Disney Twisted-Wonderland

artist	Wataru Osakabe ATELIER MUSA

Disney Twisted-Wonderland (ディズニーツイステッドワンダーランド)[1] is a Japanese mobile game created by Aniplex and Walt Disney Japan. Yana Toboso, creator of Black Butler, is in charge of the original plan, main script, and character designs,[2] which are inspired by Disney villains from various franchises. The game was first launched in Japan on March 18, 2020. An English localization was released on January 20, 2022, in the United States and Canada.[3]

Gameplay

The genre of Disney Twisted-Wonderland is described as a "Villains Academy ADV (adventure game)".[4] It is described to have a "basic gameplay system" consisting of three main elements: Lessons, Stories, and Exams.[5]

Twisted-Wonderland operates a gacha game model that allows players to obtain random new characters by spending the in-game currency of Magic Keys, which are obtained through the in-game shop, or Magic Gems.[6] The characters players obtain can be leveled by having them attend "Lessons" and using the items obtained from said lessons.[5] Players can test the strength of their characters through exams, which test specific elements that switch periodically.[6] Players place their characters in battle to score points depending on their team's strength. Players then achieve a rank depending on their point score, with higher ranks giving higher rewards.[5]

A system function was introduced to the Japanese version of the game on May 30, 2022, called the Guest Room.[7] It allows players to freely customize and enjoy the "Guest Room" of the Ramshackle dorm while inviting their favorite characters (of the cards they have) to visit.

Plot

Yuu, whose name can also be chosen by the player, is summoned to another world by a magic mirror and arrives at a magical school, Night Raven College. The school's headmaster gives Yuu an abandoned dorm to stay in while he attempts to find a way for them to go home. Yuu becomes acquainted with the school's top students, each in seven different dormitories (each based on a different Disney villain), while searching for a way home.[8]

Prologue: Welcome to the Villains' world

Yuu (the player) is summoned to another world by a magic mirror and arrives at the magic training school, Night Raven College. Yuu has no recollection of how they were summoned there and is unable to be sent back to their original world. Through the antics of a fire-breathing magic cat monster named Grim, Yuu receives a small demonstration of the abilities some people in this new world possess.

Due to having nowhere else to go, Yuu is forced to stay at Night Raven College and act as an errand boy/janitor until the headmaster, Dire Crowley, can find a way to send them home. Crowley graciously allows them to live in the haunted and run-down dormitory on the edge of campus, now called the Ramshackle Dorm. After fighting some local ghosts and being evaluated by Crowley, Yuu and Grim are allowed to stay in the dorm.

Grim and Yuu encounter Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade, who give them a rundown on the ordering of the school dorms. Due to Grim's antics, an expensive magical chandelier breaks during a fight, resulting in the group being told to leave the school. However, they are told that if they go on a quest to retrieve a replacement mage stone for the chandelier in order to fix their mistake, their ban would be rescinded.

Development

Aniplex announced they were producing the game in collaboration with Walt Disney Japan at Anime Japan 2019.[9] Yana Toboso, the creator of Black Butler, was credited for the concept, scenario, and character designs.[2]

Disney Twisted-Wonderland was officially released for play on Android and iOS in Japan on March 18, 2020.[10][11] The game's opening movie is animated by Troyca and the theme song, "Piece of my world", was performed by Night Ravens.[12]

Reception

Player count and revenue

Japan

In March 2020, Disney Twisted-Wonderland reached 1.5 million downloads upon launch in Japan.[14][15][16] It also became the third most discussed video game on Twitter in 2020.[17][18][19]

Other media

Manga

A manga adaptation, titled Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Comic: Episode of Heartslabyul, written by Wakana Hazuki and illustrated by Sumire Kowono, was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy magazine from March 18, 2021,[29] to October 18, 2022.[30] It was collected in four tankōbon volumes from September 2021 to December 2022. The manga is licensed in English by Viz Media.

A second manga adaptation, titled Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Comic: Episode of Savanaclaw, written and illustrated by Suzuka Oda, was serialized in the same magazine from December 18, 2022,[31] to January 17, 2026.[32]

External links

References

Official english website of Disney Twisted-Wonderland Official english website of Disney Twisted-Wonderland, retrieved 2023-01-16^
Staff Disney: Twisted Wonderland, Aniplex, retrieved 30 November 2021^
Alex Mateo. Disney Twisted-Wonderland Smartphone Game Launches in U.S., Canada on January 20

Book 1: The Rose-Red Tyrant

On the night that the player and Grim are admitted to the school, Ace arrives with a magic-sealing collar on his neck, asking to stay the night. When asked about the situation, Ace replies that he angered his housewarden, Riddle Rosehearts, by eating tarts that were meant for an unknown event, and that as punishment, he was collared. He complains about the long list of rules they must follow in his dorm, most of which seem to be unreasonable. He promises to apologize to his housewarden the next day and heads to the Heartslabyul dormitory.

