Shades of Sakura on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Shades of Sakura is a casual physics-based puzzle game. Challenge yourself to get 10 animated scenes with Live2D. Go on a fascinating journey through ancient Japan and our Samurai girls. Connect the balls by drawing lines to win!
Shades of Sakura is a dating sim game
developed and published by BanzaiProject.
Released on July 22nd 2021 is available only on Windows
in 29 languages: English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese - Portugal, Portuguese - Brazil, Romanian, Spanish - Latin America, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
It has received 556 reviews of which 394 were positive and 162 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.8 out of 10. 😐
The game is currently priced at 1.59€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Shades of Sakura into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Shades of Sakura through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS: WIN8/WIN10
- Processor: 1.2 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 9 compatible graphics card
- Storage: 2 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Shades of Sakura, developed and published by BanzaiProject, is an erotic visual novel that blends ancient Japanese aesthetics with fantasy elements and adult themes to deliver a visually stylized and provocative experience. As part of the wider trend of adult-oriented visual novels, Shades of Sakura attempts to carve its niche by marrying explicit content with a story set in a mythical version of feudal Japan, where samurai, spirits, and sensuality intertwine. While it’s clear that the game’s primary focus is on delivering adult scenes, there’s also an earnest effort to weave in character development, worldbuilding, and atmosphere that helps elevate it above the level of a basic hentai game. The story follows a disgraced young warrior who is given a second chance at redemption, set in a mystical version of Japan where supernatural forces and traditional folklore play a heavy role. After being accused of betrayal, the protagonist finds himself in the company of a group of powerful and alluring kunoichi—female ninjas—each with their own mysterious pasts and motivations. Together, they must confront a growing evil threatening the land, all while navigating intense interpersonal (and often intimate) dynamics. The premise sets the stage for a mixture of action, mysticism, and romance, even if it often gives way to erotic escapades as the central appeal. From a gameplay standpoint, Shades of Sakura is a kinetic visual novel with some branching dialogue and choice-based mechanics, though the core experience is more about unlocking scenes and progressing through a linear narrative rather than shaping a dramatically different storyline. Choices mostly influence which romantic routes and erotic scenes are unlocked, giving players some degree of agency, but the overall arc of the story remains consistent. There’s a mild sense of progression in getting to know each of the kunoichi more personally and uncovering their backstories, which is a welcome addition and gives the game some emotional texture beyond its adult content. Visually, the game stands out with its anime-inspired character art and backgrounds that are heavily influenced by traditional Japanese design. Character models are beautifully rendered, with smooth animations and attention to anatomical detail that clearly shows a high production value for its genre. The mix of traditional attire, supernatural elements, and seductive visuals makes for a striking aesthetic. CG scenes are abundant and detailed, featuring a variety of scenarios that cater to different preferences, all drawn in a consistent and high-quality style. The overall presentation is polished, with a clean user interface and a respectable level of artistic craftsmanship. The soundtrack and sound design do a solid job of supporting the setting and mood. Traditional Japanese instruments are featured prominently in the background music, lending an air of authenticity and immersion to the mythological world the game is set in. Sound effects are used sparingly but effectively during key narrative or intimate moments, though like many visual novels in this category, the game lacks full voice acting—a point that may disappoint players accustomed to voiced dialogue in higher-end titles. However, the tone and pacing of the dialogue help compensate, and the text is clear, readable, and mostly well-localized, with only a few occasional grammatical hiccups. The writing in Shades of Sakura leans into its fantasy roots while also being unapologetically adult. It doesn’t try to hide what it is, but it does make an effort to flesh out its characters and setting. While the writing isn’t particularly groundbreaking, it’s serviceable and occasionally dips into moments of genuine character interaction and emotional nuance. The kunoichi aren’t just visual archetypes—they have distinct personalities, motivations, and relationships with the protagonist, which helps add depth to the erotic content. That said, the balance is still clearly tilted toward fan service, and the plot often takes a backseat when the opportunity for sensual encounters arises. One of the main strengths of the game is its accessibility and approachability. Unlike many adult visual novels