{"id":68550,"date":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=68550"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:57:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T06:57:09","slug":"return-to-shironagasu-island-sequels-demo-finally-releases-on-steam-following-initial-rejection-over-shower-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/return-to-shironagasu-island-sequels-demo-finally-releases-on-steam-following-initial-rejection-over-shower-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Return to\u00a0Shironagasu\u00a0Island\u00a0sequel&#8217;s\u00a0demo\u00a0finally\u00a0releases on Steam following initial rejection\u00a0over\u00a0\u201cshower\u00a0scene\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After running into some trouble&nbsp;getting&nbsp;<strong>The&nbsp;Distant Circular World<\/strong>\u2019s Steam demo&nbsp;approved&nbsp;last week,&nbsp;Japanese indie&nbsp;creator&nbsp;Hyogo&nbsp;Onimushi&nbsp;has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Onimushi\/status\/2068623008428859536?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">happily announced<\/a>&nbsp;that the latest reworked version passed&nbsp;Steam\u2019s&nbsp;review and is now available to play.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to\u00a0Onimushi,\u00a0a\u00a0scene\u00a0depicting the game&#8217;s heroine\u00a0taking a\u00a0shower\u00a0in another\u00a0character\u2019s home\u00a0was what\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-developer-says-steam-rejected-an-all-ages-visual-novel-demo-after-flagging-even-a-pitch-black-shower-scene-as-sexual\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">got the demo rejected\u00a0initially<\/a>.\u00a0Despite\u00a0the original scene having\u00a0no sexual or suggestive content, it was\u00a0allegedly\u00a0deemed\u00a0&#8220;too sexual,&#8221; even\u00a0after\u00a0the scene\u2019s CG\u00a0was replaced with a completely black image\u00a0and re-submitted for approval. It was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Onimushi\/status\/2068624150642790857?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only when the scene\u00a0was\u00a0completely\u00a0removed<\/a>\u00a0that the\u00a0demo\u00a0passed Steam\u2019s criteria\u00a0and\u00a0was\u00a0made available, according to the dev.\u00a0Despite the initial hurdle,\u00a0Onimushi\u00a0is relieved that fans can play the demo.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PV-EN\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m73Gvgmh7tw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set after the events of\u00a0Return to\u00a0Shironagasu\u00a0Island,\u00a0The\u00a0Distant Circular World\u00a0is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/return-to-shironagasu-island-developer-announces-ambitious-two-sided-sequel-set-in-japan-and-new-york-with-a-time-leap-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two-sided sequel<\/a>\u00a0starring private detective\u00a0Sen Ikeda and his assistant, Neneko Izumozaki, as they find themselves living separate lives that are intertwined through an unusual time rewind mechanic.\u00a0While \u201cSide A\u201d is set in New York and follows Sen\u2019s investigation into an illegal organization, \u201cSide B\u201d is set in\u00a0a\u00a0provincial Japanese town, where\u00a0Neneko\u00a0must\u00a0identify\u00a0a deceased person linked to\u00a0her mother\u2019s disappearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The\u00a0Distant Circular World features a \u201cZapping\u201d system, where you can switch between the two protagonists. It also has a time leap mechanic that allows you to rewind time to undo specific events.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1529\" height=\"852\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1529px) 100vw, 1529px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260622-68550-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-68555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260622-68550-001.jpg 1529w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260622-68550-001-380x212.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260622-68550-001-768x428.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Distant Circular World is currently in development for&nbsp;Windows&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3162900\/_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>). While the game is currently only confirmed for a Japanese release, the developer is exploring the possibilities for localization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/return-to-shironagasu-island-sequel-gets-official-steam-store-page-amassing-over-5000-wislishsts-in-one-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Return to\u202fShironagasu\u202fIsland sequel gets official Steam store page, amassing over 5,000 Wishlists in one day<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following troubles with Steam&#8217;s review last week, Hyogo Onimushi&#8217;s demo for The Distant Circular World is online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":68553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-06-22T12:00:07+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3moutl564nn2y","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3moutl564nn2y\",\"cid\":\"bafyreiazgwp6kgz3ucskyqzd6nyiqihkzoclhu7stbf4uglf4xr57zw5vi\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreidttvjy2vircdclp3angwlcjmmbo4cmevueu3m5x3icyryvkb37ea\",\"rev\":\"3moutl56akn2y\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-68550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - 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