Guide a new age of magic, whatever the cost, as a master arcanist and leader of a burgeoning wizard academy
Golyron, The Planar Danse (April 14, 2025) – Cooperative creative studio The Planar Danse is delighted to announce the launch ofThe Fool’s Apprentice, available on Windows PC via Steam. In this spellbinding school management sim, you’ll nurture would-be wizards and develop the school into a prestigious institute of arcane sciences! Academies that sacrifice their students can still be prestigious, right?
Watch The Fool’s Apprentice launch trailer:
As a master arcanist, key choices about the setup of your school are all under your wizened purview, even including what your school looks like. Research long-forgotten powers, set a curriculum for apprentices of arcanoscience to follow and cast a few spells on them along the way (including levitation, mind control, polymorph, and disintegration) all in the name of furthering their studies.
As your academy’s reputation grows, so too will your prestige, your power, and the potential weight of your decisions. Opt to bring magic to the people of Golyron and win their love and affection, or keep it all for yourself and risk the population running riot. Don’t worry about them getting too boisterous, however, as you can perform a few abductions and run increasingly risky experiments on these unruly citizens. Again, this is just about developing the sciences!
Among the discoveries and dilemmas, you could find yourself involved in Golyron’s diplomacy, encouraged to placate incompetent noblepeople, manage resources, and side with different factions. Decisions you make about your school will lead to real reactions – being imprisoned for arcane malpractice is the least of your worries!
Key Features of The Fool’s Apprentice:
Spell-Slinging Studies: Educate hapless apprentices by directing their studies, managing their magical skills, and using them, in turn, to research new arcane sciences!
Designs and Dilemmas: Make your academy truly yours through cosmetic and eldritch decorations, workstation upgrades, and by solving narrative Dilemmas. Each will react to your choices and shape the future of magic!
Can You Meet Golryon’s Demands? Your background does not make you immune from the demands of the city’s ruling class or its spell-less paupers, you’ll need to fend off (or fulfill) requests for resources, such as choosing guilds to side with, being forced to take in a nobleman’s inept child, or managing for which side in a war to craft magical weapons!
Magic for All! (Or Just a Privileged Few): Captivate the citizens of Golryon by bringing the arcane sciences to the people. Or, run the risk of riot by keeping it all to yourself.
The Fool’s Apprentice is now available on Windows PC via Steam for $16.99 USD, £13.99 GBP, and €15,99 Euros. A launch discount of 10% is available for one week.
About The Planar Danse
The Planar Danse is a cooperative creative studio built on the premise of developing expansive worlds, providing value to players, and creating job security for developers instead of bottom line profit.
The Planar Danse is the developers’ fantasy universe of the same name and comprises both games and novels, with more than 1.5 million words written within them so far. In addition to the wizard school management sim The Fool’s Apprentice, three previously released games and novels are available, all connected to the setting, with more planned for the future!
Journey deeper into the sketchy madness of this terrifying cartoon nightmare with the retail edition from Silver Lining Interactive
Macclesfield, UK – 14th April, 2025 – Silver Lining Interactive, along with Joey Drew Studios, are looking to make this official Bendy Day one to remember with the announcement of Bendy and the Ink Machine’s upcoming digital release onto Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5! Coming at the end of Q2 2025, players will be able to descend into the inky abyss on both digital platforms with the added option of a physical format for PlayStation 5 players (if you dare to let it into your collection!)
The boxed edition of Bendy and the Ink Machine brings the spine-chilling, retro-cartoon horror experience off the screen and into your hands, perfect for fans of fright, collectors of chaos, and those brave enough to face the Ink Demon in person.
Set within an abandoned 1930s animation studio, Bendy and the Ink Machine draws players into a disturbing tale of forgotten characters, haunted reels, and living ink. It’s a first-person puzzle-action-horror adventure soaked in atmosphere, built to unnerve with every step… and now it’s coming to your favorite console in glorious physical form.
The retail edition includes a download code for the game’s haunting original soundtrack, letting players immerse themselves even further in the eerie ambiance of Joey Drew Studios, where every note hides a dark secret.
