Renowned Japanese illustrator and game developer Viv disclosed on May 13 that their psychological horror visual novel This Game is Not Real has been canceled for release on Steam. The game’s Steam store page has reportedly been removed, leaving 24,000 Wishlist entries invalidated for the developer.
Initially planned for a Q2 2026 launch on Steam, This Game is Not Real presents a surreal meta-narrative exploring the intense and damaging bond between two male game creators. In a unique gameplay approach, players assume the role of the “game” being crafted by one of the developers, who exhibits signs of delusion. Through point-and-click exploration and narrative segments, players interact with the developer and assist him in debugging his project. As the story unfolds, players uncover fragments of his past embedded within the project’s data, guiding him toward completing the game. The title delves into mature themes such as violence, self-harm, murder, and sexual content, and is rated for players 18 and older.
As detailed in Viv’s announcement on X, the decision stems from This Game is Not Real “failing to meet Steam’s release criteria,” prompting the developer to pivot to domestic platforms DLsite and BOOTH. The problem appears unrelated to technical issues but rather concerns the game’s content. In response to commenters, Viv humorously suggested that the adult male characters depicted were “too cute” for the platform, and acknowledged their initial reservations about whether the game’s sexual scenes would be acceptable. “I’m a gambler,” they remarked.
Fortunately, This Game is Not Real is still set to arrive on DLsite and BOOTH later this month, though these versions will launch exclusively in Japanese. Viv has stated their intention to add official support for additional languages in the future, while also welcoming fan-made translation patches in the interim.
Mido