{"id":6282,"date":"2026-07-23T08:17:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T00:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/gurei-steam-launch-july-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T08:17:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T00:17:20","slug":"gurei-steam-launch-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/gurei-steam-launch-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Gurei Launches on Steam Today \u2014 Slay the Kami in This Gorgeous Hand-Drawn Samurai Action Game"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Singapore samurai game fans, today&#8217;s the day. <strong>Gurei<\/strong>, a hand-drawn action game steeped in Japanese mythology, has launched on <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2191280\/Gurei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steam<\/a> from developer <strong>Lobo Sagaz Studio<\/strong> and publisher <strong>Astrolabe Games<\/strong>. The game is live right now globally \u2014 SG players can pick it up and start their spiritual duel with the Kami immediately.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_ss1.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gurei \u2014 combat screenshot showing Rei facing a towering Kami boss\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Astrolabe Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>A Spirit on a Mission: What Is Gurei?<\/h2>\n<p>You play as <strong>Rei<\/strong>, a human spirit trapped between the world of the living and the spirit realm, tasked with hunting down and defeating a roster of Kami \u2014 powerful supernatural entities drawn from Japanese mythology. Rather than following a linear path, Gurei drops you into a surreal castle and lets you choose which Kami to face first. The twist: each opponent grows stronger the further you progress, so the order in which you fight matters as much as the build you create.<\/p>\n<p>Defeating a Kami doesn&#8217;t just clear the encounter \u2014 it earns you that Kami&#8217;s unique skill. Chain enough wins together and you can craft a genuinely personalised combat style from a mix of enhanced dashes, healing powers, and execution-style finishing moves. Better still, every Kami you defeat sticks around as a ghostly companion, offering lore fragments, mechanical tips, and the occasional sarcastic aside as you work your way deeper into the castle.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gt-video\">\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QVC1dRZ2nZk\" title=\"Gurei | Steam PC | Announcement Trailer\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" allow=\"accelerometer;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture;web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption>Gurei | Steam PC | Announcement Trailer \u2014 via Astrolabe Games on YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Japanese Mythology Meets Hand-Drawn Art<\/h2>\n<p>Gurei&#8217;s clearest selling point is its art direction. Every character, background, and animation is hand-drawn with a predominantly grey palette that gives the game a woodblock-print quality \u2014 think <em>Samurai Jack<\/em> filtered through classic chanbara cinema. The Kami designs lean into actual Japanese folklore, so players who grew up on anime and manga will recognise the inspirations even as the game puts its own spin on them.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_ss2.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gurei \u2014 hand-drawn environment in the spirit castle\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Astrolabe Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The core loop \u2014 sword attacks, precise dodges, head stomps, and situational skills \u2014 is deliberately unforgiving. Critics who&#8217;ve played early builds describe it as demanding but fair, with a dynamic difficulty curve that punishes recklessness while rewarding players who study each Kami&#8217;s patterns before committing. Early impressions from <a href=\"https:\/\/checkpointgaming.net\/reviews\/2026\/07\/gurei-review-death-is-not-the-end\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Checkpoint Gaming<\/a> note that the steep skill curve suits veterans of games like Sekiro, though newcomers may need patience to find their footing.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_ss3.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gurei \u2014 Rei executing a finishing move against a Kami\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Astrolabe Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Non-Linear Boss Rush Done Right<\/h2>\n<p>What separates Gurei from the standard boss-rush formula is the way difficulty scales to your path rather than a fixed number. Face a weaker Kami late in your run and it will have grown alongside your power \u2014 keeping every encounter meaningful regardless of when you arrive. This design means no two playthroughs feel identical, and players chasing the perfect skill combination have genuine incentive to revisit.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_ss4.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gurei \u2014 Kami companion following Rei through the spirit castle\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Astrolabe Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The companion system adds unexpected warmth: the Kami you defeat narrate their own mythologies, squabble with each other, and comment on your playstyle. It&#8217;s an unusual way to deliver lore, but one that fits a game about a spirit literally collecting supernatural allies.