Japanese indie game publisher WorldMap announced on October 30 that their upcoming title H9 will forgo its planned Steam release, instead launching via PC platforms GOG, DLsite, DMM and Stove on November 30. The developers found that meeting Steam’s content requirements would have required extensive revisions to the game, which is what led to the change of plans. However, team hasn’t completely given up on a potential Steam version somewhere down the line.
H9 is a faux documentary-style horror game which delves into a mysterious incident that occurred at the development studio of a cancelled bishojo game (genre centered on interactions with attractive female characters). The fictional cancelled title, “Tokimeki Strip Janken,” was a strip game in which the player faced off against a group of girls in “spicy” rock-paper-scissors matches.
Within H9’s lore, Tokimeki Strip Janken was in development in the late 90s, but got cancelled for being raunchy, low-quality and widely ridiculed as a “kusoge” (shitty game). But for some reason, it was later discovered that the forsaken project contained data that had been tightly locked away using advanced encryption technology.
In H9, you have to defeat the girls at strip rock-paper-scissors to bypass the data protection and uncover the hidden truth behind it. The game is built around two core segments: the rock-paper-scissors gameplay, and a story segment that documents the dark side of the game’s development. As the two parts gradually diverge, the story takes on a psychological horror tone. Playing through the seemingly silly minigame will lead you to piecing together a mysterious incident that allegedly occurred 28 years ago. Fittingly, H9’s art mimics the style of 90s bishojo games, upping the nostalgia and eeriness.
The game is being developed by Ge-saku, a team led by Chika Nagai, a veteran creator credited on Kamaitachi no Yoru x3, 428: Shibuya Scramble, and My Merry May. Ge-saku is composed of seasoned developers who have been active since Japan’s classic adventure (visual novel) game era, lending authenticity to H9’s retro aesthetic.
H9 was first announced in April 2025 and immediately gained attention in Japan for its premise. Although initially slated for an October release, the launch was delayed to November. Around the same time, the developers revealed that the game’s Steam demo was still pending review.
According to publisher WorldMap’s announcement on X, H9’s development team discovered that major revisions to in-game assets and certain scenes would be required to comply with Steam’s policies. The title’s Steam store page warned about depictions of “violence, blood, psychological distress, sexual themes, and shocking scenes using live-action footage” which could be what caused issues. Since the creators wanted to preserve the game’s original concept as faithfully as possible, they decided to shift to other platforms instead. The demo, originally set for late October, is now expected to be released on GOG, DLsite, DMM and Stove in early November.
At the same time, the team emphasizes that they haven’t abandoned Steam entirely. They intend to continue making adjustments to eventually bring H9 to Steam and reach a wider audience. Nagai also stated in a subsequent post that his team still plans to pursue a Steam release and is preparing an enhanced version of the game after its November launch.
H9 launches for PC via DLsite, DMM, GOG, and Stove on November 30, 2025.
