Super Real Mahjong Venus Returns: 33.8 million yen crowdfunding and Steam hit in Japan
Super Real Mahjong Venus Returns raised 33.8 million yen on Campfire and reportedly topped Japan’s Steam bestseller chart.
- The revival was crowdfunded in Japan via Campfire and raised 33.8 million yen, or about $216,000, reaching 1,690% of its goal.
- According to the provided sources, the game then climbed to the top of Japan’s Steam bestseller list.
What happened
Super Real Mahjong Venus Returns has launched as a new entry in the Super Real Mahjong series, a franchise that began in the late 1980s. The game mixes mahjong with comic and sexual content: players face off against four female characters, and when they win, the characters remove clothing until they are naked.
The revival was funded in Japan through the crowdfunding platform Campfire. The campaign raised 33.8 million yen, which the source material converts to roughly $216,000. That total reportedly came to 1,690% of the original goal.
After that, the title surfaced as a surprise in Japan’s Steam sales rankings. The source says the game reached the top of Steam’s bestseller list in Japan, but does not specify whether that was a daily, weekly, or other chart, or how long it stayed there.
Producer Kentaro Matsui linked the success to the series’ history. In the quoted material provided, he describes Super Real Mahjong as a legendary strip-mahjong series that stood out in the arcade and PC era because the characters moved smoothly, almost like an anime. Another quote has Matsui looking back on his youth, saying he was “hopelessly devoted” to the girls in the game and spent his allowance on repeated playthroughs.
Timeline
Late 1980s — The Super Real Mahjong series begins on PC and in arcades.
Campaign period in Japan — Campfire crowdfunding for the Super Real Mahjong Venus Returns revival raises 33.8 million yen.
After crowdfunding — The game launches on Steam and, according to the source, reaches the top of Japan’s bestseller chart.
Background
The provided sources frame Super Real Mahjong as a series with strong nostalgic appeal for players who remember the arcade and PC versions from the late 1980s and 1990s. Matsui explicitly points to that history as part of the series’ identity, noting that the character animation was unusually smooth for the era compared with many other pixel-art games.
There is also mention that the planned revival would support both traditional displays and VR. However, the available source does not make clear whether VR was a full game mode, an optional feature, or simply something planned for release.