Drillimation Announces Touhou Meishuugeki ~ Cursed Sweeper and Bewildering Parallel

Over the past week, Drillimation Systems has officially pulled back the curtain on their latest project, Touhou Meishuugeki ~ Cursed Sweeper and Bewildering Parallel. Following a playable debut at the Pittsburgh Anime Fest last weekend, this upcoming manic shooter marks a significant new entry in the Drillimation Danmaku Universe.

The title serves as a rebound project after the disastrous launch of Touhou Chouhatsuyou ~ Burgeoning Tresses of Longevity last spring, featuring a brand new engine inspired by Danmakufu to provide a more authentic and polished danmaku experience.

A World Infected by Glohm

The game’s plot centers on a mysterious substance known as glohm. Created by the Gensokyo Socialite Order, this infection causes victims to seek total isolation from society. The outbreak begins in a mansion near the town of Yumemura, which was first featured in Touhou Kichouden ~ Mythos of Phantasmagoria 2. Fusana Midorigawa, the mansion’s maid, becomes the first to contract the substance.

As of the first playable build, Reimu Hakurei is the only playable character at the moment, but Drillimation has plans to add three more playable characters as development progresses. The character’s main goal is to investigate the origins of the glohm after being warned of the spreading danger.

Gameplay Evolution

Cursed Sweeper and Bewildering Parallel retains the classic manic shooter DNA while introducing several key mechanical shifts:

• Unlike its predecessors, player health and lives are now distinct systems, and players only lose a life once their health bar is depleted.
• The game will include a mechanic inspired by the time mechanic from Touhou 8: Imperishable Night, where in-game time advances based on player performance. This system is still in its research stages.
• Most of the graphics have been completely revamped for a more detailed look.
• The full release will feature four playable characters, each with unique attack styles and scenarios.
• The game is planned to have fourteen playable stages, which will include six daytime stages, an extra stage, six nighttime stages, and a phantasm stage, a first for a Drillimation game.

Production Insights

The game’s development began in late 2025 during the final stages of their previous game, Shining Shattering Sky ~ Reverie of Breaking Unreality. The game’s concept was conceived as a way to help Drillimation recover following the poorly-received launch of Burgeoning Tresses of Longevity earlier that year. While pre-production began in November of that year, the team spent three months redeveloping the engine, and the game’s development did not actually begin until this past January. Remarkably, the team prepared the playable prototype in just one week to ensure it would be ready in time for the Pittsburgh Anime Fest.

The game’s development highlights a unique chapter for Drillimation Systems. The studio is hoping to get the game finished and launched by the second half of this year.