Whether you’re a seasoned horror veteran or just starting to unravel the mysteries behind the ink, the physical edition is your key to the workshop’s darkest corners.
Pre-orders are live now, exclusively atSilver Lining Direct, so don’t miss your chance to own a piece of the horror.
Welcome Back to the Workshop
Once the lead animator during Joey Drew Studios’ golden age, Henry thought his days drawing cartoons were long behind him. But decades later, a cryptic invitation pulls him back to the dilapidated studio… and into a twisted world of living ink, broken memories, and something that should’ve stayed forgotten.
Step into Henry’s shoes as he explores the ruined halls of a once-beloved animation empire now overrun with nightmares. Every corner hides a secret. Every hallway echoes with something unnatural. And Bendy… well, Bendy’s waiting.
Key Features
A Haunted Cartoon Hellscape – Ink drips from the ceilings. Walls groan with memories. This isn’t the studio you remember. Discover a richly drawn world oozing with dread and discover the disturbing secrets behind its smiling mascot.
Puzzle, Action… Terror – Balance exploration, clever puzzle-solving, and terrifying chase sequences in a game that constantly shifts under your feet. You’ll need your wits and your courage to survive.
A Soundtrack from the Shadows – This physical release includes a code to download the game’s chilling score, composed to echo through your nightmares long after the game ends.
You’re Never Alone – Friends? Enemies? In this place, they often wear the same face. Watch your back, and the walls!
Ready to relive the nightmare? Pre-order your physical copy of Bendy and the Ink Machine for PlayStation 5 now at Silver Lining Direct and digitally via the PlayStation and Xbox stores.
About Silver Lining Interactive
Silver Lining Interactive is a brand new independent game publisher based in the North of England. Founded by a team of seasoned professionals for two decades, this studio has been a cornerstone of the indie game scene. With a passion for fostering creative talent and great games, Silver Lining Interactive is committed to bringing innovative, high-quality games to players worldwide, physically and digitally.
About Joey Drew Studios Joey Drew Studios Inc. is a video game developer and the studio behind the global phenomenon that is Bendy®. Pairing dark themes with humorous twists, Joey Drew Studios is known for its unique and atmospheric gaming experiences through the use of inventive original characters, passionately crafted worlds, and innovative storytelling.
If someone had said that the Lunar series would be getting a remastered release, many JRPG fans, even those that remember and played even one of them back when they originally released, likely wouldn’t believe it. Originally released on the Sega CD of all things, Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar: Eternal Blue were impressive RPGs at the time doomed to a struggling platform. It was only until they arrived on the PlayStation 1 as “Complete” versions and made a splash thanks to their animated cutscenes that had accompanying voice work and impressive production at the time, that many remember these classics. Then, outside of a DS prequel many years later and a handful of remakes of the first game, the series vanished. That is until now with the Lunar Remastered Collection bringing the “Complete” version of both titles with various improvements to modern day audiences. With more than a handful of improvements but some lingering elements that even I remember from their PlayStation release, is this a successful remaster of a pair of classic JRPGs?
Story
Lunar: The Silver Star follows the journey of Alex, a young adventurer who has always had a flying cat-like companion at his side by the name of Nall, who dreams of being just like the legendary Dragonmaster Dyne. When a chance to follow in Dyne’s footsteps arrives, Alex sets forth from the village of Burg with his childhood friends Luna, whose singing has the mysterious power to heal, and Ramus. Along the way they gather an eclectic group of allies ranging from ranging from a perverted bandit to one of the best cleric archetypes a player could ask for in the form of Jessica, uncover mysteries that were once thought lost and even reveal a plot to destroy the world that only they can put a stop to.
Onto Lunar: Eternal Blue, the story picks up a thousand years after the events from the original game and follows the story of Hiro, a risk-taking adventurer who also is always accompanied by a possessive and jealous flying cat capable of breathing fire named Ruby who finds himself rescuing Lucia, a blue-haired woman claiming to be from the Blue Star itself with a mission to stop the evil force Zophar wit the help of the goddess Althena. With a missguided army hunting Lucia as a “destroyer” and her supernatural powers drained by a powerful curse, it’ll be up to Hiro to help Lucia uncover the possible truth and save the world once more. They too are joined by a fallen cleric turned drunken gambler, a deadly dancer, and others.
