Trap Genesis Review – Stuck in its Own Trappings

Trap Genesis is the latest game in the Trap/Jyousou Series, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2021. I know that might have been more information than you needed to know about this title, but I found it interesting. This kinetic novel continues the story of the previous two entries, Trap Shrine and Trap Legend, while also giving some nods to ones released in Japan, such as Tomgirls of the Mountains.

In the previous games, the priest Masato has grown his harem to include Mishiro, Subaru, Tamaki, and Yui. Now Hinowa, who has accompanied their story since Trap Shrine, has become the Chaos Goddess. Besides her newfound powers and grown-up appearance, she has become a calamity to be reckoned with.

The group is now in a pinch, having to work out a way to face this goddess. There’s only one way this could end up, though. Masato will have to work his charm to add Hinowa to his harem as well. At the same time, he’ll also give attention to his other wives, who just happen to have male reproductive organs.

The situation may sound a little dire at first, but Hinowa’s personality is still clumsy. Most of the story is lighthearted as the group has to deal with the Chaos Goddess’ shenanigans and the upcoming festival preparations. However, the plot feels more like an excuse for newfound conflict, and the details are cliché.

It also doesn’t do a proper job of discussing the LGBTQ+ side of the narrative. Though considering its use of the term “trap” in the title and the dialogues, this is probably not part of the expectations. Nevertheless, it’s still a shame the story casually throws topics such as pregnancy or prophetic mentions to heteronormality.

There are multiple typing mistakes, and the wording can sometimes be a little confusing or contradictory. As the novel itself is pretty short, these details are egregious. Playing the all-ages version instead of using the 18+ patch makes things worse as the gaps are easy to notice, and the sex scenes are the actual meat of the game.

While the story may be weak, the natural charm of Trap Genesis is its character designs. They all look cute, with Hinowa’s new dark form probably being the best-looking one out of them. Her costume even shows a lot of skin using only a few ribbons to keep itself in place. The rest of the harem also has enough screen time showing how they’re working together for the sake of Masato.

Backgrounds are also really detailed, and there are some chibi illustrations here and there, which is fitting to the generally upbeat tone. Nothing particularly stands out in the soundtrack, but the voice actresses offer good performances that bring the characters to life.

Trap Genesis is a forgettable and bland experience of making peace and love with a Chaos Goddess. This is an excellent way to revisit the world and celebrate the franchise’s anniversary for people who are already fans of the previous games. But for anyone else, this is not the game that should change their minds about giving the series a try.