‘Estella’ , a 3D space rhythm game published by Shochiku Games and developed by the Taiwanese development team Imanity, has released a new promotional video and Steam demo update.
This update refines the visuals and UI and adds new songs. The video features the first reveal of the theme song and the voice of the protagonist, Elina. The game is scheduled to be released on Steam Early Access this winter.
3D rhythm action where you aim with the mouse and input with the keyboard
‘Estella’ is a 3D rhythm game where you run along an octagonal lane and process notes using a mouse and keyboard. With the method of aiming notes with the mouse and inputting with the keyboard, the development team described it as an experience where “your fingertips become comets and travel through the universe.”
Each planet consists of a single chapter. The story unfolds by weaving together rhythm gameplay and cinematic presentation, and Early Access introduces ‘Chapter 1,’ which tells the story of Elina, a girl chosen by the Golden Comet. The game features approximately 40 tracks.
Elina’s Journey Against the Purple Curse
The story of Chapter 1 begins with a mysterious ‘purple flower’ that suddenly covers the forest one day. The flower dulls people’s hearts, and Elina, who notices the anomaly, is branded a heretic and driven out of her hometown.
Two years later, Elina wakes up alone and discovers that her hands have turned transparent. As her hometown is swallowed by a purple curse, she follows a golden radiance that appears before her eyes and begins a journey to reclaim her lost home and its warmth.
In this video, the story mode theme song ‘Elina’ was revealed for the first time. Composed by Kyiku and rinri and sung by Es, the video also features the voice of Saima Nakano, who plays the role of Elina. The video also includes scenes from the multiplayer mode, where up to 32 players compete for scores in real-time.
3 new songs added… Visuals and UI also improved
In this demo update, the main visuals and game UI have been improved, and three new songs have been added. Among the newly revealed songs, ‘Festival Forever’ was composed by TAKIO. The songs scheduled to be included, including previously released tracks and those added after Tokyo Game Show 2026, are as follows.
- Fantasia Sonata Estella / PYKAMIA
- lost night meteor / kanase.
- Reblossia / Dadadaizu
- Exit This Earth’s Atomosphere / Camellia
- PUPA / Morimori Atsushi
- enchanted love / linear ring
- Festival Forever / TAKIO
Interest in the new control method and story completeness
Following its submission to Busan Indie Connect (BIC) last August, ‘Estella’ also showcased a demo version at Steam Next Fest. Some game media outlets noted that the mouse aiming is similar to the controls of a shooting game, allowing players to get used to it quickly, and that the lack of simultaneous input reduces the burden of having to memorize notes.
In Free Play, the game does not end even if you miss a note, and ‘Bad’ judgments lead to combos. On the other hand, ‘Perfect’ judgments are strict, and to increase the score multiplier, ‘Critical Notes’ that must be hit precisely and special notes that must be avoided also appear. In Story Mode, you have HP, so accumulating mistakes can lead to failure.
It was pointed out that the demo version has a small number of songs and uneven difficulty changes, which could be burdensome for beginners, and that there are parts with missing dialogue in the story mode. While the new control scheme and dreamlike worldview are drawing attention, interest is focused on how much the included songs and story will be improved in the early access version.
A studio created by rhythm game fans
Imanity is a development team founded by players who love rhythm games, with the goal of creating a “rhythm game that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.”
Shochiku Games is the game business division of Shochiku Corporation and is handling the publishing of ‘Estella’ in partnership with Imanity. Last September, Shochiku Games announced plans for an Early Access release this winter and a demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026.
Information regarding ‘Estella’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Imanity Co., Ltd. (Taiwan) |
| Publisher | Imanity Co., Ltd. · Shochiku Games |
| Genre | Music Rhythm Action |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release Schedule | Scheduled for Early Access in Winter 2026 |
| Early Access Content | Chapter 1, about 40 songs |
| price | Undecided |
| theme song | ‘Elina’ (Composition by Kyiku·rinri, Vocals by Es) |
| voice actor | Saima Nakano (as Elina) |
| Official website | estella.studio |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
