Zashiki Warashi Kareshi I LOVE Ramen Steam Demo Out, Full Release Set for September 24
The demo's quiz gate for part 2 turns the free part 1 into a required prologue, a design choice that pushes newcomers through the existing free release before they can sample the new content.
Key Facts
- Zashiki Warashi Kareshi I LOVE Ramen will launch on Steam on September 24, 2026, with the price undecided.
- The demo version is available on Steam as of August 20, 2026, and includes part 1 plus the beginning of part 2.
- The full Steam version includes part 1, previously released as a free game, and new part 2.
- Two theme songs, Zashiki Warashi Kareshi no Theme! and Oresama Tambourine, were released on YouTube on August 20, 2026.
- The game is created by Ara Hana Nuno and published by Phoenixx, with the protagonist Sasami meeting the zashiki warashi Marilyn.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, ASCII.jp, Game Spark.
Phoenixx announced on August 20, 2026 that the novel game Zashiki Warashi Kareshi I LOVE Ramen will launch on Steam on September 24. The price is undecided. A demo is now available. The game is a yokai romantic comedy themed around ramen, yokai, and romance, created by Ara Hana Nuno. The protagonist Sasami dreams of opening a ramen shop and meets Marilyn, a handsome zashiki warashi who claims to be a ramen-making specialist. Together they make ramen, interact with unique yokai, and follow a story with laughter, romance, and mystery. The full version includes part 1, previously released as a free game, and new part 2, which continues the story. The demo lets players play part 1 from the start, and after finishing it, a quiz about part 1 unlocks the beginning of part 2. Two theme songs, Zashiki Warashi Kareshi no Theme! and Oresama Tambourine, were released on YouTube to mark the demo. The Steam store page is accepting wishlist registrations.
- Marilyn's in-game name is written "Maririn" in the Japanese release, and he has a mission to lead people to happiness, a detail the summary did not carry.
- The protagonist is named Sasami, and the story follows her teaming up with Marilyn to create the ultimate bowl of ramen and help people with their troubles.
- The quiz at the start of part 2 is framed as a review of part 1's story, and players who have already finished the free version may be able to jump into part 2 immediately.
- Creator Ara Hana Nuno handles the scenario and overall worldview for this title, and has built a shared universe across novels, novel games, and original music, centered on the representative work "Hoshi no Hanabira" series.
- The horror exploration novel game "Tamayura no Dinette" is positioned as a story leading into "Zashiki Warashi Kareshi I LOVE Ramen," and the short story "Sokumita no Kage" also shares the worldview.
- The free version of the game is also available on Novel Game Collection, a separate platform from Steam.
- Phoenixx is based in Musashino City, Tokyo, with Kazunori Sakamoto as president and CEO, and the company describes its mission as promoting creators from Japan to the world and vice versa.
- A promotional video for the game is available on YouTube, alongside the two theme songs.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.