{"rewrite":{"id":"r_54cdce2343e2d4ad6e9e43f2","clusterId":"c_559df81ad6c766da5c07dc6e","slug":"kodansha-s-live-action-romance-game-hamukoi-launches-on-steam-after-ban-scare","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Kodansha's Live-Action Romance Game 'Hamukoi' Launches on Steam After Ban Scare","summary":"Kodansha released 'Hamukoi - Hamster ni Tensei Shita Boku to Sanshimai no Amaama na Hibi' on July 17 for PC via Steam and Epic Game Store. The live-action romance sim places the player as a hamster pampered by three sisters, played by gravure idols. The game faced multiple Steam bans before release, which developers discussed in an interview with Automaton.","whyItMatters":"Kodansha's entry into the live-action romance game genre, leveraging its FRIDAY magazine's gravure idols, highlights both the growing popularity of FMV titles on Steam and the content moderation challenges such games face.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe idea for \u0026#39;Hamukoi\u0026#39; came from a FRIDAY magazine editor who wanted to make a game that uses gravure footage. After hearing that live-action video games were popular in China, Kodansha\u0026#39;s Game Lab combined the two concepts. The result is a \u0026#39;cared-for adventure game\u0026#39; where the player is a hamster and the heroines are three sisters played by Sayaka Tomaru, Momona Takatsuru, and Shiori Ikemoto. The project faced repeated attempts by Steam to ban the title, but it ultimately launched on both Steam and Epic Game Store. In an interview with Automaton, producers Oda, Katayama, and director Sakurai explained the development process and the ban crisis.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Kodansha's live-action romance game 'Hamukoi' is out now on Steam and Epic. You play as a hamster being pampered by three gravure idol sisters. The game survived multiple Steam bans during development.","twitterPost":"Kodansha's 'Hamukoi' is now available on Steam and Epic. It's a live-action romance sim where you're a hamster cared for by three sisters. The game faced multiple Steam bans before release.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Kodansha released 'Hamukoi,' a live-action romance simulation game, on July 17 for PC. The game, which places the player as a hamster being pampered by three gravure idol sisters, overcame multiple Steam bans during development. In an interview, the developers discussed the game's origin from a FRIDAY magazine editor's idea and the challenges of Steam's content moderation.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/hamkoi-20260716-455151/\",\"title\":\"Photo weekly magazine FRIDAY's live-action romance game 'Hamukoi' overcomes Steam ban crisis to finally release: We asked the developers about the process.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4356,"outputTokens":1698,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784280221,"createdAt":"2026-07-17T09:13:10.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-17T09:17:29.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-17T09:13:10.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_559df81ad6c766da5c07dc6e","canonicalTitle":"写真週刊誌FRIDAYがグラビアアイドルと共に作った実写恋愛ゲーム『ハムコイ』は、Steam発売禁止の危機を乗り越えてなんとかリリースにこぎつけた。その過程を開発陣に訊いた","representativeArticleId":"a_710c1feaf738b0b62d70a1e0","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Hamukoi\"],\"studios\":[\"Kodansha\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-17T06:07:58.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-17T06:07:58.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-17T09:17:29.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/hamkoi-20260716-455151/","title":"写真週刊誌FRIDAYがグラビアアイドルと共に作った実写恋愛ゲーム『ハムコイ』は、Steam発売禁止の危機を乗り越えてなんとかリリースにこぎつけた。その過程を開発陣に訊いた"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Hamukoi"],"studios":["Kodansha"],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}