H9 launches on November 30, 2025, and it’s one of the most genuinely creative indie games of 2025. This faux documentary-style horror game about a mysterious incident at a game studio that developed a cancelled bishojo title is absolutely deranged in the best way possible. The game blends rock-paper-scissors minigames with psychological horror storytelling to create something that sounds absurd on paper but works brilliantly in execution. And yes, it’s not coming to Steam due to content policy conflicts, which is its own kind of meta-commentary on game publishing.
The Fictional Disaster That Started It All
In H9’s lore, a cancelled bishojo game called “Tokimeki Strip Janken” was being developed in the late 1990s. It was a strip rock-paper-scissors game where players faced off against attractive female characters in increasingly spicy scenarios. The game was absolutely abhorrent – low quality, deliberately raunchy, and widely mocked as a “kusoge” (literally “shitty game”). It was cancelled and forgotten, relegated to the dustbin of failed 90s internet detritus.
But then something strange happened. Years later, mysterious encrypted data from the project resurfaced. Data locked behind advanced encryption technology. Data that somebody clearly wanted to keep hidden. H9 is the story of uncovering what that data contains.
Rock-Paper-Scissors As The Gateway
To progress through H9, you need to defeat the bishojo girls at strip rock-paper-scissors. Yes, that’s the actual core gameplay mechanic. You’re playing a crude minigame that mimics the cancelled game, trying to win matches and progress through encrypted data. But as you play, something shifts. The story transitions from funny mockumentary into genuine psychological horror. The further you progress with the minigame, the darker and more unsettling the narrative becomes.
This tonal shift is intentional and brilliant. The game uses the contrast between the silly minigame and the dark story to create cognitive dissonance. You’re playing something that seems goofy on the surface while uncovering something genuinely disturbing. That contradiction creates horror in a way traditional jump scares never could.
Piecing Together A Mystery From 28 Years Ago
The story gradually reveals what really happened at the game studio 28 years ago. Through mockumentary segments, interviews, and visual novel-style storytelling, you uncover a mysterious incident that the cancelled game somehow contains evidence of. The encryption wasn’t there for copyright protection or anti-piracy measures. It was there to hide something terrible.
The game blends the absurd concept (a censored strip game minigame) with genuinely dark narrative territory. The contrast between surface-level silliness and underlying horror is what makes H9 work. By the time players reach the truth, the emotional whiplash is complete.
The Team Behind The Chaos
H9 is developed by Ge-saku, a team led by Chika Nagai. That name might not mean much to Western audiences, but Nagai is absolutely legendary in Japanese game development. She’s been a core creator on Kamaitachi no Yoru x3 (Night of the Rabbit 3), 428: Shibuya Scramble, and My Merry May. These are celebrated titles in the visual novel and adventure game spaces. Ge-saku is composed of veteran developers who’ve been active since Japan’s classic adventure game era.
That pedigree matters. This isn’t amateurs trying something weird. This is seasoned developers applying decades of experience to craft a game that’s simultaneously comedic and horrifying. The authenticity of the 90s bishojo aesthetic comes from creators who literally lived through that era of game development.
Why Not Steam?
H9 was originally planned for a Steam release, but publisher WorldMap discovered that Steam’s content policies would require “too many content revisions” to meet approval requirements. The game features depictions of violence, blood, psychological distress, sexual themes, and shocking scenes using live-action footage – exactly the kind of content that makes Steam nervous.
Rather than compromise the original vision by cutting content, the developers decided to launch on GOG, DLsite, DMM, and Stove instead. It’s a bold decision that prioritizes artistic integrity over the largest available platform. This decision has its own ironic commentary on game publishing and censorship – a game about a cancelled title getting cancelled (in a sense) from the biggest distribution platform.
Meta-Commentary On Gaming Itself
What makes H9 genuinely brilliant is how meta it gets. The game is about a cancelled game. It’s published outside traditional channels. It uses retro aesthetics to comment on the history of game development. It blends comedy and horror to create discomfort. Every layer is intentional commentary on the games industry itself.
Players will experience both the dumb fun of playing a ridiculous minigame and the genuine unease of uncovering dark secrets. The game respects player intelligence enough to let them see both the humor and the horror simultaneously. That’s sophisticated game design.
FAQs
When does H9 release?
H9 launches on November 30, 2025 for PC on GOG, DLsite, DMM, and Stove. A demo is expected in early November on the same platforms.
Why isn’t H9 on Steam?
Steam’s content policies would require extensive revisions to in-game assets and scenes. The developers decided to preserve the original vision by launching on alternative platforms instead of compromise with content changes.
What’s the gameplay like?
H9 blends two elements: rock-paper-scissors minigames (mimicking the fictional cancelled game) and narrative segments that tell the dark story of what happened at the development studio 28 years ago.
How long is H9?
Exact playtime hasn’t been announced, but based on similar visual novel-adventure hybrids from the developers, expect 3-5 hours of gameplay.
Who developed H9?
H9 is developed by Ge-saku, led by veteran developer Chika Nagai. The team includes creators who worked on Kamaitachi no Yoru x3, 428: Shibuya Scramble, and My Merry May. Publisher WorldMap is handling distribution.
Is this a mockumentary or horror game?
It’s both. The game starts as a comedic mockumentary but gradually transitions into psychological horror as the player progresses and uncovers the truth.
What does “Tokimeki Strip Janken” mean?
“Tokimeki” refers to the feeling of your heart racing in excitement or attraction. “Strip” refers to the game mechanic. “Janken” is the Japanese term for rock-paper-scissors. Together it describes the fictional cancelled game in H9’s lore.
Is there content I should be aware of?
H9 contains sexual themes, psychological distress, violence, blood, and shocking scenes using live-action footage. The content that caused Steam to reject it is integral to the story, so player discretion is advised.
Conclusion
H9 is exactly the kind of weird, ambitious, smart game that makes independent game development special. It takes a ridiculous premise – playing a strip rock-paper-scissors minigame to uncover dark secrets – and executes it with genuine artistic vision. The fact that it’s not coming to Steam adds another layer of meta-commentary. This is a game that respects player intelligence, blends tones with confidence, and comes from developers with the pedigree to pull it off. November 30 on GOG, DLsite, DMM, and Stove is when H9 launches. If you appreciate weird, smart, horror-comedy games with artistic integrity, this is absolutely worth your time and attention.