The Proteus Effect is a game for adults that combines lighthearted comedy, engaging characters and story, lively dialogue, and gripping challenges with distinctive, vivid art and alluring erotic scenes to create a fun, sexy, and ultimately unique experience.
You take on the role of Alex, a lovable but dimwitted young man who barely graduated college and is now desperately searching for a job. Just in the nick of time, he stumbles into the job of his dreams as a video game tester for a virtual reality startup, but all isn’t as it seems. After being introduced to his eccentric coworkers, he soon finds himself not only trapped in the virtual world, but also stuck in the body of a nubile young woman.
All Alex wants is to return home to his own body, but he winds up reluctantly embarking on an adventure through a series of fantasy worlds, including the company’s game world, another world that’s suspiciously similar to a popular MMO, and an assortment of others.
He isn’t alone, though - shortly into the journey he is joined by his co-worker Ana, a tough, slightly abrasive, yet kindhearted young woman. Alex isn’t the only one who’s changed in the virtual world; it looks like Ana ended up with a little something… extra?
Eventually, Alex is joined by other quirky companions, and together they try to uncover what’s behind the system’s strange malfunctions. How does he keep getting sent to these bizarre places? What connects them all? Can he ever manage to find his way back home?
This is a game for adults, so there’s plenty of erotic content. This isn’t just mindless porn, however - the scenes are sometimes titillatingly erotic, sometimes hilarious, but always interesting and fun. The game currently has content for futanari fans, and there will be plenty of scenes for people who like ‘group activities’, monsters, tentacles, vanilla (gasp!), and many other fetishes. The erotic scenes are completely optional - you can avoid any scenes you don’t like, and if you just want to experience the game’s entertainment without any of the porn, you can do that too!
If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining, and sexy game with likable characters, laughs, and distinctive art, The Proteus Effect might just be your game. So go ahead, give the public version a try! It’s only one major release behind the patron version, and it’s free! And if you really enjoy the game - and I think you will - please consider supporting the project by becoming a patron.
Also, feel free to join us on Discord!
Note: The download links in the sidebar are for Windows. For public macOS and Linux releases, please see my Patreon page (also available on SubscribeStar.)
Current Patron version: 10.3
10.3 changelog:
10.2 Changelog:
Current Public Version: 10.1.1
10.1 Changelog:
10.3 (Patrons only):
10.2 (Patrons only):
10.1 (Public):
10.0 (Public version):
0.9.8:
0.8:
0.7.x:
--- A lot of stuff ---
v0.2.4:
Second dungeon should be less frustrating to players having problems with it.
HCG image quality slightly enhanced
Download size greatly reduced
Path to upper level in chincha area now more clearly marked
NUM 0 should now escape, for those playing with the number keys (hopefully, couldn’t test)
Various minor bugfixes
v0.2.3:
Added visual effects to healing minigame
Resolved issue that could trap players in the old adventurers' house
Resolved issue that could send players to level that shouldn't be in game
Saves are again located in save folder rather than local app data folder
Resolved issue that could cause healing minigame to restart after winning it
Resolved player character's strange fear of butterflies
Player can no longer move (and potentially softlock game) during dungeon cutscene
Resolved issue that could prevent some players from re-entering first dungeon
Resolved issue that could cause game to request nonexistent assets
Various minor bugfixes
v0.2.2:
Fixed crashes in the healing minigame and dungeon cutscene
v0.2.1:
Can no longer enter Celie & Elian's house before completing quest
Quest journal should show up as normal
v0.2
New content:
New starter area
New dungeon
2 new H-scenes (one of which is 13 images)
Various quests
Various other areas
Lots of dialogue
Gameplay enhancements:
Added intro skip feature
Can now hide text boxes during H-scenes (press 'h' for hide)
Revised equipment and equipment screen
Player character sprite now changes according to outfit
Probably a bunch of other stuff I forgot
v0.1.3
Resolved issue that could interfere with scripted scenes in dungeon
Resolved issue that could trap player in barn
Various minor fixes
Added Patreon link
v0.1.2
Bugfixes
Reduced some enemies' HP
TL;DR: Highly recommended. Long, entertaining, light-hearted RPG maker game, relatively light on combat. Not all that much TF, if that's all you want.
The Proteus Effect is one of my all-time favorites on this site, and I've been a patreon ever since I discovered it. It is definitely a TF (mainly M2F) game, but it's something that happens very early in the story, and there's no follow-up transformations later. If all you want is constant TFs, this may not be the game for you.
On the other hand, if you're looking for an well-written and entertaining RPG maker game with absolutely gorgeous 3d CG models, you're in for a treat. There's not a lot of choices in the story, almost all of it is on rails. It is well told, entertaining and often genuinely funny. Very light-hearted, practically a comedy a lot of the time. It also doesn't take itself very seriously, and more than half of all the people you talk to need to have their priorities examined, but it's just played for laugs. To get the most out of the story, it helps if you have played or are familiar with World of Warcraft.
The main selling point, as far as I'm concerned, is the cast of characters. They are just great fun, and the relationships between them fascinating to follow. In particular the blossoming, weird relationship between the two main characters.
There is also RPG maker combat. It is for the most part perfectly servicable. No leveling, no grinding, which I appreciate. The combat encounters themselves are not particularly great or bad, and from my experience, fairly well balanced. No complains from me. I like that it's there to break up all the reading, but also that it doesn't outstay its welcome.
As for X-rated content; there are sex scenes sprinkled throughout the story, and I believe all of them are voluntary. If you don't check out any of them, this would probably be an R-rated game. As it is, I'd rate it more as an X-rated game (an actual game with some X-rated content) than an XXX-rated game (a game that is only an excuse to pour in sex scenes all the time). As for the scenes themselves; they all feature full-screen CG pictures complete with backgrounds, and are absolutely top-notch. The writing in the scenes are still leaning towards the comedy side, but they are also quite enticing in their own right. They are all replayable whenever you want by using a key item from the menu.
Reviewed version 10.0.1 (Patreon only so far).
I love this game! It's so darn funny and has just the right amount of lighthearted awkwardness (and sexiness) to make it fun! Can't wait to see the next version.
love this game so fun and funny! the tanking montage rocks!
you can spend whole evening and do not reach even for the second sex scene. So it is for some kind of fanats of this fighting games, difficult one
This game is fun. Good isekai style gender change, characters are actually pretty funny. Good Hentai scenes, thought there are good amount of gaps between them. There isn't really fighting and you can mostly run through the dungeons without doing much, and the fights are easy if you don't. Good rpgmaker game I think.
