STEINS;GATE
STEINS;GATE is a science fiction story about time travel, friendship and decisions. In the visual novel, messages on Rintaro Okabe's mobile phone change the course of the story and lead to six possible endings. The original came out in 2009 for Xbox 360 and later for PC, PlayStation and mobile devices.
- Developer
- 5pb., MAGES, Nitroplus
- Publisher
- Nitroplus, Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
- Genre
- Visual Novel
- Game modes
- Singleplayer
- Game series
- Science Adventure
- Also known as
- STEINS GATE, シュタインズ・ゲート
- Steam user reviews
- 97 % positive · 27,122 reviews
- At Steam
- View store page
On this page 19 sections
What is STEINS;GATE?
STEINS;GATE is a science fiction visual novel by 5pb. and Nitroplus. In Akihabara, a group around Rintaro Okabe discovers that messages can be sent into the past. Every change can affect the present and the fate of his friends.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
- STEINS;GATE – offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Release
Released Oct 15, 2009, first for Xbox 360 in Japan. The Windows version followed on Aug 26, 2010. PSP, iOS and Android got standalone versions in 2011, PS3 followed in 2012 and PS Vita in 2013. Since September 2016, the game has also been available on Steam. The release in the West was in some cases much later.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
- MAGES: Mobile-Versionen game.mages.co.jp
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Platforms
The original STEINS;GATE came out for Xbox 360, PC, PSP, PS3, PS Vita, iOS and Android. On iPhone and iPad, the mobile version uses a variant of the Phone Trigger system adapted for touch controls. STEINS;GATE ELITE, STEINS;GATE 0 and STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT are separate games or reinterpretations. Backward compatibility on newer consoles is not a standalone native release.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- MAGES: iOS und Android game.mages.co.jp
- Offizielle japanische Website steinsgate.jp
Gameplay
You read conversations, watch scenes and decide which messages Okabe replies to. The so-called Phone Trigger system changes the story at key moments. It replaces ordinary dialogue menus with handling Okabe's mobile phone.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Trailer
DLCs and expansions
STEINS;GATE 0 tells a different course of events. STEINS;GATE ELITE retells the story with animated scenes. STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is another standalone reworking. These games are not expansions that you need in order to play through the original story.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- STEINS;GATE – offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
- Steam store.steampowered.com
System requirements
According to the store, the Steam version requires at least a Core i3 of the Sandy Bridge generation, 4 GB RAM, an Intel HD graphics unit with 1 GB of assigned memory and 13 GB of free storage. The minimum resolution is 1280 × 720 pixels. For the recommended configuration, Steam lists a Core i5 of the Ivy Bridge generation and a GeForce graphics card with at least 1 GB of video memory.
The details apply to PC.
Minimum
- Operating system
- Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10
- Processor
- Intel Core i3 (Sandy Bridge) or equivalent
- RAM
- 4 GB RAM
- Graphics
- Intel HD Graphics with 1 GB allocated graphics memory
- Storage
- 13 GB
Recommended
- Processor
- Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) or equivalent
- RAM
- 4 GB RAM
- Graphics
- GeForce with at least 1 GB graphics memory
- Auflösung
- 1920 × 1080 pixels
Editorial details
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Time travel and conspiracy in Akihabara
Rintaro Okabe and his friends run an improvised lab in Akihabara. An unexpected effect of their experiments changes the timeline. Soon they fall into the sphere of a powerful organisation and must decide which consequences of their interference they can bear.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Okabe, Kurisu and the lab group
At the centre is self-proclaimed scientist Rintaro Okabe. His decisions affect, among others, Makise Kurisu, Mayuri Shiina and the other members of the Future Gadget Laboratory. The characters' relationships shape the course of the story and the possible endings.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
- STEINS;GATE – offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
Branches and six endings
The story has six different endings. Not a combat system, but decisions about how you handle messages shape the course of events. Several playthroughs are worthwhile to see the different story branches.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
Language, voices and subtitles
Steam offers English and Japanese on-screen text, as well as Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The characters speak Japanese. A German text version is not among the languages offered on Steam.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Steam store.steampowered.com
Single player and Steam features
STEINS;GATE is a single-player game only. The Steam version offers achievements, cloud saves and Remote Play on phone and tablet. The focus is on long dialogue passages, illustrations and choices rather than reflex combat.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Steam store.steampowered.com
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
Length and storytelling
The story stretches over many hours of reading. The English publisher JAST USA describes over 30 hours of story and several routes. Character portraits, background images and Japanese voice acting carry the presentation, while choosing individual messages decides later scenes.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- Offizielle englische Spielwebsite steins-gate.com
Telling apart Original, ELITE and RE:BOOT
The 2009 original tells the story as a classic visual novel. STEINS;GATE ELITE uses animated material for the story. STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT reworks the original game again and is not the same as the 2016 Steam version.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- STEINS;GATE – offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
- Steam store.steampowered.com
D-Mails change the timeline
D-Mails are messages that can be sent into the past using the PhoneWave. Such a message is at most 36 bytes. Whether and how it is received can change later events. The technology becomes the starting point of the story.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- JAST USA: D-Mail steins-gate.com
How Time Leap works
In a Time Leap, memories are digitised and sent via the PhoneWave into the earlier brain of the same person. This only works if the PhoneWave already existed and the person owns a mobile phone at the target time. This lets characters experience earlier decisions with new knowledge.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- JAST USA: Time Leap steins-gate.com
Similar games
More from MAGES and Nitroplus
Game series
STEINS;GATE is the second main title in the Science Adventure series. The story was created at 5pb. and Nitroplus and was later adapted into anime, manga and other games. The original visual novel stands on its own and is the starting point for the other STEINS;GATE releases.
Updated 28.10.2026
Sources
- STEINS;GATE – offizielle japanische Spielwebsite steinsgate.jp
- Steam store.steampowered.com
