Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic Becomes One of the Highest-Rated Steam Games of 2026

Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, also known as The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, arrived on Steam on September 9, roughly 24 years after its initial Japanese release. In the days following its launch, the title gathered 2,958 user reviews with a 98% positive rating. This reception positions New Classic as one of the highest-rated Steam releases of 2026. Aggregate tools such as Steam250 rank the game among the top seven best-reviewed Steam releases for the past month and inside the top 50 for the entire year.

Alongside Steam, the game is available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. The original Embodiment of Scarlet Devil served as the sixth game in the Touhou Project series by creator ZUN and was the first entry developed for Windows. It helped establish the franchise as an underground doujin game icon and a pillar of Japanese bullet hell shoot-em-ups.

Developer Alliance Arts worked to preserve the original experience while creating New Classic. On Steam, New Classic is only available as part of a bundle that includes the original Classic version at the same price point. The base bundle costs $17.99 and includes both games, while a $24.63 bundle adds the New Classic soundtrack. The Classic version lacks English support on Steam.

Players control the shrine maiden Reimu or the magician Marisa, dodging bullet patterns and dealing with the Scarlet Mist Incident. The release features fresh graphics and a fully remade soundtrack composed by ZUN. Several other Touhou titles are also available on Steam, including the Metroidvania Touhou Luna Nights and the restaurant simulation Touhou Mystia's Izakaya.