Now one element that the Lunar franchise has always embraced is simplicity in its storytelling but this was hardly a bad thing back in the day nor is it necessarily bad now. There are still a handful of twists and evil turns throughout both games’ stories, moreso in Eternal Blue as it is the slightly more complex and varied story between the two games, but these games were written back before many of these “tropes” were even seen as a thing and being able to experience them again, or perhaps for a first time for those who never had the ability to enjoy the originals, is something of a breath of fresh air. It is also with noting that alongside the main storyline the romantic aspect laced throughout the Lunar games is one of their signature elements and this once again is held true in both, though similarly it can be said that Eternal Blue’s character developments, especially with Lucia coming to grips with what it means to be human, is incredibly endearing. Combine that with a wonderful collection of characters that make up the players’ ragtag party in both games and this is the type of stuff that defines a classic JRPG, even if they may seem a bit simple overall.
GungHo has worked with the Lunar series before, having handled the PSP port of Lunar: The Silver Star in 2009, so someone on the team must have known just how important, for better or worse, a certain companies’ original localization was to crafting these games’ identities in the West. Working Designs was the original localizer for both Lunar titles back in the ’90s and were notorious for working in their own jokes, pop culture references, and even completely off-the-wall remarks into games. Ironically, this was something that gave the Lunar games their identity in the West and GungHo has used these scripts as a basis, mostly going through both titles with only a few changes here and there. Obviously dated pop culture jokes or references to Presidents have been taken out and probably reverted back to their original meaning but thankfully other elements remain the same. This works wonders for fans of the longtime games and does help preserve the identity of the titles and the colorful character interactions, though newcomers won’t notice these changes.
Gameplay
With Lunar Remastered Collection both games are fairly traditional JRPGs when it comes to gameplay, though since both versions are based off of the “Complete” versions released on the PlayStation and not the Sega CD players don’t have to worry about random encounters. Instead, players will roam around the 2D pixel world, towns, and dungeons with enemies only appearing in dungeons. These enemies can be seen and players can either attempt to avoid them if they wish or simply run right into them to trigger a fight. Combat is a turn-based affair with players selecting all of their parties actions beforehand, be it a basic attack, skill/magic, using an item, or defending and then having the moves play out depending on speed stats.
There are a few interesting elements to both games’ combat that make it a bit unique for an RPG developed at the time. Both games feature combat where characters will move towards each other to attack with a physical blow, meaning a character or enemy might waste a turn entirely if they have to move too far out of reach targeting a foe. This also means that various skills that have “Aoe” effects like hitting enemies in a line or circle can mean targeting proper foes to hit as many as possible. Another aspect is the fact that every boss and even many smaller foes have different battle stance animations that vary depending on what they are about to do. An enemy standing normally will likely just dish out a normal attack but if it changes into a new pose, it is likely about to unleash a powerful skill, giving players a chance to respond by either defending or debuffing the enemy.
One of the added features in the Lunar Remastered Collection is the ability to have the characters automatically fight and, depending on the game, there will be certain parameters players can set, such as only attack, only use certain skills, etc. This can speed up normal fights but perhaps the best way to speed things up is quite literally. As is common now with remasters, Lunar Remastered Collection also allows players to double or triple the battle speed, making all of the action play out much faster and makes grinding through simple fights a breeze. It is worth noting that if a character says something while using a spell or an ability, this won’t be sped up, meaning some skills will still take a bit of time to unleash.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes, and one that wasn’t made in my last review of a pair of remastered games, is the reworked inventory system. Characters no longer have a limited inventory space nor do they need to be holding the item to use it in combat, instead players will have the ability to use any item and hold as much as they want as well, making equipping gear and using items a far easier time compared to the original release. Speaking of which, a number of changes that Working Designs made to the original game’s treasure chest contents, skill values, and other elements that surprisingly made the game harder have been reverted to their original state, making many harder elements easier as well, though it is worth noting that outside of some specific boss fights and secrets in Lunar: EternalBlue, most of these titles aren’t very difficult.
