Playism

Playism (stylized as PLAYISM) is a Japanese independent video game publisher operated by Active Gaming Media. Playism started as a digital distribution platform for PC games in May 2011.^[1]

Playism

Industry	Video games
Founded	May 2011
Headquarters	Osaka, Tokyo
Key people	Shunji Mizutani (executive producer)
Parent	Active Gaming Media
Website	playism.com/en

History

Playism was launched by Active Gaming Media in May 2011 as a digital distribution platform for PC games. It was founded by Shunji Mizutani, who has run it as executive producer since.^[2] Its launch titles included Machinarium and SpaceChem. Its goal was to introduce western-developed indie titles to the Japanese market, and to localize Japanese doujin games for overseas audience.^[3][4]

In April 2013, Playism began a project with HAL College of Technology & Design in both Osaka and Nagoya. The project involves students creating games in four-person teams over a period of several months. The games would then be judged by Playism staff, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya (Cave Story), Smoking Wolf (One Way Heroics), and members of Nigoro (La-Mulana). The highest-rated games were then localized by Playism, and released on the PLAYISM store page for purchase.

Playism was closely involved in the administration of the indie-based game event BitSummit in March 2013, helping both with translation and interpretation as well as with logistics. In September 2013, Playism collaborated with Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia on an event called Indie Stream. Originally planned by indie developers Nigoro and Nyamyam, Indie Stream was designed to bring indie developers from both Japan and abroad together to meet and share information.^[5] It was announced at Indie Stream that PLAYISM would be assisting indie developers in publishing their games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan.^[6]

Playism closed its digital storefront on March 24, 2021, ceasing download service and sales of Steam keys on the website. The company announced that this would not affect its other businesses, and would continue publishing video games for Steam, GOG.com, and other home game consoles.^[7]

