A Tale of the Cherry Blossoms and the Sword – High-Difficulty Parry-Focused Action Game “Onikura” Revealed
SHANGHAI – December 8, 2025 – Astrolabe Games today announced Onikura, a highly challenging, parry-focused action game developed by Brazilian studio Too Dark Studios. Onikura is a fast-paced boss-rush title that blends refined Japanese aesthetics with intense, high-speed combat design and precise, snappy controls.
Set to launch in the second half of 2026, Onikura invites players into a rich narrative experience set in Ancient Japan, powered by dynamic, fast-paced combat and kaleidoscopic boss designs.
Wishlist Onikura now on Steam to stay updated. A freshly updated demo is also now available on Steam!
Onikura - Publisher Announcement Trailer
About the Game
Overview
Onikura is a 2D platforming boss-rush action game built around lightning-fast slashes and surgically precise parry actions.
Every clash is a battle for survival – attack, parry, heal, and consume souls to unleash the Samurai’s divine techniques. Each action demands purpose; every misstep can be fatal.
After each victory, choose your next path and grow stronger. The mightier you become, the deadlier your future foes will be.
Story
Since the day Onis rose from the depths of hell, calamity has plagued the land. Even on the rare occasion that one was slain, its soul would simply return to a new body, and the endless cycle of death and devastation continued without pause.
Amid this despair, a divine Sakura tree took root. Blessed by the Gods, this sacred tree is a divine vessel capable of sealing Oni souls and preventing their rebirth. This miracle came to be known as Onikura.
But the Onis still need to be defeated, so brave warriors from every corner of the land took up their swords and set out to destroy the Oni and deliver their souls to the great Sakura tree. But none ever returned – but one.
You are Tensai, the final Onikura Samurai – a human-god resonance born at the village where the divine Sakura tree took root. Your sword is the world’s last hope. You will hunt down the remaining Onis, seal their corrupted souls within Onikura, and bring an end to the cycle once and for all.
Gameplay
Every time an Oni is sealed, its soul is purified by the divine Sakura tree, transforming into Omamori – talismans that bless Tensai with unique abilities.
Before each encounter, freely combine Omamori to forge your own combat style. Will you master flawless parries, sacrifice your life in exchange for deadly strikes, or channel spiritual energy to control the arena from afar?
There is no ultimate build – only your path as the true Onikura Samurai.
Art Style
Featuring meticulously hand-crafted, high-frame pixel art, Onikura fuses oriental elegance with a haunting post-apocalyptic world set in Ancient Japan.
Every duel with the Oni unfolds in a special arena – ruined shrines, war-torn villages, and blood-soaked sakura groves. Each Oni carries its own backstory. Beneath the petals of the divine Sakura Tree, only your brave sword can decide the fate of the world.
