“R” You Serious? CAVE Touhou Mobile Game to Carry Restricted Rating on App Stores

The new Touhou Project mobile game from CAVE, said to be a gacha game, will reportedly carry a restricted rating, not just because of the gacha mechanics that are considered gambling, but in-game screenshots that were leaked include many bosses that are not humanoid, leading to some believing that it could contain nudity or bloody images.

We’re not sure about profanity and substance abuse, but many are questioning why a restricted rating as opposed to a PG-13-level rating. Sure, there are Touhou Project fangames on mobile and consoles with that lower rating, but asking the director to remove those naughty bits from it is like changing the whole intention of a game.

The truth about restricted ratings is consumers need to be 17 or older to purchase it, and due to the Touhou Project franchise catering to otaku, the majority of people playing this game will likely be males in their 20s and 30s. Market research shows that people in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States think the PG-13 rating is important for adults. They sometimes use the R rating as a guide to not buy or play games with that rating. The majority of these people originate from church families, and it wouldn’t be in soccer moms’ favors because it interferes with their religious values.

Even if their teens may love the game, I myself am questioning on why the game was given a restricted rating. Touhou Project is a game that people of all ages are obsessed with. The majority of that franchise consists of fanworks. While most of the official games are appropriate for most ages, others (particularly the fighting games) go up the scale. Fangames could go up even higher.

Video game ratings are not judgment values, and are intended to educate parents about the intensity of certain elements that warrant careful considerations before allowing their kids to play. Sometimes, ratings between games in one long-running franchise can be no different. Take a look at Touhou Gensou Rondo for example. It was rated PG when it launched, meaning most players could play it. What about Touhou Koubutou V? It got a PG-13 rating, and that rating means anyone can buy a copy even though it isn’t recommended for the younger ones.

UPDATE (06/18/2024): We later learned one of the reasons it got a restricted rating, and that is due to it having an R-Rated Opening that depicts an attack on Gensokyo.