Raising sims aren’t a genre I’ve partaken in, partially because so many of them are geared towards a sort of father, daughter vibe that doesn’t quite fit me. Raising a mech pilot, however, seems like something a bit more my speed, so you won’t be surprised to hear of my interest in Valkyrie Iteration: Mecha Pilot Raising Pocket Simulator, a visual novel with a name that seems to do what it says in the tin.

In Valkyrie Iteration (of course I’m not writing the title out in full every time), you are a technomaster, which in this case sounds like a handler from Armored Core over a sonically proficient beat producing aficionado. You have been put in charge of training Lana alongside her sentient mech, the titular Valkyrie. Except, ruh roh! “The Valkyrie’s power threatens to consume her very essence.” Classic mech stuff, right there.

There’s a lot to balance in Valkyrie Iteration. For one, you have to plan Lana’s daily schedule, like whether she’s training, resting, or just having a chat, all of which helps to develop her skills, mental health, and bond with her mech. You also have to keep her synchronization and strength in check in case she gets too fatigued or flat out depressed in order to make sure she’s ready to head out on missions.

The story sounds like your usual sci-fi, mecha affair. In a far flung future, some strange, law of nature defying, alternate dimension beings called Phantoms rock up and start attacking us humans. In turn, humans decided there was no other option to build mechs (right they are), which are the Valkyries, all of which come complete with their own soul. You can feel the Evangelion influence oozing here, a series that has its own history with raising sims.

It all looks quite neat, and there’s a demo to have a go at too if you fancy, which you can check out on Steam (or just give it a wishlist if you’re strapped for time).