that rely heavily on obscure fetish content or convoluted lore, Shades of Sakura presents itself as straightforward and easy to get into. Its blend of familiar fantasy tropes, accessible narrative, and high-quality artwork makes it a solid entry point for players curious about the adult visual novel genre. It also offers replayability through route variation, encouraging multiple playthroughs to unlock all scenes and endings, although the core story doesn’t change drastically. However, the game is not without its shortcomings. Players seeking a deeply layered narrative or high-stakes drama might find the story lacking in complexity. The combat and action elements are hinted at more than they are shown, and the mystical themes, while intriguing, often serve as decorative framing for the erotic content rather than fully realized plot points. Additionally, the lack of voiced characters limits emotional engagement, especially during more intense or romantic moments. Still, these weaknesses are balanced by the game’s visual strengths and its self-awareness of what it aims to be. In conclusion, Shades of Sakura is a stylish, adult-oriented visual novel that succeeds in combining high-quality art with a light fantasy narrative and sensual storytelling. It’s not trying to revolutionize the genre, but it does aim to provide an immersive, aesthetically pleasing experience that’s both erotic and narratively coherent. For fans of hentai games who appreciate a touch of fantasy and mythology alongside their adult content, Shades of Sakura offers a polished and enjoyable ride. It may not have the deepest story or the most interactive gameplay, but it delivers confidently on its promise: a seductive journey through a mystical land of danger, desire, and redemption. Rating: 7/10
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Even though Shades of Sakura is marketed as some cheap sexy game, there's actually much more to it. I really enjoyed the dialogues. All the characters are very polite and thoughtful. There's a lot of food for thought and sometimes witty humor. Here are some of my favorite lines from just the first part of the game: "I'm always prepared to attack. What I'm not prepared for is the life of a peasant or someone's wife." "After you think about it, decide. And after you do so, don't think about it." "It's easy to let go of all the negativity of previous days and reconnect with being. The world as its creator intended it to be. Quiet and peaceful." "You quote the classics, and yet you don't understand human feelings." "The sea is big. because it doesn't neglect small rivers." The gameplay was pleasant with its easy physics puzzles where you can draw whatever you feel like. The puzzles seem to be related to the story, but this is not very obvious. The music is very chill as well. definitely buying the soundtrack during the next sale.
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Shades of Sakura is a puzzle game all about using the power of physics and drawing to make two yin yang balls meet. The game has 40 levels, most of them having some story/visual novel elements in between them. To beat a level, you have to move one or both of the yin yang balls by creating distinct shapes with your mouse, as if you were drawing. The game isn't all too hard but if you do struggle with a level or just want to see the animated scenes, there is a skip button. Otherwise, the game isn't bad at all. Though simple, it was rather relaxing and satisfying to figure out all the puzzles!
Expand the review
+++ easy, fast & cheap 100 % Steam Achievements +++ 5 Trading Cards Set = Perfect Good for Achievements Hunters, Card & Games Collectors + Indie Genre Fans https://store.steampowered.com/app/1678140/Shades_of_Sakura/
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Frequently Asked Questions
Shades of Sakura is currently priced at 1.59€ on Steam.
Shades of Sakura is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 1.59€ on Steam.
Shades of Sakura received 394 positive votes out of a total of 556 achieving a rating of 6.78.
😐
Shades of Sakura was developed and published by BanzaiProject.
Shades of Sakura is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Shades of Sakura is not playable on MacOS.
Shades of Sakura is not playable on Linux.
Shades of Sakura is a single-player game.
There are 3 DLCs available for Shades of Sakura. Explore additional content available for Shades of Sakura on Steam.
Shades of Sakura does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Shades of Sakura does not support Steam Remote Play.
Shades of Sakura is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Shades of Sakura.
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The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 08 September 2025 15:33 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 11 September 2025 08:28 |
| Steam price | 15 September 2025 04:50 |
| Steam reviews | 13 September 2025 06:08 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Shades of Sakura, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Shades of Sakura
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Shades of Sakura concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Shades of Sakura compatibility
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Developer
BanzaiProject
Publisher
BanzaiProject
Release
22 Jul 2021
Platforms