Works

Year	Title	Developer	Additional note(s)	Ref.
2012	Ether Vapor	Edelweiss	Originally published by Nyu Media; publishing rights transferred to Playism in 2022	[8]
	I'm Gonna Be God of the Forest	Shindenken		[9]
	La-Mulana	Nigoro	Remake	[10]
2013	Artifact Adventure	Bluffman	Re-release on Steam in 2015	[11]
	Unholy Heights	Petit Depotto		[12]
2014	Astebreed	Edelweiss	International release	[13]
	Kero Blaster	Studio Pixel		[14]
	Magical Battle Festa	Fly System		[15]
	Meadowland	Mårten Jonsson		[16]
	Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae	Zenith Blue		[17]
	One Way Heroics	SmokingWOLF	PC re-release on Steam	[18]
	Revolver 360 Re:Actor	Cross Eaglet		[19]
	Rime Berta	Next Soft+		[20]
2015	D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die	Access Games	PC version	[21]
	Forget Me Not: My Organic Garden	Cavyhouse		[22]
	Gocco of War	peakvox		[23]
	Hacker's Beat	Team Tands+		[24]
	Neo Aquarium: The King of Crustaceans	Nussoft	PC re-release on Steam	[25]
	An Octave Higher	Kidalang		[26]
	One Way Heroics Plus	SmokingWOLF	Expansion of One Way Heroics	[27]
	Prismatic Solid	YO1 KOMORI		[28]
	Star Sky	Mårten Jonsson		[29]
	Starchaser: Priestess of the Night Sky	Nonlinear		[30]
	Torquel	FullPowerSideAttack.com		[31]
2016	Ace of Seafood	Nussoft		[32]
	Alicemare	Miwashiba	PC re-release	[33]
	Awareness Rooms	Game Na Kibun		[34]
	Croixleur Sigma	Souvenir Circ.	PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC versions	[35]
	Futuridium EP Deluxe	MixedBag	PC version	[36]
	A Healer Only Lives Twice	Pon Pon Games		[37]
	Helen's Mysterious Castle	Satsu		[38]
	Her Story	Sam Barlow	Japanese localization update	[39]
	LiEat	Miwashiba	PC re-release on Steam	[40]
	Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For-	Modern Visual Arts Laboratory	iOS and Android versions	[41]
	Mad Father	sen	PC re-release on Steam	[42]
	Memento	Labo Game Studio		[43]
	Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight	Bombservice		[44]
	Murasaki	Katatema		[45]
	NightCry	Nude Maker		[46]
	Principia: Master of Science	tomeapp		[47]
	The Silver Case	Grasshopper Manufacture	Remaster	[48]
	Star Sky 2	Mårten Jonsson		[49]
2017	1bitHeart	Miwashiba	PC re-release	[50]
	Garden Tale	Bonion Games		[51]
	Lost Technology	Studio 4D		[51]
	Misao	The Miscreant's Room	Definitive Edition in 2017; 2024 HD Remaster update in 2024	[52]
	Rosenkreuzstilette	[erka:es]	PC re-release on Steam	[53]
	Rosenkreuzstilette Freudenstachel	[erka:es]	PC re-release on Steam	[54]
	VA-11 Hall-A	Sukeban Games	Japanese localization update	[55]
	Vertical Strike Endless Challenge	Project ICKX		[56]
2018	Ark Noir	Amamori Lab		[57]
	Artifact Adventure Gaiden	Bluffman		[58]
	The Boogie Man	Uri Games		[59]
	Break Arts II	MercuryStudio		[60]
	Cineris Somnia	Nayuta Studio		[61]
	The Crooked Man	Uri Games		[62]
	Hakoniwa Explorer Plus	Suxa		[63]
	The Hanged Man	Uri Games		[64]
	La-Mulana 2	Nigoro		[65]
	Murasaki Tsurugi	Katatema		[66]
	The Sand Man	Uri Games		[64]
	Star Sky 3	Mårten Jonsson		[67]
	Will: A Wonderful World	WMY Studio	Japanese localization update	[68]
	Yume Nikki	Kikiyama	PC re-release on Steam	[69]
	Yume Nikki: Dream Diary	Kadokawa Corporation		[70]
2019	Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX	Bluffman		[71]
	Medusa and Her Lover	ship of EYLN		[72]
	Night in the Woods	Infinite Fall, Secret Lab	Japanese localization update	[67]
	Pixel Game Maker MV	Kadokawa Corporation		[73]
	Steel Sword Story	8bits fanatics	Updated to Steel Sword Story S in 2024	[74]
	Strange Telephone	HZ3 Software		[75]
	Touhou Luna Nights	Team Ladybug, WSS Playground, Vaka Game Magazine	Early access release in 2018	[76]
2020	Bright Memory	FYQD Studio		[77]
	Fight Crab	Calappa Games		[78]
	Giraffe and Annika	atelier mimina		[79]
	Necrobarista	Route 59		[80]
	Omori	Omocat, LLC.	Japanese localization update and the console versions	[81]
	Orangeblood	Grayfax Software		[82]
	Replica	Somi	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions	[83]
	Soundart	MercuryStudio		[84]
	Umurangi Generation	Origame Digital		[85]
2021	Bright Memory: Infinite	FYQD Studio	Full-length version of Bright Memory	[86]
	Deeeer Simulator	Gibier Games		[87]
	Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!	Team Salvato	Japanese localization update	[88]
	Gnosia	Petit Depotto	International release; Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 versions	[89]
	The Good Life	White Owls Inc.		[90]
	Idol Manager	Glitch Pitch		[91]
	Legal Dungeon	Somi	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions	[92]
	Mighty Goose	Blastmode		[93]
	Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth	Team Ladybug, WSS Playground	Early access release in 2020	[94]
	The Sealed Ampoule	Cavyhouse		[95]
	Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight	Orbital Express		[96]
2022	Drainus	Team Ladybug, WSS Playground		[97]
	Ib	kouri	Remake	[98]
	Noel the Mortal Fate	Kanawo	Console versions and Microsoft Store release	[99]
	Potato Flowers in Full Bloom	Pon Pon Games		[100]
	Samurai Bringer	Alphawing Inc.		[101]
	Signalis	rose-engine		[102]
	Takkoman: Kouzatsu World	illuCalab.		[103]
	Temtem	Crema	Physical release in Japan	[104]
	Timothy and the Tower of Mu	Kibou Entertainment		[105]
	Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity	//commentout	Early access release in 2020	[106]
2023	7 Days to End with You	Lizardry	Nintendo Switch and PC versions	[107]
	Drago Noka	GeSEI unkan	PC re-release on Steam and the Switch version	[108]
	From Madness with Love	jamsanpoid, Vampire K.K.		[109]
	Marfusha	hinyari9	PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch versions	[110]
	Phantom Rose II Sapphire	makaroll		[111]
	Refind Self: The Personality Test Game	Lizardry		[112]
	Rusted Moss	faxdoc, happysquared, sunnydaze		[113]
	Subway Midnight	Bubby Darkstar	Nintendo Switch version	[114]
2024	The Detective Reaper Invites	Shinzu Kano Umi		[115]
	The Exit 8	Kotake Create	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, iOS and Android versions	[116]
	Maid Cafe on Electric Street	Adventurer's Tavern		[117]
	No Case Should Remain Unsolved	Somi	Nintendo Switch version	[118]
	Platform 8	Kotake Create	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 versions	[119]
	The Star Named EOS	Silver Lining Studio		[120]
	Umurangi Generation VR	Origame Digital	VR version of Umurangi Generation	[121]
	Valkyrie of Phantasm	Areazero	Early access release in 2022	[122]
2025	Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery	Silver Lining Studio	Nintendo Switch version, bundled with The Star Named EOS	[123]
	Blade Chimera	Team Ladybug, WSS Playground		[124]
	CATO: Buttered Cat	Team Woll	PlayStation 5 and Switch versions	[125]
	Metal Bringer	Alphawing		[126]
	Momodora: Moonlit Farewell	Bombservice		[127]
	Nidana	lvl374		[128]
	Nitro Express	Grayfax Software		[129]
	Outrider Mako	Asamado Games		[130]
	Snezhinka: Sentinel Girls 2	hinyari9	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S versions	[131]
	Urban Legend Hunters 2: Double	toii	2025 re-launch	[132]

