ABOUT YOKAI MATCH

Welcome to Yokai Match, a puzzle game set in the world of Japanese folklore where restless spirits roam, a fox deity named Inari keeps watch, and every match you make brings you deeper into the stories that have haunted and delighted people for centuries. Step through the torii gate, clear the tiles, and meet the yokai waiting on the other side.

Influences

The yokai in this game are real figures from Japanese folklore. I spent a lot of time with the scholarship, especially the work of Michael Dylan Foster, whose writing on yokai explores two different ways we engage with them: the ludic (playful, game-like, collecting and categorizing) and the encyclopedic (the deep human need to name, document, and understand uncanny things). Yokai Match tries to live in both of those spaces at once. You're matching tiles, yes, but Inari is also teaching you something true.

The visual tradition behind these creatures is centuries old. Artists like Toriyama Sekien were classifying and illustrating yokai in the 1700s, and creators like Matthew Meyer have carried that spirit into the present day. I'm standing on a lot of shoulders here, and I mean that with real gratitude.

Gameplay and philosophy

Inari guides you through the game not as a gimmick but as a presence. The shrine mechanic, the arc reveals, the quiet reflections she offers at the end of each chapter and most importantly, the yokai. Those are the parts I cared about most. I wanted players to feel like they learned something, not just cleared a board. That’s why I handcoded this game with love at my kitchen table. It’s my second app ever and I still work on it around my day job, but it’s my passion.

No ads. No timers. No energy systems. No data collection. Not vibecoded. Just you, the spirits, and the stories they carry.

If you love Japanese language and games as much as I do, my friend is doing something wonderful over at Videogame Nihongo, where you can learn Japanese through video games. Worth a visit!