game's large cast of "Unique Heroine" characters.

In addition to physical and digital versions, the game also received a limited edition release which included a copy of its predecessor Haruurare alongside it. Its soundtrack was released as Alice Sound Album Vol. 33.

Gameplay
Dohna Dohna is set in a city controlled by a single powerful corporation that has become disrupted by the emergence of clans: gangs of ne'er-do-wells that perform various criminal acts, such as theft and prostitution, to retaliate against their repressive society. The player assumes the role of Kuma, the second-in-command of one such organization, who must increase his clan's power by finding and capturing young women throughout the city and selling them as prostitutes. Along the way, he and his allies must contend with rival clans, as well as the corporation itself, while unraveling a greater conspiracy surrounding the city.

Gameplay in Dohna Dohna combines turn-based combat and strategic resource management, and is divided into three major phases: "Hunting", "Hustling", and "Feeling". The player begins every turn in the "Feeling" phase and is given the choice between entering either the "Hunting" or "Hustling" phase. Each turn constitutes a single in-universe day, with special events occurring as days pass.

During the "Hunting" phase, the player is tasked with moving across one of many areas throughout the city to engage in battle with the ruling clan. Battles consist of turn-based fights against waves of enemies with a team of four party members, and in most cases last until the party retreats or is completely defeated. The player can switch between who is participating in the active party mid-battle, with each party member possessing distinct attributes that make them more or less effective to use against certain enemy types. Defeated enemies occasionally drop items, which can be used for a variety of useful purposes in all three of the gameplay phases.

When moving through an area in the "Hunting" phase, there is a chance that the player will encounter an enemy unit containing a female character, who can be captured for use in the "Hustling" phase if all other enemies are defeated before them. There are a wide variety of looks and attributes for women depending on the location, meaning that it is important to keep track of which kinds of women appear in which parts of the city. Occasionally, the player will encounter one of several "Unique Heroines", female characters designed by guest illustrators with unique appearances and personalities. Along with generating greater funds than other captured women, these heroines also receive unique story events and erotic scenes when used during the "Hustling" phase which make them highly valuable to collect.

During the "Hustling" phase, the player is tasked with earning money by selling women captured in the "Hunting" phase to customers. A woman's potential earnings can be increased by giving them items to raise their sexual prowess, as well as by investing money to improve the facilities in which they meet with clients. Every customer has their own distinct tastes, and are more likely to do business with the player if one of the captured women possesses a trait that they are attracted to. As a woman continues to be sold as a prostitute, her morale will steadily drop, decreasing her overall earnings when engaging with customers. In addition to maintaining the business of lucrative customers, it is important to keep up a steady rotation of women and to dispose of those whose spirits have been depleted when necessary.

During the "Feeling" phase, the player is able to meet with party members that they have reached a certain level of closeness with and watch special events that can improve that character's strength in battle. The player can increase their bond with party members by using them in the active party during the "Hunting" phase and by giving them items collected from defeated enemies or purchased from a shop. Erotic scenes can be unlocked with female party members during this phase by meeting with them after they have become close enough with the protagonist.

As the player continues to engage in criminal activities, there are occasions when party members are placed into dangerous situations, such as getting captured by an enemy gang, and must be rescued. Bad things will happen to the party member if the player delays in saving them, and so it is imperative to come to their aid as quickly as possible.

Plot
Asougi City, a company town facing the Seto Inland Sea-

Though a single corporation controls every aspect of their lives, the citizens live without any kind of worries or doubts, and enjoy the peace that has been given to them.

However, within this pristine city lurk pockets of unrest. Known as “Anti-A”, these groups repeatedly perform acts of civil disobedience, including “Hunting”, armed theft of people and things, and “Hustling”, the selling of bodies for profit.

With Anti-A growing in influence, the corporation motioning to stop them, and the "Memorial Festival" fast approaching, the city is soon shaken by conflict, consuming the lives of all within it.

Links

 * Official Website