THE BLACK THING
Befriend a strange monster
Free · Designed for iPad
THE BLACK THING is a text-heavy visual novel told through beautiful, haunting animations and deep conversations.
You will spend 14 days befriending Dot, a lonely monster born from the Dark Side of the Moon.
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One day, a small, black, misshapen creature settles into the corner of your bookshelf and makes it its shelter. It calls itself Dot.
It tells you unbelievable stories about the Dream Factory on the Dark Side of the Moon.
About how it bubbled awake in a giant lake of discarded nightmares.
About how, from that moment on, it grew ashamed of its pitch-black body and began to long to become a human’s dream.
As part of its journey—and out of a strange, earnest love for humans—Dot goes out every morning to observe a human life and try to make sense of what it sees. It witnesses people who ache for love, people hollowed out by emptiness, and people who run from pain in whatever way they can.
It will then return to you with questions it can’t answer alone.
It will then come home to you with questions and emotions it can’t carry alone.
Twice per chapter, you will sit together through long, intimate conversations, and in your own way, help Dot put names to what it felt.
In time, these separate chapters will start to braid into one larger arc: Dot’s journey toward becoming a human’a dream, and the relationship you forge with it along the way.
Dot will become your special friend.
Through that friendship, you may begin to realize what it truly means to be human.
Even if what you find is vivid despair… and the smallest sliver of hope left in the dark.
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THE BLACK THING Features...
• A 14-day narrative experience told through long-form dialogue and cutscene animations
• A linear, carefully crafted story designed for slow reading and reflection
• Two core conversations per chapter, exploring each theme and its deeper essence
• 56 optional sub-dialogues (4 per chapter) for ideas the main story can’t fully hold
• Poetry readings with Dot at the end of each chapter
• Peek into Dot’s journal as its inner logic and feelings evolve
• A nightly Moon Transmitter system to tune in to voices from the moon
• An original soundtrack and hand-drawn animations with a bold, distinctive style
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Content Warning
The Black Thing contains scenes and dialogue that may be emotionally distressing.
Themes like familial language abuse, death, self-hatred, and suicide are included in the narrative.
These elements are essential to the story and are handled with seriousness and care. They are never presented lightly, glamorized, or used for shock value.
Please take care while playing.
Ratings & Reviews
This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
ver 104
* Added video playback controls for cutsene animations. The game now supports pause, rewind, and fast-forward (±5s).
The developer, JU LEE, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- JU LEE
- Size
- 1 GB
- Category
- Adventure
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 12.0 or later. - iPod touch
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
16+
- 16+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Moonstew Games