Homura Hime is an anime styled 3D action game developed by Crimson Dusk, and published by PLAYISM.
The game first launched earlier this year in March, and since then has been actively updated. Although I had the chance to meet with the producer and director face-to-face in Osaka, and was able to play the game ahead of release, I was once again given the opportunity to speak to them during Tokyo Game Show 2026, and ask them a few questions for our readers.
Here is what he had to say!
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| (Photo provided by PLAYISM) |
Hi! I don’t know if you remember me, but I got to meet you guys during my trip to Osaka a few months back, but let me reintroduce myself; my name is Sagi, and I’m one of the co-founders of Netto’s Game Room. Would you please tell our readers about yourselves?
Hello, I am the Producer of the Homura Hime team. You can call me Sam. I am primarily responsible for the game’s initial concept and combat design.
Homura Hime seems to take much inspiration from the Drakengard/Nier series, from the bullet hell segments, to the combat, and the massive twists in the narrative exploring themes of war and peace, as well as what good and evil are. What other inspirations did you have when making the game?
I’d say, the Touhou Project, I love this series, the characters are so charming, and who could forget the bullet hell. Aside from the game itself, regarding the hopes and feelings of the demon girls, the tragedies brought about by fate, and Homura Hime rebelling against that fate, these aren’t direct references per se, but my ideas were partially inspired by Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
What made you want to write such a story in the first place?
I wanted to show how life can bring hardship. We might suffer or feel lost, but we have a choice. We can choose to keep going no matter what. By not giving up, we can change things.
What were your biggest challenges when making Homura Hime?
Most of our team were fresh graduates back then, so for our first game, Homura Hime was honestly way too ambitious for us. Our lack of development experience really showed, and we just couldn't finish what we originally set out to do. At one point, we realized the whole core of the game just wasn't fun, so we scrapped it and started over, which is why it got delayed. Thankfully, our publisher Playism was really supportive, and we managed to get the game done in the end.
What would you like players to take from the experience?
When I was designing the parry mechanic for combat, I made it more forgiving and kept the movement dynamic. I really just want people to have fun parrying and to keep closing in on enemies to maintain the combat rhythm. Even though Homura Hime is essentially a very old-school, classic action game, I hope players can all happily experience the joy of combat.
One thing that really confused me while playing the game is Homura being referred to as Homura Hime, with ‘Hime’ being an honorific for a princess in Japanese, yet Homura herself was never really said to be a princess; could you please explain that little detail?
In Japanese works, "hime" doesn't necessarily mean a literal "princess." It's also often used to refer to women with special powers who are revered. "Homura Hime" is a title given to her by her companion Ann. It originally referred to an exorcist who burns demons, but she develops feelings for the enemies she was supposed to destroy. In order to defy her own fate and for the sake of her companions, she chooses to rebel against the world and becomes an undying flame where everyone places their wishes. That is the true meaning of the name Homura Hime.
If you could change one thing about how the game came out, what would it be?
As for the content in the game, we originally wanted to add more interactions with other bosses and branching endings in the later design stages, but in the end we couldn't make those happen. It was the result of having to make trade-offs due to our lack of experience and development capability. We tried our best to do what we could, but I'd say it's something of a regret.
Out of the five princesses, who would you most want to befriend?
I would say the third boss, Chirakuin. She gives off a gentle-but-firm big sister vibe.
Are there any other plans with the IP moving forward? More story? Maybe adding different playable characters?
There's no clear plan yet, since we're currently still focused on getting the game ported. Personally speaking, I'm actually quite fond of this IP, and I have been thinking about similar things, but for no concrete plans for now.
Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?
I'm really happy that we can let everyone see our game. I hope you all enjoy it, and I also hope we can keep making games that people love in the future.
And now, for the mandatory Netto’s Game Room silly question: Had you lived in the world of Homura Hime, what kind of demon would you be?
According to the lore of Homura Hime, you end up becoming a demon as the result of one's own wishes and an unfortunate fate. I think I'd probably become a demon who went astray in pursuit of ultimate power.
For more on Homura Hime, player are invited check out the Steam Page, and for more exclusive interviews like this, feel free to visit our Interview Page!
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