El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron’s official Reversi-based spin-off gets Steam release and online play 

Japanese developer crim has released El Shaddai: Zero Nine Reversi on Steam for Windows and macOS. The port’s release was accompanied by an update that adds new game modes, including online play for up to four players.  

First released for mobile devices on February 6, El Shaddai: Zero Nine Reversi is an unusual El Shaddai spin-off with Reversi mechanics, developed by series creator Sawaki Takeyasu himself to celebrate the title’s 15th anniversary. 

Gameplay is based on the classic board game Reversi, with a couple of twists thrown in for good measure. All pieces are assigned health points from 0 to 9 (hence the game title “Zero Nine” Reversi), with pieces losing 1 HP per flip. A piece is removed from the board once its HP reaches 0. Furthermore, special new rules are introduced to the base game, some of which allow you to place pieces freely on the board, or even remove corner pieces (which are arguably the most important positions in a game of Reversi). The game features five difficulty modes and a variety of board sizes, including an irregular cross-shaped board that creates more corners to be taken. 

The latest update for El Shaddai: Zero Nine Reversi adds an online mode where players can play random matches or invite friends with a password. The online mode supports 1v1, 2v2, and 4-player free-for-all. The update also introduces the new ruleset “BUMP & BURST”, where each stone flipped loses HP depending on the player character’s attack power, adding a new layer of strategy. The update also includes El Shaddai-related publications that can be read from within the app, including original short stories by Sawaki Takeyasu.  

El Shaddai: Zero Nine Reversi is available for free via Google Play and the Apple App Store with English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), French, Italian, and Brazilian Portuguese language support. The game is also available on PC and macOS via Steam as a single purchase. 

Related: El Shaddai creator Sawaki Takeyasu to head new Japan studio founded by Vampire Survivors developer poncle