OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star Opens Global Pre-Registration
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NHN has opened global pre-registration for OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star, the anime's official puzzle game, with Ai Hoshino outfits and diamonds for 10 pulls.
NHN opened global pre-registration on Tuesday (Oct. 20) for OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star, the first official puzzle game based on the OSHI NO KO TV anime. The title is headed to Android and iOS through Google Play and the App Store with Korean, Japanese, English, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese support, and every player who signs up will receive a launch reward package. NHN has not announced a global release date.
The move marks the international rollout of a game that has been available in Japan since Feb. 25, 2026. Produced by NHN in partnership with Kadokawa, it leans on the match-3 format — in which players connect blocks to clear them — to draw in both anime viewers and readers of the manga created by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The South Korean company announced the pre-registration this week, and Asian outlets reported it on Oct. 20.
How OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star plays
Rather than simply replaying scenes from the show, the game is built as a block-matching puzzler with stage-based progression. Each character has unique skills that can be triggered during matches, along with dedicated animations meant to appeal to fans of the cast. The formula is easy to pick up and gradually more strategic, with obstacles that reward using each character's abilities at the right moment.
Customization is a major selling point. Players can fill the lobby with their favorite characters, dress them in original outfits, and decorate the space with unlockable items. There is also a feature called the Memory Board, which NHN describes as a way to revisit memorable moments from the anime and collect illustrations made specifically for the game. Puzzle, collecting, and nostalgia form the core commercial pitch.
The Memory Board and its ties to the anime
The Memory Board works as an interactive gallery of episodes: instead of merely watching scenes, players unlock them as they progress. It is a common approach in games based on animation franchises, but it carries extra weight in OSHI NO KO, a story built around memory, fame, and appearances in the entertainment industry. For readers who have followed the series since the manga, the feature offers an additional reason to stay after the opening stages.
Progression mixes short stages suited to quick mobile sessions with secondary objectives that encourage replaying levels. That is where the support items included in the pre-registration package come in: they lower the difficulty of certain stages and help players advance without spending premium currency. NHN has not said how many stages the global version will launch with or whether its content will match the Japanese release.
What the pre-registration rewards are
Everyone who registers before the global launch will receive a welcome package. According to NHN, it includes a costume and customization items for Ai Hoshino, the idol from the group B-Komachi, plus diamonds equivalent to ten gacha pulls and support items that make stages easier to clear. The set was detailed on the game's official website and store listings.
There is an important condition attached to the gift. The official site states that the sign-up reward can only be claimed after the player clears Stage 14. The requirement discourages accounts created solely to grab the items and then quit, but it also means the package will not be available on first login. The notice appears prominently on the pre-registration page, next to the app store buttons.
What is included
- Ai Hoshino's costume and customization items, for every registered player;
- Diamonds equivalent to ten pulls in the game's gacha system;
- Support items that help clear and progress through stages;
- Launch notification to download the game as soon as it is available, at no extra cost.
Platforms, languages, and release window
OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star will be free to download on Android and iOS through Google Play and the App Store. NHN confirmed five language variants — Korean, Japanese, English, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese — and said the title has been unified globally as OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star, which should make it easier to find in stores and reduce confusion with unofficial apps circulating on third-party sites.
The company has not set a global release date. In Japan, the game has been running since February, when Kadokawa and NHN launched it. The international version therefore arrives almost eight months after the Japanese market, a period the developer could use to adjust content and events. There is no official word on shared progression between servers or on transferring data from the Japanese version.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Genre | Match-3 puzzle with collectible characters |
| Developer and publisher | NHN, in partnership with Kadokawa |
| Platforms | Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store) |
| Languages | Korean, Japanese, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese |
| Global pre-registration | Opened Oct. 20, 2026 |
| Japan launch | Feb. 25, 2026 |
| Global launch | Not yet announced |
What pre-registration actually means
In mobile games, pre-registration is both a marketing tool and a planning device. Signing up shows interest without any payment and gives the user a notification when the title goes live. For the developer, the number of sign-ups serves as a gauge for server capacity, user-acquisition campaigns, and even the volume of events in the first month.
For OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star, registering does not guarantee early access: the game can only be downloaded once NHN opens it in the stores. There is also no information about milestone rewards, the mechanic in which a total number of sign-ups unlocks extra gifts for everyone. If the company adopts that model, prizes are usually announced on official social channels and the website as targets are met.
