HOTARU

Solo indie dev here, looking for active Android testers for a 14-day closed testing phase.

A first-person Japanese horror walk-sim set in a "lost house" (maioiga). Gather fireflies under andon lantern light, follow glowing green map fragments, and avoid the yokai that wander the halls. Atmospheric, quiet, and a little unsettling.

• Keep installed for the full 14 days
• Launch every couple of days (a few times is enough)
• 2–3 minutes of casual play per session works fine
• Headphones recommended for the ambience 🎧

ℹ️ Tip — all three steps below are required:

• Step 1 — Join the group: even if you see “no permission to view content”, there’s a “Join group” button on that page — tap it to join.
• Step 2 — Become a tester (opt-in): on the opt-in page, tap to join the test. Becoming a tester alone does not install the app.
• Step 3 — Download & play: open the download page, install the app, launch it and play a little — without this, your testing doesn’t count.
• Use the same Google account for all steps.
• If Step 2 or 3 shows “App not available”, wait a few hours after joining and try again.

What kind of game is HOTARU — The Lost House?

HOTARU is a first-person Japanese horror walking simulator by PixelRyu, set in a "lost house" (maioiga). You gather fireflies under andon lantern light, follow glowing green map fragments, and avoid the yokai that wander the halls.

Is HOTARU free to play?

Yes — HOTARU is free to play.

Where can I play HOTARU right now?

You can download HOTARU on the App Store and play it on Roblox. On Android, it is in a 14-day closed testing phase via Google Play.

Is HOTARU scary?

It is atmospheric, quiet, and a little unsettling rather than loud. Headphones are recommended for the ambience.

What languages does HOTARU support?

The game and this site support 12 languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.