Murasaki

Murasaki

Released May 2016

"Murasaki" is a puzzle explosion game. Use explosions to clear the screen of pesky obstacles filling it up. The only controls you need are the directional buttons and two other buttons (Z and X)!

92% positive · 138 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to buy

Steam $4.99
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Evaluation

Murasaki launched on May 12, 2016 as a complete, self-contained hybrid shoot-em-up and puzzle game. Its only DLC — the Original Soundtrack — released the following day on May 13, 2016 and has been available ever since. The developer, Katatema, has never announced any additional content for this game; a sequel (Murasaki Tsurugi) was released in December 2018, but that is a separate title on its own store page. Across nearly a decade on Steam, the only post-launch activity for this game has been minor bug fixes (most recently on May 20, 2026) and a Korean language update on March 6, 2026. These quality-of-life updates reflect ongoing publisher maintenance rather than new content development. The game launched as a finished product and has remained so.
Evidence
The only DLC — the Original Soundtrack — released one day after launch. No unreleased DLC exists.
dlc listing · May 13, 2016 source content shipped
high
Katatema released a sequel, Murasaki Tsurugi, as a separate Steam title. No new content was announced for the original Murasaki.
news post · Dec 19, 2018 source ambiguous
medium

Content

1 of 1 released · no outstanding content

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
PLAYISM
Achievements
48
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player

About this game

A mystical world on the edge of destruction. Unlikely saviors joined by fate and duty. A mission driven by music, magic...and survival.



Murasaki is a hybrid shmup and puzzle game that creates intense and high-speed gameplay against a serene landscape with gorgeous music. With the ability to only fire a single bullet at a time, you must use cunning, angles and timing to survive.
Random shapes will appear as the levels progress: these designs will trigger massive explosions when shot. If you can bounce corresponding shapes off of each other, they'll create a chain reaction that, with a little luck, will wipe the screen. Don't wait too long, because the enemies will overwhelm you in a second!
If you can't get a clear shot, each character has a special attack with limited uses. Use them wisely to get out of a tight situation or to put the finishing blow on one of several bosses!

Characters

Kairi
The older of the heroes, Kairi acts as a big brother, though he's not related to Satsuki. His movements are slow, but his long range shot can reach anywhere on the screen, perfect for ricochet combinations. This however, also means that you don't have rapid shots.
Kairi's special attack is a spiraling explosion that reaches most of the screen. This bomb can absorb enemy's bullets and destroy multiple targets. Use it wisely.



Satsuki
The younger hero, Satsuki is impetuous and headstrong, and it shows in her attack formation. Satsuki can move across the screen quickly, but the range of her shots is very short. Sometimes they won't reach the enemy.
However, using her speedy shots, you can bounce the explosive blocks farther than Kairi, which makes it easier to create a chain attack with other blocks. Just be careful not to bounce them too far, or the explosion won't reach the enemy!
Her special attack is a cross-formation energy wave. It hits harder than Kairi's, but could easily miss if the timing is off. Use it wisely.



Find your center and get into a flowing rhythm of evading and exploding. If you can master the mechanics, Murasaki is insanely satisfying, mixing the mayhem and the tranquil music in a beautiful dissonant clash. Failure means death, swift and painful. Don't look at where the bullets in front of you go: plan for where the explosions will happen afterwards.




There is a long and tragic story within Murasaki: each successful (and even unsuccessful) chapter unlocks new information, history, bios and even musical tracks. To truly understand the full game, you must become an expert with both Kairi AND Satsuki. It's daunting, it's hard, but the satisfaction of a full unlock is unmatched.

Config

You can start a config tool from "Launch Configuration Tool" when you start the game.

Here, you can configure the screen size, BGM/SE ratio, key bindings, etc.


The death of an empire. The rise of darkness. And two heroes alone combat a broken soul.
Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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