Da Capo III (〜ダ・カーポ III〜, Da Kāpo III?, abbreviated as D.C. III) is a Japanese visual novel developed by Circus that was released in limited and regular editions on April 27, 2012 as a DVD playable on a Windows PC and is rated for ages 15 and up. An adult version of the game titled Da Capo III R: X-rated will be released on April 26, 2013 for Windows. It is the third main installment of the Da Capo visual novel franchise, after Da Capo and Da Capo II. The gameplay in Da Capo III follows a branching plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the five female main characters. An anime adaptation will begin airing in January 2013.
Da Capo III is a romance visual novel in which the player assumes the role of Kiyotaka Yoshino. Its gameplay requires little player interaction as much of the game's duration is spent on reading the text that appears on the screen, which represents the story's narrative and dialogue. Da Capo III follows a branching plot line with multiple endings, and depending on the decisions that the player makes during the game, the plot will progress in a specific direction. There are five main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. Every so often, the player will come to a point where he or she is given the chance to choose from multiple options. Text progression pauses at these points until a choice is made. To view all plot lines in their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different choices to further the plot to an alternate direction.