They help a junior, Cater, paint some white roses red to match the rules of the dorm. He reveals that since they haven't come with an apology tart, a rule they were unaware of, they're still not allowed back in the dorm. They encounter other issues as Ace gets himself in trouble with Riddle once again during lunch and is now stuck with the collar for a longer period. They receive help from another member of the dorm, Trey, a childhood friend of Riddle's and a talented baker. He helps them bake a chestnut apology tart.

The player, Grim, Ace, Deuce, Cater and Trey all help taking the large tart to Riddle, and it's revealed that the party the original tarts Ace ate were meant for was the now-happening unbirthday Party. They present the tart to Riddle, who angrily declares that they've broken rule 562 of the dorm by bringing a chestnut tart to an unbirthday party. Riddle then collars Deuce and Grim as well, and they are once again thrown out of the dorm. Ace decides to challenge Riddle for the position of dorm leader and loses. Riddle's excessive use of magic-blocking collars then causes several of his dorm members to speak out against his harsh punishments.

Out of frustration of people not following the rules of his dorm, Riddle uses too much magic and becomes an Overblot monster, like the one the player encountered in the mines. Crowley explains that this is what happens to mages when they use too much magic, and the leftover waste product, blot, gathers in excess. The player character has to defeat Riddle before he destroys the dorm.

Riddle apologizes for being so uptight about the rules and admits he doesn't really want to follow them himself. They throw a second unbirthday party at Ace's request, and the player, Grim and the Heartslabyul students paint the rest of the white roses red together. Riddle decides not to follow all of the dorm's rules as rigidly as he has been previously.

Book 2: The Usurper from the Wilds

The player learns that a televised inter-dorm tournament for the sport of "Magical Shift" ("Spelldrive" in the English version) will be held at the school. Grim wishes to participate, but the sport requires a team of seven and Ramshackle's dorm only has three. A series of mysterious 'accidents' causing injuries to exceptional players at the sport, including Trey and a near-miss on Riddle, cause the two, along with Ace, Deuce and Cater, to investigate.

They visit Savanaclaw dorm to warn Jack Howl, a skilled Magical Shift player, that he may be a target for an 'accident,' but he refuses help and the group is forced into a round of the sport by the housewarden, Leona Kingscholar, which they lose. That night, Jack realises it's Leona and Ruggie causing the accidents using Ruggie's ability to force people to mirror his own actions. He criticises Leona for his dishonesty. Meanwhile, the player meets a Diasomnia student with horns outside Ramshackle, who leaves without introducing himself. Grim names him 'Hornton'. The next day, the group realises that the injuries are caused by Ruggie's magic. Jack joins the group in confronting him, deciding he wants to help.

At the tournament, Ruggie causes a stampede using his ability in an attempt to remove Malleus Draconia, the Diasomnia housewarden and the most skilled player in Night Raven, from the competition. However, he is caught out using a trick from Cater and the pre-warned Diasomnia students. Leona gives up and refuses to play for his dorm, claiming that him playing is useless if Malleus is involved, as they're bound to lose anyway. Continued taunting of his weak will causes Leona to overblot, and the player and the Heartslabyul students work together to defeat him.

The tournament proceeds as originally planned, with all of the dorms insisting that Savanaclaw still be allowed to participate so they can try and get revenge through the game. The player, Grim, Ace, Deuce, and the Ramshackle Dorm ghosts all play a special exhibition match against Savanaclaw. The tournament is ultimately won by Diasomnia, and the Savanaclaw students resolve to try harder and play fairly next year.

title	Disney Twisted-Wonderland
developer	f4samurai
publisher	JP: Aniplex NA: Aniplex of America
platforms	Android, iOS
released	JP: March 18, 2020 NA: January 20, 2022
genre	Adventure, rhythm
modes	Single-player
designer	Yana Toboso

Disney Twisted-Wonderland

Gameplay

Plot

Prologue: Welcome to the Villains' world

Development

Reception

Player count and revenue

Japan

Other media

Manga

See also

External links

References

Book 1: The Rose-Red Tyrant

Book 2: The Usurper from the Wilds

Book 3: The Merchant from the Depths

Book 4: Schemer of the Scalding Sands

Book 5: A Beautiful Tyrant

Book 6: Watchman Of The Underworld

Book 7: Ruler of the Abyss

International

Japan

International

Awards

Episode of Heartslabyul

Episode of Savanaclaw

Episode of Octavinelle

Episode of Scarabia

Episode of Heartslabyul

Episode of Savanaclaw

Episode of Octavinelle

Episode of Scarabia

Novel

Anime

Season 1: Episode of Heartslabyul

Season 1: Episode of Heartslabyul