Remilia Scarlet is bored. That is the engine of Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity, and the game never lets go of it. The vampire, infamous across the Touhou Project, grows tired of her centuries-long life spent with Sakuya Izayoi at her side. When the local newspaper reports a massive monster spotted nearby, she decides she wants a piece of that action. She gets one, and she gets revenge.
This is a 3D RPG, released in 2014 for PS4, PC and Switch, and it is the first Touhou game ever shown at E3. Developed by Ankake Spa and published by Mediascape, XSEED Games and Ankake Spa, it arrived on PlayStation 4 as part of Play, Doujin!, with a remastered announcement on December 28, 2015. A localization followed on June 2, 2016, under XSEED Games, for a digital North American release under the shortened title “Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity.” A Steam version was announced in May 22, 2018, in XSEED’s 2018 3rd Party Lineup Announcement Teaser Trailer.
The game is built around a simple premise: Remilia leaves her mansion to chase a monster, finds her home damaged upon return, and spends the rest of the adventure hunting for answers and vengeance. It is a story about a vampire who wants excitement, and the game leans into that with a bird-view perspective, isometric camera angles and a quest for revenge that drives the whole plot.
Trailer, via XSEEDgames.
Remilia’s Mansion and the Monster
The story opens with Remilia reading the newspaper. A massive monster has been spotted nearby, and she decides she wants a piece of that action. She leaves her mansion and sets out to find the creature.
Unfortunately, she returns home to find her mansion heavily damaged, with no clues as to who the culprit might be. This only serves to fan the flames of her interest in what is going on beyond the walls of her estate, leading her on a grand, chaotic quest for answers—and for revenge.
The mansion is a central location in the game. Remilia’s posh, centuries-long life is spent there, and the damage she finds is a catalyst for the entire adventure. The mystery of who destroyed her home drives the narrative forward, pushing Remilia out into the world to hunt for answers.
Sakuya Izayoi and the Cast
Sakuya Izayoi is Remilia’s maid, and she appears throughout the adventure. Together they face the mystery of the damaged mansion and the monster spotted nearby.
The cast is drawn from the Touhou Project, and the game leans on familiar characters to carry its story. Remilia’s relationship with Sakuya is a constant presence, with Sakuya remaining loyal and dutiful even as Remilia chases her boredom-driven quest for excitement.
The bird-view perspective and isometric camera angles give the game a distinct look. Players see the world from above, following Remilia and Sakuya as they move through the adventure.
The Adventure and Its Goals
The adventure is a grand, chaotic quest for answers—and for revenge. Remilia wants to know who damaged her mansion and why, and she wants to get back at whoever did it. The game presents this as a straightforward goal, but the chaos of the adventure makes it anything but simple.
Revenge is the stated goal, but the journey is where the fun lies.
The 3D RPG Format
Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity is a 3D RPG, and that format shapes everything about the experience. The bird-view perspective and isometric camera angles give the game a distinct visual identity.
The adventure mode is single-player only, which limits the scope of the game. There is no multiplayer, no second player to share the screen with, no way to team up with Sakuya or anyone else. The game is built for one person, moving through the adventure alone.
The platform mix includes PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows) and Nintendo Switch. Each version carries the same adventure, the same story, the same goals, just wrapped in different hardware.
Play, Doujin! and the Localization
The game first appeared on PlayStation 4 as part of Play, Doujin!, an anthology of indie titles. The remastered announcement came on December 28, 2015, confirming the console version was on its way. A localization followed on June 2, 2016, under XSEED Games, for a digital North American release under the shortened title “Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity.”
The Steam version was announced in May 22, 2018, in XSEED’s 2018 3rd Party Lineup Announcement Teaser Trailer.
| Release | Platform | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Original | PS4, PC, Switch | 2014 |
| Remastered announcement | PS4 | December 28, 2015 |
| Localization confirmation | Digital NA | June 2, 2016 |
| Steam announcement | PC | May 22, 2018 |
The Verdict on the Game
Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity is a solid entry in the Touhou Project, but it is not a great one. The adventure is engaging, the cast is familiar and the premise is strong. But the format shows its age, and the single-player focus limits what the game can offer.
The game is structured as a quest for answers, with Remilia moving from clue to clue, suspect to suspect, until she reaches the villain behind the destruction. Revenge is the stated goal, but the journey is where the fun lies.
The game is a curiosity worth checking out, but not a destination worth planning a trip around. For fans of the Touhou Project, it is a worthwhile trip. For everyone else, it is a game that shows its age and plays best alone.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