It is interesting to note that players can, if they so choose, either play the remastered versions of these games or the classic version at the start menu, though it appears the only notable differences are the graphical improvements made and the other quality of life features. Those who want to experience the original version as much as possible can do so simply by going back to the main menu since the save file, of which players can save at any time, is compatible for both the original and remastered versions for each game.
Audio & Visuals
The visual upgrade for Lunar Remastered Collection is a lighter touch than some might expect but it works well in this regard as both games have seen some notable cleaning up of their sprites and artwork, especially in the case of the anime cutscenes that play from time to time as these look as crisp as possible. Enemy sprites and backgrounds have been handled well all while making sure to keep the game nice and colorful looking without making anything too blurry. It also is worth noting that the Remastered version of the game allows players to play in wide-screen compared to the Classic mode, and as mentioned before there really isn’t a need to select this mode other than having it as an option.
One thing that has been completely reworked is the English voice acting as none of the original voice work has been retained. This is unfortunately something of a mixed bag as some of the new English voice actors aren’t the best fit for some of the characters and sound quite stilted during the limited voice time they do have. Thankfully, most of the important characters including Luna handle their roles well enough, including Luna’s singing. Those who want to avoid this English dub issue can choose to have the Japanese voice work instead. The soundtrack remains the same as it was in the original release, only slightly cleaned up sounding which is excellent as the background music and songs from the original versions still sound great today.
Overall
The Lunar Remastered Collection may not be quite as expansive of a remaster as one would hope for games originating from the early ’90s but by respecting the original translation work that longtime fans are nostalgic for all while making sure to add just enough quality of life improvements and speed things up does wonders for these classics. Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue embody the fun and colorful fantasy JRPGs from the 90s and there is a reason that even now they are remembered fondly and that is thanks to just how charming the cast of characters are and how endearing the storyline is despite its simplicity.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Fresh gameplay, new rewards, and REAL GOLD up for grabs!
Shanghai, China — April 14, 2025| Torchlight: Infinite has officially revealed its upcoming season, Sandlord, which will launch April 17 at 7:00 PM PDT. In a season preview streamed by the devs, season eight is themed around building wealth and managing floating empires in the desert skies. Sandlord brings players a bold new way to play—with a fusion of economic strategy and high-octane combat.
This season, players will step into the role of a skybound magnate, developing their own Cloud Oasis—a floating stronghold of commerce and conquest. The Sandlord seasonal mechanic introduces economic gameplay, with resource trading, production optimisation, and the recruitment of workers across five professions. Construct, manage and upgrade buildings in a city in the skies.
The season also sees Torchlight’s hero Thea return with a dark new trait. Forsaking her divine gifts, she embraces Desecration—a powerful, scaling curse that intensifies Erosion Damage the weaker her blessings become. Eventually, Desecration can be evolved into a devastating force through trait point choices—scaling off missing HP and capable of chain explosions or AoE effects based on your build. For players who love damage-over-time builds and explosive synergy, Blasphemer delivers something truly unique.
A complete overhaul of Deep Space adds five new high-challenge stages with larger maps, higher density, and tougher survival conditions. Plus a new modifier system, Probes, allows players to boost drop rates while raising enemy toughness—offering high-risk, high-reward loot opportunities. Different Probe types exist, some with chances for Easter egg events, like the Compass Deep Space Probe, potentially spawning Plane Watcher Treasure Chests full of Compasses.
Players will also gain access to the new Blending System, which allows powerful Hero Traits, Talent nodes, and unique affixes to be crafted onto belts—unlocking deeper build possibilities than ever before. As well as this, players will face a deadly new endgame threat: Night Slayer – The Wilting Plume. This fearsome new boss enters both the Plane Watcher rotation and Supreme Showdown’s 20th floor.
The sky is the limit with new content for SS8, and players can expect to discover even more with Torchlight: Infinite’s second anniversary event – Sands of Fortune. Running from April 17 at 7:00 PM (PDT) until May 1 at 7:00 PM (PDT), the event will challenge players to complete in-game tasks, earn Gold Rush Attempts, and use them for a chance to win from a prize pool valued at $250,000 USD!
