Steam Rejects Horror Romance Visual Novel With 24,000 Wishlists for Failing to Meet Criteria

The Japanese horror visual novel *This Game Is Not Real*, crafted by the indie team known as “Viv,” was set to launch on Steam this month. The game had already racked up an impressive 24,000 wishlists since its store page went live in August 2025. However, the developers have now revealed that it will not be making its way to Steam, as Valve has reportedly denied it entry due to “not meeting platform criteria.”

As reported by an outlet, Viv developer “Bibu” announced on May 13 that *This Game Is Not Real* would be shifting its release platform due to an unspecified issue with Steam. “We had planned to release on Steam, but since it does not meet the distribution criteria, we will change the platform and release on DLsite/BOOTH,” Bibu stated, as translated from a post on X.

????【お知らせ】リリースプラットフォーム変更#ThisGameIsNotRealにつきまして、Steamでの配信を予定していましたが、配信基準を満たさないため、プラットフォームを変更してDLsite／BOOTHにて配信します。

発売日等については、あらためてお知らせいたしますので今しばらくお待ちください！…pic.twitter.com/vXEsYeunWz

— びぶ????COMITIA156｜は09a (@ruuya1124)May 13, 2026

While Bibu didn’t provide specific reasons for the game’s removal from Steam, they humorously suggested that the game’s “cute” artwork might be to blame. “If my artwork is ‘too cute’ for Steam, then maybe Steam and I just weren’t meant to be,” Bibu explained. “I use psycho-horror to express hatred, jealousy, love, dependency, and sexual desire. I’m not trying to make a mass-market adult game; I want to create something with literary and emotional depth.”

However, a quick look at *This Game Is Not Real*’s official website reveals a different angle. The new store page on DLsite includes a “radical expression” disclaimer that highlights serious themes such as drug use, trypophobia, self-harm, murder, suicidal expression, and “sexual metaphors without agreement.” Steam has been tightening its grip on games featuring adult content or themes since last year, leading to the removal of many existing titles and the rejection of new releases like *Horses* due to concerns over sexual content.

While it’s tempting to point fingers at overzealous payment processors, this situation likely ties back to Steam’s own guidelines and its history of content moderation. Valve has permitted sexual themes and nudity in games, but it has taken a firm stance against titles that depict sexual assault, as seen with 2025’s *No Mercy*.