Eastasiasoft has announced that the western release of Tokyo Clanpool is set for December 19. Initially planned for both Steam and Nintendo Switch, the PC release will now launch exclusively on GOG due to Valve’s inconsistent policies blocking anime games as the reason for the change.
Originally released in 2017 for the PlayStation Vita, this dungeon-crawling RPG’s revival was announced in early July, with a vague “2024” release window. However, attempts to list the game on Steam hit a wall in September, as its store page was removed, marking it as “banned” or unapproved.
Eastasiasoft, along with Compile Heart and Idea Factory, faced a clear setback in bringing Tokyo Clanpool to Steam, the preferred platform for PC gamers. Being blocked from releasing on the largest PC storefront limits the game’s reach, and it’s clear an earlier release was disrupted by Valve’s approval process.
Valve’s review process is often criticized for its double standards, particularly when it comes to anime content. While games featuring suggestive anime-style characters frequently hit roadblocks, Steam is flooded with explicit adult games that cover every kink imaginable, femdom, BDSM, furry content, and more.
Valve has even allowed games with “underaged” male characters, or shotas, while games with similar female characters get flagged or banned. This inconsistency makes it challenging for developers of anime-style games to navigate Steam’s policies, which many see as arbitrary and hypocritical.
While Steam freely hosts titles like Furry Feet, Hero’s Journey, Sex with Hitler, and Summer Memories without issue, Tokyo Clanpool likely faced rejection due to its “Ether Sensitivity” feature.
This unique mechanic allowed players on the Vita to interact via the touchscreen to enhance characters’ skills through a ritual meant to “awaken” their latent Seikon, or political powers. The heroines don ceremonial leotards during this process, which change color to blend with their skin, giving a nudity-like effect as they “heat up” with each touch.
Given this overtly fanservice-driven feature and the game’s inclusion of small, “loli”-style characters, it’s unsurprising that Steam banned it.
As a result, Eastasiasoft seems to have opted out of further attempts to get it approved, settling on an alternative PC release with GOG.
The new trailer for Tokyo Clanpool’s revival finally confirms a release date, December 19 as it heads to CD Projekt Red’s GOG storefront.
Ironically, GOG was also known for frequently restricting Japanese games with sexual content or so-called “problematic” scenes featuring “underaged” characters, so this launch is a bit surprising but considering how GOG changed their tune over the past years, starting with the releases of visual novels like HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY and EDEN, GOG taking a firm stance in showing favoritism to such titles may in fact pay dividends for niche audiences.
The Nintendo Switch version will launch first in Asia, along with a special physical edition available through PlayAsia. Tokyo Clanpool stands out as a dungeon crawler, not only because it was previously confined to Japanese markets on Sony’s Vita but also due to its unique setup.
Players take charge of cute and attractive politicians commanding “diet dolls” to fend off enemies and raise approval ratings after the sudden appearance of a mysterious tower, yes, that’s as literal as it sounds.
With its blend of dungeon-crawling RPG elements, political twists, and charming character design, Tokyo Clanpool is set to finally reach English audiences on popular platforms as the year comes to a close. Despite it launching on an alternative PC storefront, this release is shaping up to be something worth the wait.
