Eleven reviews. One hundred seventy-five concurrent players. One hundred percent positive rating. In a launch week crowded with zeroes, Yokai Art 2: Tales of the Nine-Tails is putting numbers on the board — small numbers, but clean ones.

Secret Labo’s sequel dropped April 26 on Steam at $8.79 (a 12% launch discount off $9.99), and early players are zeroed in on the pitch: Plants vs. Zombies mechanics wrapped in a Chinese and Japanese yokai aesthetic. “This game is really fun and feels similar to Plants vs. Zombies, but the Yokai theme makes it fresh and interesting. I love it,” wrote one player with an hour logged. Another kept it simpler: “Another successful sequel based on the PvZ inspiration game.”

The original Yokai Art: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons landed in 2022 and built a respectable following — roughly 1,112 reviews sitting at around 90% positive, according to its Steam page. The sequel isn’t rewriting the formula. It’s tightening it: same lane-defense tactical gameplay, a new campaign following hero Hiro and his ally Sanbi on a quest tied to the nine-tailed fox mythos.

A demo released in June 2025 posted 82% positive from 47 reviews, per Niklas Notes, suggesting the audience was already paying attention before launch day.

Eleven reviews is a small sample — no argument. But zeroes are louder. In a field where indie sequels routinely launch to silence, Yokai Art 2 has players showing up and liking what they find. The $9.99 asking price is honest, the premise is clear, and the execution is landing.

That’s the bar. This one clears it.

Sources