Miscellaneous

Title	Developer	Additional note(s)	Ref.
Bot!	Aimed Freedom	Student project for the PlayStation 4 in 2015; unreleased	[133]
Gensokyo Night Festival	WSS playground, tea_basira	Early access in 2019	[134]
The Use of Life	Daraneko Games	Early access in 2022	[135]
MaguSphere: Magical Cannon Girls	Ohbado	Missed release window in 2022	[136]
Fight Crab 2	Calappa Games	Early access in 2024	[137]
Journey Record	Kochi Create	Missed release window in 2024	[138]
Homura Hime	Crimson Dusk	Release window in early 2025	[139]
EDEN.schemata();	WSS Playground, illuCalab.	Release window in spring 2025	[140]
Glaciered	Studio Snowblind	Release window in Q3 2025	[141]
The Little Tomb: The Maholova Club and the Search for a Dead Body	Cavyhouse	Release window in 2025	[142]
Million Depth	Cyber Space Biotope	Release window in 2025	[143]
Mind Diver	Indoor Sunglasses	Release window in 2025	[144]
MotionREC	Handsum	Release window in 2025	[145]
Haruka: Beyond the Stars	atelier mimina	Release window in 2026	[146]
Skateboard Knight	Playism	Release window in 2026	[147]
34EVERLAST	Kanata Lab, Hyper Real	Release date TBD	[148]
Break Arts III	MercuryStudio	Release date TBD	[149]