Another Censored Visual Novel on Steam Sparks Debate Over Global Standards

On May 29, Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka-, a visual novel developed by Frontwing, launched for PC—but not without controversy. The game quickly drew attention for being yet another censored visual novel on Steam, with a significant portion of its story removed in the name of “worldwide ethical standards.”

According to Frontwing’s official statement, the Steam version does not include the full narrative. Players who want to experience the game as intended must download a separate expansion patch, which restores the cut content excluded from the Steam release.

Meanwhile, the versions available on DLsite and DMM include the complete game from the start and are uncensored. However, these platforms are region-locked, meaning that international players—especially those outside Japan—are forced to use Steam and install the patch manually if they want the full experience.

Why Was Perennial Dusk Censored on Steam?

Just two days before launch, the game’s official X (formerly Twitter) account announced that content had been removed from the Steam version to align with what it called “globally relevant ethical standards.” This points to Steam’s increasing regulation of content that may be seen as sensitive or controversial—even when it isn’t explicitly graphic.

The Steam store page describes Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka- as a kinetic novel with an intense narrative, featuring strong violence, blood, harsh language, and references to drugs and alcohol. Despite that, the uncensored DLsite version is tagged as “All Ages,” raising questions about whether the cut material was actually inappropriate—or whether Japanese audiences are simply allowed to see what others are not.

So What Exactly Was Removed?

There’s been no official word on which parts of the story were cut, but comments from the development team suggest that the narrative includes dark psychological themes. This implies the censorship may have been based more on emotional intensity than on explicit content.

A quick look at the game confirms that Perennial Dusk is not an eroge—there are no hentai or adult scenes. The controversy lies purely in the story itself. So, if you’re buying the game on Steam, be aware that you’ll need to apply the expansion patch manually to experience the full plot—something that users of DLsite and DMM don’t have to worry about.