{"rewrite":{"id":"r_1cf15082c5d72b711fea9c28","clusterId":"c_f97be76179dff0568edb2127","slug":"ba-ku-s-black-sheep-town-gets-a-fresh-look-in-automaton-column","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"BA-KU's Black Sheep Town Gets a Fresh Look in Automaton Column","summary":"Automaton's column spotlights BA-KU's visual novel BLACK SHEEP TOWN, released on Steam in September 2022. The piece examines the game's gang and mutant setting, its multi-perspective storytelling, and the lack of player agency that leads to unavoidable tragedies, while noting the developer's next project, HYAKUHYAKU.","whyItMatters":"The column frames BLACK SHEEP TOWN as a work where the absence of player choice is the point, and confirms BA-KU is already developing a new title.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eAutomaton\u0026#39;s ongoing series on overlooked domestic Steam titles turns its attention to BLACK SHEEP TOWN, the visual novel BA-KU released in September 2022. The column focuses on how the game uses its gang and mutant premise to explore everyday struggles rather than spectacle.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story follows multiple residents of the Y district, including protagonist Xie Liang, his friend Michido Michio, and former detective Roji Kuniaki, through a zapping structure where reading one scenario unlocks another. Automaton notes that the game offers no choices to avert tragedy, leaving players to watch characters follow their beliefs to the end.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe piece also mentions that BA-KU announced its next project, HYAKUHYAKU, on August 6.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Automaton's column digs into BLACK SHEEP TOWN, BA-KU's 2022 visual novel about gangs and mutants in a Japanese slum. The piece highlights the lack of player choice and the developer's next project, HYAKUHYAKU.","twitterPost":"Automaton spotlights BLACK SHEEP TOWN, BA-KU's visual novel where players can't change the tragedy. The column also notes the dev's next game, HYAKUHYAKU.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Automaton's latest column highlights BLACK SHEEP TOWN, a visual novel by BA-KU that uses a gang and mutant setting to explore human struggles. The piece emphasizes the game's lack of player agency and mentions the developer's upcoming project, HYAKUHYAKU.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/special-column/bst-20260816-460380/\",\"title\":\"\\\"彼らが破滅するのを見守ることしかできない\\\"無情と人間臭さのSF群像劇ADV『BLACK SHEEP TOWN』をもう遊んだか\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5138,"outputTokens":577,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786902607,"createdAt":"2026-08-16T17:32:16.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-16T17:36:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-16T17:32:16.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_f97be76179dff0568edb2127","canonicalTitle":"“彼らが破滅するのを見守ることしかできない”無情と人間臭さのSF群像劇ADV『BLACK SHEEP TOWN』をもう遊んだか","representativeArticleId":"a_3e4eae6ff00e4c4865ee9fb3","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"BLACK SHEEP TOWN\"],\"studios\":[\"BA-KU\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"review\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-16T04:50:08.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-16T04:50:08.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-16T17:36:44.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/special-column/bst-20260816-460380/","title":"“彼らが破滅するのを見守ることしかできない”無情と人間臭さのSF群像劇ADV『BLACK SHEEP TOWN』をもう遊んだか"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["BLACK SHEEP TOWN"],"studios":["BA-KU"],"people":[],"type":"review","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}