Doujin video games, like
doujin soft, began with
microcomputers in Japan, such as the
PC-98 and
PC-88, and spread to platforms such as the
MSX,
FM Towns and
X68000. From the 90's to 00's however, they were primarily exclusive to
Microsoft Windows. In recent years, more doujin games have been released on mobile platforms and home consoles, as well as other operating systems like
macOS and
Linux. later release in form as novelize by PrejectRCL.
Doujin games typically did not get released outside Japan due to language barriers. Recently, Western publishers have been picking up these games for release in other markets, with one of the first known successful examples being ''
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale, developed originally by EasyGameStation in 2007, and then localized and released by Carpe Fulgur in 2010 for English audiences, which had a modest success with over 300,000 units sold in these markets. Recettear
release on the digital storefront Steam, which at the time had begun opening its catalog to third-party developers, further helped to introduce doujin
to the West. This approach has been used to bring other doujin'' games, particularly visual novels and dating sims, to the West. Some titles sell well enough that their creators can make a full-time job out of what is typically an amateur hobby: For example
TYPE-MOON and
07th Expansion originally released games as doujin games. One game,
French-Bread's
brawler Ragnarok Battle Offline, a
homage/
spoof of the
MMORPG Ragnarok Online so impressed
Gravity Corp., the original game's designers, that it has been given an official release outside Japan.
Notable digital doujin game circles •
07th Expansion: specializes in
visual novels, most notable for
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and
Umineko no Naku Koro ni •
ADELTA: specializes in
Boys' love visual novels, most notable for
Hashihime of the Old Book Town •
ABA Games: specializes in
shoot 'em ups with an abstract look. Most of their games are
open source. •
EasyGameStation: produces a wide variety of games, from
brawlers to
role playing games to
strategy games, most notably released ''
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale, the first doujin'' game to be distributed on the
Steam platform overseas to great success •
French Bread: former
doujin studio that specializes in 2D
fighting games •
Team Shanghai Alice: specializes in
curtain fire scrolling shooters, most notable for
Touhou Project •
Twilight Frontier: specializes in a wide variety of games including
fighting games and
platformers •
Type-Moon: former
doujin studio that specializes in
visual novels most notable for
Tsukihime and
Fate franchises •
Yotsubane: Creator of
shoot 'em up Crimzon Clover ==See also==