The diamonds equivalent to ten pulls point to a gacha system, in which players spend currency to obtain characters or items. NHN has not disclosed drop rates, bundle prices, or how often summoning events will run. Those details matter to free-to-play players, who tend to assess how generous the economy is before committing time to an account.
From Japan to the world
The Japanese launch was announced in February by Kadokawa and NHN, which at the time confirmed international expansion plans without setting a deadline. The expectation was that a global version would arrive in 2026, and that is now materializing at least at the pre-registration stage. Opening sign-ups in October lets the company measure interest before fixing the final date and the scale of promotional campaigns.
For Western markets, the game arrives while the anime is riding high. The third season aired in the first quarter of 2026 and a fourth season has already been confirmed, keeping the franchise in the news. The portal tracks premiere dates in its anime section, and interest in mobile adaptations has grown among Asian studios seeking recurring revenue from well-known intellectual property.
Who is behind the game
NHN is a South Korean technology and gaming company with operations in internet services, payments, and digital entertainment. On this project, it shares responsibilities with Kadokawa, the Japanese publisher that holds part of the franchise rights and appears alongside NHN in the official credits. The arrangement follows a common model in Japan: the IP holder licenses characters and oversees fidelity to the source material, while the developer handles production, operations, and monetization.
That setup helps explain the attention to visuals. The outfits seen in promotional images reproduce the anime's style, and the exclusive illustrations were made for the game rather than cropped from the series. Kadokawa's editorial supervision tends to rule out uses that contradict the work, which usually pleases demanding fans but can limit the developer's creative freedom for special events.
A crowded market
Match-3 puzzles are among the most competitive mobile genres, with established titles that have held top store positions for years. Anime-based games try to stand out through emotional attachment to the characters rather than mechanics alone. NHN is betting that the OSHI NO KO cast, the memory gallery, and collectible outfits will be enough to retain players after the novelty wears off.
Success, however, depends on factors beyond the brand: update frequency, a balanced in-game economy, support across devices, and localization quality. The global version will need to run well on mid-range phones, the segment that concentrates most players in countries such as Brazil. So far, NHN has not published minimum system requirements or the download size.
Why OSHI NO KO still matters
Created by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, OSHI NO KO follows idol Ai Hoshino and her children, Aqua and Ruby, in a story that exposes the inner workings of the entertainment industry. The work gained attention for blending family drama, suspense, and a critique of celebrity culture — themes that connect directly with the young audience that plays mobile games.
That appeal explains why NHN picked the title for one of its biggest global puzzle launches based on an anime. The South Korean company, traditionally associated with online games and IT services, is betting on brand strength to compete in a segment dominated by block-matching titles. Its strategy includes seasonal events and crossovers, a staple of the genre, though the company has not detailed its post-launch calendar.
"Pre-registration has opened ahead of the global release of OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star, the first official puzzle game based on the popular TV anime. We have prepared special rewards for players around the world, including a costume and customization items for B-Komachi Ai, so please look forward to it."
How to pre-register
Sign-ups go through the game's official website, which directs users to Google Play or the App Store depending on their device. The process is free and does not require a pre-order purchase. Here is the step-by-step:
- Visit the official OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star pre-registration page;
- Choose the store that matches your phone (Google Play or App Store);
- Tap "Pre-register" and confirm with your store account;
- Wait for the availability notification and install the game at launch;
- Clear Stage 14 to claim the welcome package.
Players who already use their phone for other Kadokawa games should check that the store account is the same one they intend to use, since rewards are usually tied to the profile. NHN has not said whether the package will remain available for a limited time after installation, which reinforces the advice to claim the items as soon as possible.
What to expect before launch
With pre-registration open, the next relevant announcement should be the global date and possibly milestone targets — a mechanic in which the number of sign-ups unlocks extra rewards for everyone. Until then, the official website holds the verified information, and players should be wary of supposed codes or early builds circulating on social media, a recurring practice around mobile game launches.
For anime and puzzle fans, OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star arrives as a collecting option backed by one of the most talked-about franchises of recent years. Follow the latest on games and pop culture to find out when NHN confirms the global release date.
Sources: Inven Global and the official OSHI NO KO Puzzle Star website.
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