- Open Beta Update V1.1.1 Release Candidate - 4 October 2026
Samurai ControlsFixed an issue where the Samurai could remain briefly stuck in guard mode under rare circumstances.Gashadokuro Boss Level ImprovementsForeground elements have been removed to improve visibility during the fight.The Gashadokuro is now better centered on screen, enhancing readability and positioning.Access to the area where the boss’s hand could clip through the wall has been restricted.Additional balancing adjustments will follow based on community feedback. Thanks for your support! 😊How to Access the Beta Steam → Properties → Betas → Open Beta
- Open Beta Update V1.1.0.4 - 22 September 2026
General Enemy AI ImprovementsEnhancements to enemy behavior, aggression, reaction timing, and overall combat coherence.Overall Enemy BalanceProgression is now more stable and fair, reducing unexpected difficulty spikes.More Accessible ParriesThe parry window has been slightly expanded for better consistency and responsiveness.Slower Enemy Attack PatternsCertain attack sequences have been adjusted to be more readable and predictable.Animation FixesFixed an issue when executing two enemies simultaneously.Fixed a bug that allowed the player to jump during a finisher.Impact & Knockback CorrectionsCorrected the knockback direction when hit by the Slave’s projectile.Fixed an issue where the shielded Undead rotated incorrectly upon receiving certain hits.Fixed an issue where falling Birds were not correctly registering their impact on the Samurai.Improved Difficulty BalanceEasy, Normal, and Ha…
- Open Beta Update V1.1.0.3 - 22 August 2026
Open Beta Update V1.1.0.3New FeaturesImplemented the difficulty selection system when starting a new game: Easy / Normal / Hard.Fixes Included in This Beta (These fixes were implemented in earlier beta builds but had not been announced on Steam until now. All of them are already included in Open Beta V1.1.0.3.)FPS settings fixed.Interior stairs bug fixed (remote probability).Fixed an issue with the Resolution settings in the video options menu (QHD & 4K).Additional balancing adjustments will follow based on community feedback. Thanks for your support! 😊How to Access the Beta Steam → Properties → Betas → Open Beta
- Patch #5: Open Beta & Fixes - 1 July 2026
Some news: we have created a beta testing branch for you to test upcoming development!It's live now, so if you wish to be the first to try out new features we are tinkering with, right-click on the game in Steam to open Properties, then select the ‘beta testing’ branch under ‘Game Versions & Betas’.We've also made some changes and fixes - you can read the full patch notes below:⚔️ Combat and ControlKeyboard controls completely rebuilt, now matching the fluidity of the gamepad.More precise overall character control.Smoother combat and movement.Parries are easier to perform.Easier turning during combat and jumps for more accurate strike direction.Each hit in a combo can now change direction independently.We can now hit enemies while they are jumping, preventing empty or missed hits.Faster guard raising and bow drawing.Smoother rolls.You can now turn while crouched using the bow or Kodama…
- Patch #4: More Quality of Life Changes and Bug Fixes! - 30 October 2025
We've made some more quality of life changes and fixed some bugs based on community reports in our latest patch! Here are all of the quality of life changes we've made that are related to the player character (Takeshi): The player now drinks potions faster. You no longer pass through enemies during the fight, which makes the combat more satisfying. Jumping is smoother and the distance has been increased. The player moves 15% further during hits, making combat easier. The player can now successfully pick up items from cover or with the bow without having to press the button again. More fluid player movement. The player now grabs items faster. The dodging distance has been adjusted. Pressing the up direction while carrying the bow or energy ball makes the player turn, making it easier to move using the keyboard. Here are some of the more general quality of life changes and optimisation im…
- The Spirit of the Samurai is 40% Off in the Spring Sale - 13 March 2025
The cherry blossoms are in bloom, the sweet fragrance of flowers is in the air, and the twisted armies of demon leader Shuten-dōji have been unleashed… Spring has officially sprung in the world of The Spirit of the Samurai, which is now 40% off as part of the Spring Sale 🌸 The Spirit of the Samurai is a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic Oni to save your village from total destruction. Our stop-motion art style was inspired by the work of Ray Harryhausen, H.R. Giger, and Zdzisław Beksiński. We wanted our game to evoke the same feeling as the old claymation and stop motion horror films that we grew up watching, so…
- The Spirit of the Samurai is Steam Deck Verified - 5 March 2025
Want to fight monstrous creatures inspired by Japanese mythology while on the go? Now you can! We’re excited to announce that The Spirit of the Samurai is now officially Steam Deck Verified. But what does being Steam Deck Verified mean? When a game is submitted for testing on the Steam Deck, it can be assigned one of three different badges depending on how it performs. The Unsupported badge means that the game does not run properly on the Steam Deck and the Playable badge means that the game can be played on the Steam Deck, but the player may need to make some manual adjustments to the game for it to function correctly. The Verified badge is only awarded to games that operate well on the Steam Deck without the need for the player to make manual adjustments and don’t present any significant problems when it comes to installation, performance, controls, and display. After a lot of hard wo…