To participate in the event, visit the Torchlight website and locate the event page, where each account can make up to 30 attempts to win (terms and conditions apply). Sandlord launches April 17 at 7:00 PM PDT.
XD Games
Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users.
XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
In Shotgun Cop Man, a hellish new ballistic platformer from My Friend Pedro creator DeadToast Entertainment and Devolver Digital, you’ll take on the role of the titular lead-slingin’ lawman, descending into the underworld to raise Hell in Hell.
Your mission? Arrest Satan.
And you won’t have to wait long to slap the cuffs on the big red dude, because Shotgun Cop Man will be released on Switch and PC on May 1st.
Enjoy red hot, fast-paced precision platforming, using your weapons to both slay demons and traverse the environment. Your guns will let you jump, launch, and propel yourself through chaotic trap-laden levels, smiting evil as you go.
Take on a hand-crafted campaign, with bonus No Damage and Speedrun modes for the truly hardcore, or dive into user-generated levels for endless replayability.
You can experience the demonic delights of Shotgun Cop Man for yourself next month when the game launches on PC and Switch on May 1st priced $9.99.
If you can’t wait that long, check out the demo on Steam RIGHT NOW.
Hololive star pauses livestream to take up her sword and save the multiverse
TOKYO — 14 April, 2025 —FUBUKI ～zero in on Holoearth～, the pixelated action platformer starring characters from an alternate universe inspired by the 80-million follower YouTube sensation Hololive, developed by Peposoft and published by Phoenixx Inc., launches into an inter-dimensional adventure on PC via Steam today for $13.99. Players can enjoy a 15% off discount to celebrate the release until Wednesday, 26 April, at 10 AM PDT.
Dive into a beautifully animated and pixelated version of Holoearth, where Hololive members explore infinite realities and possibilities across the multiverse. Shirakami Fubuki, an animal-eared otaku fox girl (and streamer!), is in the middle of a livestream when the unthinkable happens: mysterious portals start popping up all over town, unleashing a demonic infestation upon her home.
With monsters taking over the Japan-esque land of Yamato and throwing the multiverse into chaos, it’s up to Fubuki to wield her magical sword Murasamemaru, summons, and special skills to traverse the dark gates and investigate the source of evil.
Take down hordes of monsters with ground and aerial combos, using the stage as an agility course to leap up walls and gain the high ground. Dash through a high-rise metropolis, a flashy casino, and more, collecting tea leaves along the way to exchange for items at Mizore’s shop.
Defeat massive bosses with the power of friendship: collect “Oruyanke” minions–Fubuki’s trusty bamboo shoots featuring her tail and ears–in each stage to summon in battle, and join forces with fellow Hololive member Ookami Mio’s mascot, “Hatotaurus,” to pack a heavy punch. Purify other Hololive members affected by the corruption in battle and add their weapons to Fubuki’s arsenal, including Houshou Marine’s pirate pistol.
Peposoft is a game producer and composer with contributions to the teams behind renowned titles like Blade Chimera, DRAINUS, NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD, Radiant Silvergun, among many others
About Phoenixx
Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.
TOKYO — April 13, 2025 —Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis, the psychological rhythm adventure from publisher Alliance Arts and developer WHO YOU, battles brainrot on PC via Steam on Monday, October 20, 2025, as announced during INDIE Live Expo.
The pressures of daily life have turned protagonist Qtie into a recluse with a preference for parasocial interactions over anything face-to-face. Dissociate from reality to the tune of dangerously catchy, mind-altering denpa music, and navigate the hallucination-induced horrors of a long-distance love story with Yunyun — a person who may or may not exist.
Tap buttons on beat to proclaim Qtie’s love from the digital rooftops, spreading Yunyun Syndrome to all of Qtie’s followers. Type out love notes, sweet nothings (<3), and daily reminders of her affection to boost her social following… and pester those toxic Yunyun haters with her unashamed adoration. They’re the toxic ones, not you!
Overdose on more than 30 hypnotic denpa songs, including artist KOTOKO’s “sakuranbokissu~bakuhatsudamo~n~,” “Nee,…shiyou yo!,” “Mighty Heart ~Aru Hi no Kenka, Itsumo no Koigokoro~”, and many more.
