# Tears of Themis

Tears of Themis (ToT) is a free-to-play detective otome mobile game developed and published in mainland China by Chinese developer miHoYo, and published globally by its Singapore-based subsidiary HoYoverse. Officially releasing in mainland China in July 2020 for Android and iOS. Later, officially releasing in Taiwan, then world-wide with two separate releases a year later. With the global release, it includes voice overs in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean, as well as text for a variety of languages.

## Gameplay

Tears of Themis has a number of different mechanics. The main story is delivered in a visual novel format. Cases are analyzed through investigation with one or more of the male leads, searching the crime scene for evidence, and interrogating NPCs who are involved. Usually, each chapter ends with a trial in court, in which the player must present evidence which proves their defendant innocent.
During each chapter, debates play out in a card battle format using cards collected from the gacha system. Each card has an attribute which changes what cards it is effective against. The three attributes are Intuition, Logic, and Empathy. Cards can be leveled up to increase attribute stats, refined to increase their influence in battle or have their skill proficiency increased. The cards also gain experience through being used in debates.
The romance side of the gameplay is involved through side stories which explore the characterization of the four male leads. Each of the four male leads has at least one personal story chapter. Cards rated SR, SSR and MR also have a story involving the character displayed on them. Similar to Mystic Messenger, the player also receives voice and text messages from them (framed as if they were sent to the player character in-universe).
Voice acting for the entire game is available in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean in the Global version.

## Story

Tears of Themis takes place in the year 2030, in the fictional city of Stellis. The player takes on the role of a female defense lawyer (whose name can be customized) who works for the Themis Legal Office. She defends her clients in various criminal cases alongside the four male leads and romance interests: Luke Pearce, Artem Wing, Vyn Richter, and Marius Von Hagen. The player character, alongside the four male leads, also joins a secret investigation team dedicated to solving the mystery behind the illegal distribution of a dangerous drug known as NXX. In various side stories, the player can also learn more about each of the main heroine's possible suitors through their own personal character stories known as Blossom Chapters. There are currently 13 chapters released in the Main Story (as of Global Servers).

## Characters

Main Character (Code Name: Rosa): The playable silent protagonist, a 24-year-old female attorney at Themis Legal Office. She is studying for her advancement exam, later taking on cases that eventually revolve around the NXX drug. She is Luke Pearce's childhood friend, and Artem Wing's partner and junior, though she is later recruited by Artem and Vyn Richter as a potential member of their secret investigation team. The MC's colour is pink and her chosen code name in the secret investigation team is Rosa.
Luke Pearce (Chinese: 夏彦; Japanese: 水無瀬夏彦; Korean: 강혁; Code Name: Raven) "There are cases I can't crack... such as you."
A private detective who owns his own antique store called Time Antique's as a front for his private investigation business, Pearce Private Investigations. Luke and the MC are childhood friends. Luke left eight years before the start of the main story, after his early acceptance to the prestigious National Central University. Later he was recruited into a closed confidential national project, which included no contact with the outside world. They are reunited by coincidence during an investigation. Luke's colour is orange and his code name in the secret investigation team is Raven.
Artem Wing (Chinese: 左然; Japanese: 左京静真; Korean: 백은후; Code Name: Libra): "You are one comprehensive lexicon that I'd dedicate my life to study."
A senior attorney at Themis Legal Office. He graduated from Stellis University with a Doctorate in Law at the age of 25. Over the course of his career, Artem is the youngest senior attorney and a legend among the industry, as well as being the MC's partner and mentor in the Law Firm. With his expansive general knowledge, he has a winning track record currently at 99%. Artem's colour is red and his code name in the secret investigation team is Libra.
Vyn Richter (Chinese: 莫弈; Japanese: 森月黎; Korean: 윤노아; Code Name: Adjudicator): "Do not be afraid. I only wish to know your heart."
A well-known psychiatrist who is the founder and Chief Researcher of Giannovyn Mental Health Research Center, and frequent visiting professor for Stellis University. Vyn currently holds both a doctorate degree in psychology and pedagogy. After moving into the city of Stellis, he devoted his time into the study of criminal psychology, publishing several papers. His past is not known to many. Vyn's colour is green and his code name in the secret investigation team is Adjudicator.
Marius Von Hagen (Chinese: 陆景和; Japanese: 和泉景; Korean: 유신우; Code Name: King): "Calling you "Miss" doesn't mean there's only cold, hard business between us."
The heir to his family international cooperation, Pax Group. Originally, his brother Giann Von Hagen was next in line, but later reassigned to a different branch and went missing. Outside his role of acting CEO, Marius is skilled in arts. Graduating with honors in the Florence College of Art, he is able to be himself without the attention of the media. He later returns to Stellis to continue his post-graduate studies in art and history alongside his duties at Pax. Marius's colour is purple and his code name in the secret investigation team is King.

## Development

The worldwide version of the game was in a closed beta period from April to May 2021. A pre-registration period began in June 2021, which gave those who registered early free rewards in game. Over 650,000 players pre-registered. There was a second pre-release campaign counting the number of Twitter followers on the official account, which also gave in-game rewards. It has won the 2022 Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award.