{"rewrite":{"id":"r_71824b227dd84bac6c5f93be","clusterId":"c_c7aa21e47df7716f9547e665","slug":"mekururi-witch-developer-still-aims-for-2026-release-after-five-year-development","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Mekururi Witch Developer Still Aims for 2026 Release After Five-Year Development","summary":"Independent developer Furifura says their adventure game Mekururi Witch, where players spin a witch's eyes to solve puzzles, is still targeting a release within 2026. The game was first shown in 2021 and planned for 2022, but went quiet until a Steam page appeared this year and a demo was playable at BitSummit PUNCH in May.","whyItMatters":"The game's long silence and recent re-emergence with a playable demo suggest the project is finally nearing completion, though the developer's track record of missed dates leaves the timeline uncertain.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eFurifura, the solo developer behind Mekururi Witch, told Automaton at BitSummit PUNCH that the game is still planned for release within 2026. The adventure game, which involves spinning a witch's eyeballs to align layered scenes and advance the story, was first exhibited at BitSummit in 2021 with a target of 2022. After years of no updates, a Steam store page went up this year and a playable build appeared at the Kyoto event in May.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe developer described the game's tone as deliberately uneven: fairy-tale art gives way to fast-paced dialogue and an EDM dance battle against a boss. Furifura said they wanted variety rather than a consistent mood, and that the music draws from Maou Damashii tracks. Mekururi Witch is being built primarily for Steam, with a possible smartphone version later.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Mekururi Witch's five-year dev cycle shows how long a solo project can stretch when the creator keeps iterating. Furifura's refusal to commit to a firm date suggests the game could slip past 2026 too.","twitterPost":"Mekururi Witch's five-year dev cycle shows Furifura values polish over deadlines. The 2026 target may slip again.","threadsPost":"Mekururi Witch has been in development for five years with no firm release date. Furifura says they still aim for 2026, but the pattern from 2021 and 2022 suggests the target is aspirational. The game's core mechanic, spinning a witch's eyes, is simple. The polish is taking the time.","newsletterBlurb":"Independent developer Furifura says Mekururi Witch, an adventure game about spinning a witch's eyes to solve puzzles, is still planned for release within 2026. The game was first shown in 2021 and went quiet until a Steam page and playable demo appeared this year.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/mekururi-20260604-446947/\",\"title\":\"Eye-Spinning Adventure 'Mekururi Witch' Always Wants to Release 'Within the Year' - Lighthearted Vibe, EDM Dance Battles, and 5 Years Later\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4334,"outputTokens":618,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780545861,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T03:56:40.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-04T04:01:19.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T04:01:19.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_c7aa21e47df7716f9547e665","canonicalTitle":"魔女のお目目を回すぐるぐるアドベンチャー『めくるりウィッチ』は、いつだって“今年中”には出したいと思ってるらしい。軽妙なノリにEDMダンスバトル、納得いくまで5年経った","representativeArticleId":"a_52a5b2a2446c6eae80f706c3","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Mekururi Witch\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-04T03:00:14.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-04T03:00:14.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T04:01:19.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/mekururi-20260604-446947/","title":"魔女のお目目を回すぐるぐるアドベンチャー『めくるりウィッチ』は、いつだって“今年中”には出したいと思ってるらしい。軽妙なノリにEDMダンスバトル、納得いくまで5年経った"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Mekururi Witch"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Furifura, the solo developer of Mekururi Witch, told Automaton at BitSummit PUNCH that the game is still planned for release within 2026.","The adventure game, which involves spinning a witch's eyeballs to align layered scenes and advance the story, was first exhibited at BitSummit in 2021 with a target of 2022.","After years of no updates, a Steam store page went up this year and a playable build appeared at the Kyoto event in May.","The developer described the game's tone as deliberately uneven: fairy-tale art gives way to fast-paced dialogue and an EDM dance battle against a boss.","Mekururi Witch is being built primarily for Steam, with a possible smartphone version later."]}