Katawa Shoujo is Coming to Steam and itch.io

It’s been over 3 years since we talked about Katawa Shoujo, a romance visual novel that was many people’s first introduction to the genre.

I praised Katawa Shoujo for its heartfelt storytelling, not to mention the fact that it’s a decently long visual novel available for free.

Well, it’s soon to be easier than ever for new players to try it, because it was announced that Katawa Shoujo is coming to both Steam and itch.io on August 16.

This is not a remaster or enhanced version, but the same game that’s been available all this time – and yes, it’s still going to be free. This just provides players with more options for how to get it.

The one change is that the Steam version has the 18+ content removed in order to get it onto Steam. If you want to get it from Steam but have those scenes intact, there is a patch available from the itch.io page to restore the adult content to the Steam version. An FAQ answers the most common questions about the new release.

(For the record, I feel the 18+ scenes add to the characterization at times, but it would still be a great visual novel without them.)

Katawa Shoujo might not have huge, world-changing stakes, but it’s a heartfelt romance visual novel that I enjoyed a lot, and I’m happy to see it getting more attention. If you’ve been wanting to play it but prefer to get it from an established storefront, you’ll get your wish on August 16!