Will Qtie’s anonymous online posting efforts prove valiant, resulting in a dream romance? Or will unrequited affections lead down a sinister, revenge-fueled path? All is fair in love and war — buckle up for a branching rhythmic narrative adventure where happily ever after, the destruction of the internet, and humanity’s annihilation are all a mere mouse-click away.
Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis will arrive on PC via Steam in 2024 with support for English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese language options. To learn more and stay up to date, wishlist Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis, and visit Alliance Arts’ official website and follow them on X / Twitter.
About Alliance Arts Inc.
Alliance Arts is a new Tokyo-based publishing company committed to the creation of captivating games, and behind titles including The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily, Touhou Dungeon Maker: The labyrinth of heart, and Marisa of Liartop Mountain.
Steam sale now live for games featured in the show
TOKYO – April 13, 2025 –INDIE Live Expo, the biannual live digital event connecting indie game fans all over the world with more than 100 million views since debuting in 2020, showcased world premieres, new trailers, and content updates across more than 100 games during its first 2025 event over this past weekend.
During this year’s inaugural East-meets-West showcase livestreamed in multiple languages, developers and publishers from around the globe took center stage. Dreamotion Inc. brought viewers to heaven and back following a dog’s supernatural journey to find his owner in My Little Puppy, whichtippy-taps onto PC via Steam in the second half of 2025.
Kodansha Creators’ Lab, the indie game publishing branch of famed manga and book publisher Kodansha, revealed release dates for two upcoming games:
Developer Jii-ma’s hamster-starring, cute-yet-catastrophic defense shooter MOCHI-O launches on PC via Steam, iOS, and Android in 2025
Fantasy ARPG Rise of Rebellion, developed by Team 疾鷹, studies the blade with precise, punishing combat on PC via Steam Tuesday, April 22, 2025
During the INDIE Spotlight segment, emcees Kaori Horiuchi, J-mon, and HighGai went hands-on with a handful of highly anticipated titles:
HYKE: NorthernLight(s), the pixel-art 2D top-down action RPG co-published by Akatsuki Games and Aniplex, explores the great outdoors on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 in Summer 2025
Soulmask, the primitive-era survival sandbox game developed by CampFire Studio and published by Qooland Games, performs rituals on PC via Steam in 2025
Sofia in Exchange for Lies, the text-based visual novel mystery developed by MUTAN, interrogates a murder suspect with multiple personalities on PC via Steam in 2025.
Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis, the psychological rhythm adventure from publisher Alliance Arts and developer WHO YOU, obsesses over internet drama on PC via Steam Thursday, October 30, 2025
Marisa of Liartop Mountain, the digital tabletop adventure RPG inspired by classic gamebook masterpieces, developed by Unknown X, writes a new story on PC via Steam Thursday, September 18, 2025
DMZ: Nuclear Survival, the open-world survival crafting game with military elements developed by WILD DOG, is now in development for PC via Steam
Rain98, the ‘90s-esque romantic-yet-haunting narrative adventure developed by C#4R4CT3R, arrives on PC via Steam in Fall 2025
Go hands-on with select titles from this Spring’s showcase at a discount during the INDIE Live Expo Steam Sale beginning today until Saturday, April 19, 11:00 AM PDT.
“Indie games are an art form that brings us all together. This year’s games were a mix of new and nostalgic, perfect for both veteran gamers and newcomers of all ages,” said Ryuta Konuma, Founder and CEO, Ryu’s Office. “INDIE Live Expo would not be possible without the trailblazing developers we’re honored to work with during every showcase. Also, many thanks to our sponsors, media partners, and millions of viewers worldwide.”
The INDIE Live Expo Board also publishes a newsletter called the INDIE Live Expo Letter that aims to provide helpful information about game promotion and development to individual creators, developers, and publishers. Subscribe to the newsletter via the INDIE Live Expo website.
About Ryu’s Office
Ryu’s Office offers in-depth marketing solutions for smartphone, console, arcade, and PC games in Japan. They are particularly focused on the planning and production of numerous live broadcasts based out of Japan for the gaming industry. To learn more, visit the official Ryu’s Office website.
