- [Dev Log] Introducing the Jiangnan Region - 18 September 2026
Hello everyone,It's been a while since our last devlog, so today we're introducing the game's second region: Jiangnan. Jiangnan has been a prosperous region since ancient times, crisscrossed by waterways and bustling with merchants and trade. It's home to major cities like Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. As the party passes through, they'll run into more colorful characters and strange encounters.To capture the iconic essence of misty Jiangnan, we built a brand-new weather effect just for this region. When it rains, mist gradually rises from the water, creating the hazy, misty-rain atmosphere the region is known for.Jiangnan is also home to many well-known cultural landmarks, like West Lake in Hangzhou and Hanshan Temple in Suzhou. In the game, we've recreated some of the region's landmark historical architecture, including the famous Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, built as part of the Gran…
- Eastern Martial Artists Week | Development Update - 23 July 2026
Dear all,Chinese Strange Stories is excited to be part of this year's Eastern Martial Artists Week. We’d like to take this opportunity to share our latest development progress with you.Last month, we completed our first closed beta test, during which we identified and fixed a large number of bugs and gathered valuable feedback that will guide future development. We've also brought many of these improvements to the public demo, making it more stable than before. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can download it for free and get a taste of what Chinese Strange Stories has to offer. Development is progressing steadily, with the game's core systems in place. Our current focus is creating new content, polishing existing features, and bringing more of the world to life. We’ll be posting more gameplay footage on YouTube to keep you updated. If you would like to join future playtests, please joi…
- Play the Updated Demo at the Deckbuilders Fest! - 5 May 2026
Dear all,The expanded demo has come a long way since it first launched! Thanks to your wonderful feedback, we've rolled out ten updates — improving onboarding, refining the tutorial, squashing bugs, and polishing countless small details along the way. The demo has grown into something we're really proud of, and it's all thanks to you!If you haven't tried the demo yet, now is a great time to jump in. And if you've already played, it's worth another look.We will also be holding our first playtest later this month. If you'd like to be notified, consider adding the game to your Wishlist and joining our community.Thank you so much for your continued support and feedback. It means the world to us, and it genuinely shapes the game every step of the way.
- We're in the Medieval Fest — Come Watch the Newest Playthrough! - 20 April 2026
Dear all,Chinese Strange Stories is in the Medieval Fest! During the event, we'll be broadcasting a playthrough of the expanded demo — an hour of new gameplay content.The broadcast will be conducted in English this time, and it will cover nearly everything in the updated demo. For a full breakdown of what's new, check out our latest announcement.🎮 Or dive in yourself!Play the free demo on Steam and get a taste of what Chinese Strange Stories has to offer. If you enjoy the demo, please consider adding it to your Wishlist to stay updated on our latest news and release date.Thank you for your support — we hope to see you in the stream, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the demo!
- Chinese Strange Stories Demo Expanded! - 14 April 2026
Dear all,In order to showcase all the features that Chinese Strange Stories can offer, we've significantly expanded the demo. All the core systems and more content are unlocked. The updated demo offers over one hour of gameplay content, along with hidden details and subtle narrative touches for players who enjoy exploring thoroughly.More Areas to ExploreMore regions are now open for exploration. Venture further into the world and uncover new storylines, characters, and encounters.Three New Playable CompanionsThree new companions are now available for recruitment. Use their unique abilities to help your journey and test out different deck builds.All Core Systems UnlockedAll gameplay systems are now available in the demo:ApothecaryCookingFast TravelCard Crafting & DismantlingShopsGifting, Recruitment, and Dismissal of CompanionsLetters & Story Follow-upsWe’ve also launched a standalone de…
- Kickstarter is Now Live — Don't Miss the Early Bird Price - 20 March 2026
Dear all,The Kickstarter campaign for Chinese Strange Stories is now officially live.To celebrate the launch, we’re offering a limited 48-hour Early Bird tier. This is the lowest price the game will be available at during its first year, and it will only be available for a short time once the campaign begins.If you’ve been following the project or are interested in supporting its development, now is the best moment to jump in.Your support will help us:Deliver a high-quality English localization that preserves the tone and elegance of the original storiesExpand the art team to speed up the developmentReach a wider audience who appreciate narrative RPGs and folklore👉 Secure your Early Bird reward within the first 48 hours and be part of bringing this world to life.Thank you for being part of this journey.