- Patch #3: New Boss Added and New Cinematics Revealed! - 19 February 2025
Brace yourself for battle, because we’ve added the new Minamoto boss and enemy type into The Spirit of the Samurai as part of our first major content update! We’ve also included new cinematics, new cut-scenes, and lots of quality of life changes in this patch. Read on to find out all about everything that’s been included in this major update! Here’s a sneak peek at all of the new content we’ve added in this update: Added a new boss known as Minamoto, who will also be incorporated into other areas of the game as a regular enemy once he is defeated; Added a new cinematic to introduce the Minamoto boss; Added a new cut-scene where Jorogumo devours Chisai; Added a new cut-scene where Chisai falls from the roof into Jorogumo’s lake; Added unique cinematics whenever Takeshi dies due to the ceiling spike trap, floor spike trap, or the guillotine trap. For some traps, there are different cinema…
- The Spirit of the Samurai is 33% Off in the Myths & Legends Sale - 29 January 2025
Are you a folklore fan? A lover of legends? A master of mythology? Then we’ve got some good news for you! The Spirit of the Samurai is 33% off for a limited time only as part of the Myths & Legends Sale. The Spirit of the Samurai is a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters, and take on the demonic Shuten-dōji to save your village from total destruction. So why are we featuring in the Myths & Legends Sale? The Myths & Legends Sale is designed to showcase games that were heavily inspired by the mythologies of different cultures, whether that be the yōkai of Japan or the jötunn of Norse legend. From the adorable forest spirits that populate Takeshi’s dreams to the horrifying…
- The Journey So Far - 23 January 2025
The path of the warrior always comes with obstacles and battles to be won, but the resulting peace is worth the fight. We wanted to share with you our development journey so far and give you all a sneak peek at what’s on the horizon for The Spirit of the Samurai! Since our launch on December 12th 2024, our small team has continued to work steadily and very hard on The Spirit of the Samurai to improve the gameplay experience by listening to your feedback and suggestions, as well as adding new features and content. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has taken the time to submit bug reports and give their feedback, which has helped us to make these updates and plan for the future of the game! We’ve released two major updates so far, which came with quality of life improvements, balancing, improved combat controls, optimization of Steam Deck performance, a whole new cut-scene, and lot…
- Patch #2: Steam Deck Performance Improvements and Even More Optimization! - 13 January 2025
We’re excited to let you all know that we’ve released our second patch for The Spirit of the Samurai! Thank you once again for all of the players who have submitted their feedback and provided us with bug reports. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without your help! Here are the major changes we’ve implemented in this patch: Regenerated all videos for the cut-scenes to Webm format, which is fully compatible with the Steam Deck and all other systems. This has eliminated all performance issues related to the cut-scenes on Steam Deck. Optimised performance on Steam Deck and lower spec PCs for increased stability and frame-rate (average 60 FPS). Adjusted the visibility of the combo panel to better display on Steam Deck and smaller monitors. Improved the AI of the Undead enemies. Added new climbing points to the Tower level when you play as Chisai (the kitten). Combat balancing for Takes…
- Patch #1: Combat Improvements, Performance Optimization, and Much More! - 20 December 2024
First of all, we’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the players who have taken the time to provide feedback and submit bug reports on The Spirit of the Samurai! Your help has been invaluable when it has come to diagnosing the bugs that needed fixing and deciding on what quality of life changes to include in our first patch. Thanks to you all, here are the major changes we’ve made in Build 1.0.06 based on player feedback: Responsiveness of Combat & Other Controls: We’ve improved combat and general movement controls to create a more fluid and consistent player experience. Parries are easier to execute effectively and the player character can now perform other actions while drinking potions or picking up items, so players can defend themselves more easily from incoming enemies. Animation Speed: Character animations for the parry, item pick-up, and drinking health potions have been sp…
- The Spirit of the Samurai is 20% Off in the Winter Sale - 19 December 2024
What better way to spend your winter holiday than by fighting off unspeakable horrors inspired by Japanese folklore? We’re excited to announce that The Spirit of the Samurai is 20% off as part of the Winter Sale ❄️ The Spirit of the Samurai is a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic Shuten-dōji to save your village from total destruction. Our stop-motion art style was inspired by the work of Ray Harryhausen, H.R. Giger, and Zdzisław Beksiński. We wanted our game to evoke the same feeling as the old claymation and stop motion horror films that we grew up watching, so we hope you will enjoy our unique style! Still not…