Based on the beloved Magical series of board games about magic-wielding apprentice bakers, including “Magical Bakery,” “Magical Patisserie,” and “Magical Kingdom,” Magical Princess marks the first digital entry in the franchise.
The Panetteria kingdom offers a new start at life for Alice, her cat Ebon, and her dad, but work hours are demanding. Step up as a doting father doing his best to raise his daughter between shifts, and seek work-life balance while nurturing Alice with love and care from early childhood until she graduates from the Royal Magic Academy. As mysterious events unfold, uncover a secret tie between Alice’s hidden fate and the kingdom’s future.
Alice’s path forward depends on how her father fosters her. Cultivate good study habits to mold Alice into a model student, or allow repeated bad behavior to see her grow into a juvenile delinquent. Schedule Alice’s daily activities to build up her Stamina, Intelligence, Charm, and Sense, and watch her future shift day by day. Dress Alice up in prim and proper attire befitting a young lady, or something that better suits a mischievous child.
Nighttime presents “extracurricular” temptations, including a part-time job kneading mysterious bread, a “dangerous” clothing store, and other unsavory experiences. Without proper guidance, Alice may come to prefer nights out partying to studying for the Academy.
Who will Alice befriend? What skills will she learn? Build relationships with more than 30 characters, including Alice’s friends and teachers at the academy, each with distinct personalities. One may even be her soulmate! Weave together an enthralling narrative across hundreds of thousands of words of storytelling, 700 pages of comic-style scenes, 100 illustrations, over 170 date events, and more than 50 possible endings.
“Magical Bakery” was the first game in the Magical Series of board games, first released in 2018, followed by “Magical Patisserie,” “Magical Kingdom,” and more, for a total of 11 games (including expansion packs). The games tell the story of an apprentice at a magical bakery that reaches the top of the kingdom. Magical Princess is the series’ first digital game and aims to spread the enjoyment of the Magical Series to players around the world.
About MAGI Inc.
MAGI Inc. is a board game creator that was established in 2015 and has created over 10 board games, including Magical Series board games “Magical Bakery,” “Magical Patisserie,” and “Magical Kingdom.”
Neotro Inc. is a development company established in 2016, known for NeverAwake and arcade SHMUP game VRITRA HEXA, as well as their experience with various other genres such as shooting, action, and puzzle games.
Duchess Scarlet’s irrelevant innocence can’t beat the false murder accusations, and now she faces the Imperial Kingdom’s guillotine. With microseconds to spare, a time-traveling livestreamer from the future named Lily rescues Scarlet from a bloody fate, and the pair sets out together to clear Scarlet’s name.
Fight falsehoods through media manipulation in a pre-Internet era as Lily’s modern-day broadcasting blimp purveys persuasive propaganda from above. Convince enemy generals to move troops to different parts of the battlefield, then flank their weak spots to increase the odds of victory. Sow seeds of doubt to lower their morale and incur defection.
Defeat enemy battalions and free captured prisoners to boost Scarlet’s skills. Convince conflicted opponents to join Scarlet’s cause and increase her ranks. Deepen bonds with allies through conversation to both improve army strength and unlock new Unison skills, and amass an army large enough (and trustworthy enough) to topple the Imperial Kingdom’s reign.
“Whether winning through winsomeness or brute force, The Great Villainess offers many ways to play,” says the development team. “Thanks to the feedback we received from our community, we implemented many community-requested updates, and can’t wait for the community to go hands-on with the final version very soon!”
The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily is coming to PC on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 with language options in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean. For more information, visit the Alliance Arts official website, and follow Alliance Arts on Twitter and YouTube.
About One or Eight
One or Eight is a Japan-based game development studio with a focus on creating obsession-worthy titles, with various Touhou Titles under its belt, including Marisa of Liartop Mountain and Touhou Danmaku Kagura: Phantasia Lost, as well as other iconic releases like LOST EPIC, EARTH WARS, VTuber Baseball, and many more.
About Alliance Arts
Creating interesting games and delivering them to a large audience is a difficult task for a single company. Alliance Arts is a confluence of independent people joining forces to create a system that delivers interesting games to a large audience.