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Grab Gurei in Singapore<\/h2>\n<p>Gurei is <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2191280\/Gurei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">available now on Steam<\/a> at USD 14.39 \u2014 check the Steam listing for the current SGD price. PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions have been announced but remain TBA; check the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.astrolabe-games.ca\/gurei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Astrolabe Games site<\/a> for updates on those. In the meantime, the Steam version is fully playable with controller support, making it a comfortable couch experience for players in Singapore who prefer gamepad over keyboard-and-mouse.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_ss5.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gurei \u2014 wide shot of a boss arena in the spirit realm\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Astrolabe Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For more Japan-culture game releases and <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/game-news\/\">gaming news<\/a> for Singapore fans, keep an eye on GameTrader.SG \u2014 we&#8217;ll cover the console release dates as soon as Astrolabe confirms them.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Video games\" flags=\"none\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gurei is out now on Steam \u2014 a hand-drawn samurai action game where you fight Kami from Japanese mythology in any order and steal their powers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[11],"tags":[888,889,886,83,887,124],"class_list":["post-6282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-news","tag-action-games","tag-astrolabe-games","tag-gurei","tag-indie-games","tag-japanese-mythology","tag-steam"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gurei_header.jpg?fit=460%2C215&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-1Dk","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4544,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/hantu-and-hunted-singapore-horror-prop-hunt-gameplay-reveal\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":0},"title":"Hantu and Hunted: Singapore Studio Zeevium Games Drops Gameplay Reveal","date":"June 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Singapore developer Zeevium Games reveals gameplay for Hantu and Hunted \u2014 an asymmetric horror prop hunt featuring Southeast Asian ghosts like Pocong and Kuntilanak. Wishlist now on Steam.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/hantu-and-hunted-gameplay-ss1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5868,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/blazblue-entropy-effect-x-platinum-switch-2-august-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":1},"title":"BlazBlue: Entropy Effect X Heads to Switch 2 on 13 August \u2014 Platinum Joins Free","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"BlazBlue: Entropy Effect X comes to Nintendo Switch 2 on 13 August, with Platinum joining as a free new character across all platforms on the same day. Switch owners can upgrade for US$1.99.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blazblue-entropy-effect-x-platinum-key-art.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5722,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/denshattack-launches-switch-2-ps5-steam-july-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":2},"title":"Denshattack! Launches Tomorrow on Switch 2, PS5 and Steam","date":"July 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Denshattack! drops July 15 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox and Steam \u2014 grind and trick a customised train through neon Japanese cities, Day 1 on Game Pass.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/denshattack-ss1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5421,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/ghost-of-tsushima-legends-anime-crunchyroll-2027\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":3},"title":"Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Anime Coming to Crunchyroll in 2027","date":"July 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Aniplex and Crunchyroll announce a Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime series for 2027, with Gen Urobuchi on script and KAMIKAZE DOUGA animating.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ghost-tsushima-legends-anime-key-art.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5628,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/dragonsword-awakening-steam-july-23-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":4},"title":"DragonSword: Awakening Launches 23 July on Steam \u2014 No Gacha, Just Action","date":"July 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The ex-Dragon Nest team at Hound13 launches DragonSword: Awakening on 23 July \u2014 an anime open-world RPG on Steam with no gacha, 19 heroes, and tag-team combat built on Unreal Engine 5.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dragonsword-awakening-key-art.jpg?fit=460%2C215&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5812,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/hell-maiden-steam-early-access-july-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6282,"position":5},"title":"Hell Maiden Hits Steam Early Access Tomorrow &#8212; Dante&#8217;s Inferno Gets an Anime Makeover","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"AstralShift's Hell Maiden \u2014 a Vampire Survivors-style horde survival deck-builder set in a reimagined Divine Comedy, with an opening theme by Mili \u2014 enters Steam Early Access on 16 July.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hell-maiden-steam-capsule-astralshift.jpg?fit=460%2C215&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}