We love immersing ourselves in visual novels, especially from the comfort of our Steam Deck. When the story is well written and the visual identity is strong, hours pass by like minutes, but the characters stay with us long after we’ve stopped playing. Saraab: Beyond The Veil is a psychological horror visual novel that takes inspiration from Arabian folklore, particularly the supernatural beings known as djinn. It combines a missing-person mystery with a personal story about childhood trauma, family relationships, and the emotional baggage we carry into adulthood. But is this visual novel strong enough to pull us in and refuse to let go? Has solo developer Lubna Ahmed put together something worth looking into? Let’s find out what awaits us beyond the veil!
Game at a Glance
- Platform: PC (Steam)
- Developer: Rooted Elevation
- Publisher: Rooted Elevation
- Genre: Psychological Horror, Visual Novel
- Mode: Single-player
- Playtime: Approximately 4–5 hours
A Troubled Past Present
We follow Elham, or Elly as she’s called, a schoolgirl whose ordinary life takes a frightening turn when her younger brother, Adam, suddenly disappears. Neither her parents nor the police can find him, and Elham is desperate for answers. If she is to find her brother, she’ll need to do more than search for clues. As she soon discovers, his disappearance is connected to a supernatural world that she knows very little about.
Like a good Stephen King book, the story initially spends time establishing her everyday problems, including difficulties at school and an unpleasant encounter with a bully. Her family relationships are hardly straightforward either, and these experiences become increasingly important as the supernatural elements begin creeping into her life. Elham eventually encounters two mysterious figures. One encourages her to discover her hidden abilities, while the other feeds on her insecurities. Both play important roles in how she understands herself and the powers associated with her bloodline.
Saraab: Beyond The Veil will make you feel uncomfortable, there’s no doubt about it. It deals with some rather upsetting subjects, and you’ll see a believable character struggling with grief, anxiety, and painful childhood memories. You’ll witness her helpless struggle with sleep paralysis and disturbing supernatural encounters. The emphasis isn’t on graphic violence, but on the threat of it and the intricate psychological effects that relentlessly wear her down. Saraab takes its time introducing these subjects, with what we think is an intentionally slow beginning and considerable dialogue devoted to explaining Elham’s circumstances. We preferred it that way, and somewhere along the way, we found ourselves wanting to protect her in any way we could, even though we knew that all we could really do was watch from the sidelines. That made it hurt even more. Few games manage to evoke such strong feelings, which speaks volumes about how masterfully the developer has handled Elham’s story.
Choosing How to Face Our Demons
Some decisions in Saraab: Beyond The Veil are relatively harmless, resulting in additional dialogue or slightly different interactions. Others, however, can have considerably more serious consequences. Choosing incorrectly during certain encounters can bring Elham’s journey to an abrupt and, sadly, very unpleasant end. To avoid having to repeat the same scenes, previously viewed dialogue can be skipped, allowing you to quickly revisit a decision and try another approach.
During her journey, our girl must confront experiences that have shaped how she sees herself. If she is to grow, facing these painful memories becomes unavoidable. So, we do our best to guide her and prevent her from retreating into comforting illusions. In doing so, we influence her development and the supernatural abilities she can acquire. We like the idea of tying character progression to emotional decisions, especially in a story where the protagonist’s greatest obstacles are her own demons.
Many encounters use straightforward choices, sometimes with an obviously dangerous outcome. Please don’t expect elaborate branching conversations or complicated puzzles, as these limitations keep the story more compact and personal. There are, however, three main endings to discover, including a true ending that becomes available after completing the story once, so revisiting earlier decisions is an important part of experiencing everything the game has to offer.
Memorable Experience
We didn’t know what to expect when we started playing, but we certainly didn’t expect to get so attached to Elham and everything she was going through. We wanted things to work out for her, and there were times when we wished we could do more to help. We would have loved to see more elaborate choices, but that didn’t stop us from completely ejoying the story, especially seeing how some rather painful subjects were handled. We also loved discovering a side of Arabian folklore that we rarely encounter in games. If you’re a fan of visual novels and looking for something a little different, Saraab is well worth considering.
Our score: 9/10
Thank you for reading! Make sure to keep an eye on Dev & Play Media, as we also have an exclusive interview with the developer coming very soon. We’re looking forward to sharing it with you!
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