Japanese indie developer daidai (a self-proclaimed “hater of horror”), has announced The Aquarium Does Not Dance: The Idol Who Wants to Die. This horror adventure title serves as a prequel to 2024’s The Aquarium Does Not Dance. The game’s Steam page recently launched, though no release date has been set yet.
The Aquarium Does Not Dance: The Idol Who Wants to Die follows Hikaru, a failed idol who goes to the Bianca Aquarium wishing to die without suffering. She encounters Holo, a cleaner wrasse (a type of brightly colored fish) and the self-proclaimed “cutest maid in the world.” Holo has been searching for people who will allow him to perform the “Dirge of the Abysmal” ritual, which kills the person it is performed on. When presented with the promise of a painless death, Hikaru agrees.
As Holo attempts to perform the ritual on Hikaru, he discovers that a key item – a ring with a precious blue stone – is a fake. The original ring was stolen by a thief with pale skin and red eyes. As the thief leads Hikaru and Holo on a merry chase throughout the aquarium, the two are forced to solve puzzles and mysteries, all while avoiding monstrous creatures known as “Creepies.” Ultimately, players will find out whether Hikaru’s “wish” gets fulfilled, as well as the motive behind Holo’s desire for human sacrifices.
Though The Idol Who Wants to Die shares certain aspects with the original game (such as the Bianca Aquarium and Creepies), its nature as a prequel makes it likely that newcomers won’t get lost even if they play this title first.
Developed by daidai and published by Frontier Works, The Aquarium Does Not Dance: The Idol Who Wants to Die is currently in development for Windows (Steam) with support for Japanese, English, Korean, as well as Traditional and Simplified Chinese languages. It will be fully voiced in Japanese.
The first game in the series, The Aquarium Does Not Dance, can be played for free on Windows (Steam), though it does not have English support. A paid version (this one with English support) is available on Nintendo Switch.
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