Developer Fahrenheit 213 will hold a combat-focused closed beta test for its side-scrolling action RPG TSURUGIHIME from August 25 to September 6, capped at 100 players worldwide. Applications run from August 17, through August 23 at 7:59 a.m. PT, and if more than 100 people apply, participants are chosen by lottery and notified by email. The test runs through Steam Playtest.

This playtest strips the game down entirely to combat. Story and progression are completely removed so players can judge the action mechanics purely on how they feel. The experience centers on an intense five-minute survival mode where enemies spawn relentlessly. Because scores scale rapidly once players master the right combos, the test doubles as both a feedback tool and an addictive leaderboard chase. Director Yosuke Shiokawa explained this is intentional. He wants to ensure the combat is rock-solid before the team enters full production, stressing that he prefers blunt, honest criticism.

In TSURUGIHIME, players guide a heroine named Arche through the 100 days before a final battle against the Kugutsu, mindless puppets attacking humanity. To survive, she wields the Tsurugi, a power capable of rewriting destiny. This temporal ability has a unique take on crafting. Director Shiokawa explains that instead of forging items, players craft fate, rewinding time to alter past events and unlock multiple endings. How those 100 days play out is entirely open. Players can battle to grow stronger, explore, advance the story, raise Arche’s younger sister, or peacefully pass the time without fighting a single enemy.

TSURUGIHIME is the debut title from Fahrenheit 213, a Tokyo studio Shiokawa founded in 2021 and operates with a team of fewer than 10 developers. His resume features major roles on industry heavyweights, serving as creative director for Fate/Grand Order and lead planner on Kingdom Hearts II. With this new release, he aims to translate the design philosophy of big-budget action games into a 2D side-scroller. The studio is also currently developing two other titles, Lunar Pulse and Do Not Play. The project’s pedigree include character designer Kuroboshi Kouhaku (Kino’s Journey) and composer Takeharu Ishimoto (The World Ends with You and Kingdom Hearts).

TSURUGIHIME is due out in Early Access for PC via Steam in 2026.