- Development Update & Kickstarter Launch - 13 March 2026
Dear all,It's been a while since the last update, and I wanted to share where things currently stand with Chinese Strange Stories.The core systems are complete, and most of the story content has been written. What remains is primarily art assets, localization, and final polish — but as a solo developer, I've come to realize these final steps will take longer than expected. The game will not be ready by Q1 as previously promised, and the new target is Q2-Q3 2026. I'm sorry for the wait.To help speed things up, I've decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign. The goal is to bring on additional artists and fund a proper English localization to ensure the English script captures the tone and nuance of the original stories. Hopefully, this will help get the game into your hands sooner.I am also planning to extend the demo to showcase more of what the game has to offer — previously I had kept i…
- Chinese Strange Stories is Now at Steam Next Fest! - 23 February 2026
Dear all,Steam Next Fest is here, and Chinese Strange Stories is part of it! During the fest, you can chat with the developer directly in the live broadcast — we'd love to hear from you.🎮 Play the Free Demo — Available Now! Curious? Play the free demo on Steam and get a taste of what Chinese Strange Stories has to offer. If you enjoy the demo, please consider adding it to your Wishlist to stay updated on our latest news and release date.We look forward to hearing your thoughts!
- Join Us for Steam Next Fest — Livestream on February 23rd! - 20 February 2026
Dear all,We are thrilled to participate in the upcoming Steam Next Fest! To celebrate, we invite you to join us for a special livestream event, where we'll be showcasing gameplay, sharing development insights, and hanging out with our community.📺 Livestream DetailsWe will be broadcasting live on Bilibili, and the recording will be broadcast on the store page during the Next Fest and will be available on YouTube as well. Please note that the stream will be conducted in Chinese, as the English localization of the game is still in progress — we're working hard to bring the full experience to all of our players, and we appreciate your patience!Date: February 23rdTime: 14:00 (GMT+8)Watch here: http://live.bilibili.com/1851763004🎮 Play the Free Demo — Available Now!Curious? Play the free demo on Steam and get a taste of what Chinese Strange Stories has to offer. We'd love to hear your feedb…
- [Dev Log] Gameplay: Cooking & Apothecary - 18 January 2026
Hello everyone！Following our previous dossier, today we are showcasing our Cooking and Apothecary systems in action. In our next phase, we will focus on further developing and refining the overall game world in preparation for the Next Fest, which will take place in late February. We hope to see you there!
- [Dev Log] Gameplay: Character Cards in Action - 29 December 2025
Hello everyone！Following our previous dossier, today we are showcasing our character cards in action. This video covers the battle styles and card effects for the majority of our cast, though some remain hidden for now to avoid spoilers.Our next phase will focus on Cooking and Apothecary systems. Beyond combat, we are hard at work designing a vast array of items and their unique effects, while continuing to flesh out and polish the overall game world.Thank you for your continued support and patience. We’ll see you in the next update!
- [Dev Log] Twelve Playable Characters Dossier - 4 December 2025
Hello everyone!Thank you for your support of Chinese Strange Stories. In this dev log, we are proud to formally unveil the complete design dossier for all twelve playable characters.Note: The English titles of the Liaozhai stories cited here are based on the translations found in Sidney L. Sondergard’s Strange Tales From Liaozhai.That is the end of this dev log. Our next phase will focus on refining the card functionality and combat mechanics. We look forward to seeing you in the next update!
- Release Date Update for Chinese Strange Stories - 24 November 2025
Dear all,We’re sorry to share that the release of Chinese Strange Stories has been moved to Q1 2026. We know many of you have been looking forward to the full game, and we truly appreciate your patience.We want to deliver an experience we can be proud of, and taking a bit more time will help us do that.In the meantime, we’ll be posting regular dev logs to keep you updated on our progress and show what’s changing behind the scenes.Thank you for your understanding and continued support.— Chinese Strange Stories Team
- Chinese Strange Stories Demo Available Now! - 30 October 2025
The free demo of Chinese Strange Stories is now live!Step into a living Chinese painting that blends the mystical, supernatural, and the struggles of daily life in the final years of the Ming dynasty.The demo includes the prologue and the first town’s storyline. You can experience the core gameplay features — exploration, combat, and choices that reshape both fate and outcome.Press F11 in-game to submit bug reports or feedback directly — we truly appreciate your help!Join us and share your thoughts with the community!