- Brutal new Metroidvania Spirit of the Samurai lets you slay demons with a cat - 12 December 2024
Stop-motion animation is having a small moment in videogames. There was the brilliant Scottish folklore-inspired Judero earlier this year, colorful schmup Feltopia is on the way, and now we have The Spirit of the Samurai , a stunning but brutally hard Metroidvania you can get right now. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: New Metroidvania Spirit of the Samurai gives you total combo control Ori meets Nioh in stunning stop-motion Metroidvania game
- Introducing The Spirit of the Samurai x Trek to Yomi Bundle! - 12 December 2024
Do you aspire to hone your skills as a samurai and become the ultimate master of the sword? Then we’ve got the perfect training package for you. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve formed a bundle with Trek to Yomi! With their feudal Japanese settings, cinematic visuals, and epic mythical storytelling, The Spirit of the Samurai and Trek to Yomi felt like a natural fit to form this action-packed bundle. The Spirit of the Samurai x Trek to Yomi Bundle includes: The Spirit of the Samurai, a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic Oni to save your village from total destruction. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1507120…
- Introducing The Spirit of the Samurai x Blasphemous 2 Bundle! - 12 December 2024
Prepare to embrace the darkness and face nightmarish creatures beyond your wildest imaginings… We’re excited to announce that we’ve collaborated with The Game Kitchen and Team17 to bring you this incredible bundle with Blasphemous 2! With their uniquely dark art styles, thrilling combat systems, and grotesque monster designs, it was only natural that The Spirit of the Samurai and Blasphemous 2 should be paired together in this gore-geous bundle. Not to mention, both games were made by Spanish developers! The Sinners and Samurai Bundle includes: The Spirit of the Samurai, a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic Oni to…
- The Spirit of the Samurai is OUT NOW - 12 December 2024
The gates of the underworld have opened and the demonic armies of Shuten-dōji have been unleashed on the world… Are you prepared for the harrowing battle that is to come? We hope you are, because The Spirit of the Samurai is officially out now! We’re offering a tantalising 20% launch discount for the next 2 weeks. Not only that, but we’ve partnered with some indie classics to offer you two incredible bundles. Check out our action-packed launch trailer below and read on to find out more 👇 The Spirit of the Samurai is a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic Shuten-dōji to save your village from total destruction. Our…
- Win a One-of-a-Kind Kodama Plush Toy! - 5 December 2024
The Spirit of the Samurai may be full of horrifying nightmares torn straight from Japanese mythology, but who says we can’t have something cute too? To celebrate the run-up to our big launch on December 12th, we wanted to run a spirited giveaway for a one-of-a-kind Kodama plush toy! The winner of our launch giveaway will receive the Kodama plush toy, along with a limited edition poster of our alternative key art and a free PC copy of The Spirit of the Samurai! Two lucky runners-up will also receive a poster and a free copy of the game on PC. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is follow the link here and complete at least one of the activations. The more activations you complete, the more likely you are to win! The giveaway will start today and end on Wednesday December 18th. *Terms and conditions apply. However, the eligibility for the Competition is only for those who are 18 yea…
- Try Out Our Demo in Scream Fest! - 28 October 2024
The armies of Shuten-dōji are as ferocious as they are grotesque 👹 Will you have the courage to face off against these gruesome monsters inspired by Japanese folklore and rid Takeshi’s homeland of the horrors that plague it? Find out if you’re a true samurai or just a scaredy-cat, because our new public demo is now available as part of Scream Fest! Scream Fest is the time to celebrate the spookiest season of the year with games that are sure to give you a delightful fright! The Spirit of the Samurai draws deep inspiration from the horror tradition, with scenes and monsters inspired by the dark paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński, the monstrous artwork of H.R. Giger, and the uncanny stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen. Set in a world inspired by Japanese mythology, you take on the role of three different characters throughout your journey: the samurai Takeshi, the kitten Chisai, and th…
- Fight Against Evil in Our First Public Demo - 14 October 2024
Are you ready to face the wicked army of Shuten-dōji and save the world from certain destruction? It may not be time for the full adventure just yet, but you can have a taste of what’s to come, because we’ve just released our first public demo as part of Steam Next Fest! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1507120/The_Spirit_of_the_Samurai/ The Spirit of the Samurai is a 2D stop-motion action adventure where you’ll get to play as three separate characters: the samurai Takeshi, his kitten Chisai, and the forest spirit Kodama. Traverse through beautifully realized 2.5D landscapes, fight against an army of horrifying monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and take on the demonic oni Shuten-dōji to save your village from total destruction. In our demo, you’ll take on the role of samurai Takeshi as he battles against the initial waves of enemies sent to kill him by the vicious demon Shuten-…
