The legendary Persona and SMT artist brings his signature dark flair to a brand-new game, and this time, he’s got an AI version of himself helping out.
Kazuma Kaneko, the visionary artist behind Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, is officially back in the spotlight. After years of silence following his departure from Atlus, Kaneko has teamed up with mobile and PC game developer Colopl to unveil Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter, a stylish new roguelite deckbuilder that fuses dungeon crawling, card-based combat, and AI-generated artwork based on Kaneko’s iconic style.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, players step into the shoes of an operative from the secretive government agency “Tsukuyomi,” tasked with infiltrating The Hashira, a colossal, high-tech tower sealed off by nightmarish entities. The residents are trapped, and it’s up to you to ascend floor by floor using a custom-built deck of cards in turn-based battles.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature is the implementation of “AI Kaneko,” a custom generative system trained on dozens of illustrations made specifically for the game. As players progress, the AI analyzes gameplay decisions — from enemy encounters to dialogue choices — and responds by crafting entirely new cards, each with original effects and names. Even the artwork is generated in Kaneko’s style, using a model refined through hundreds of thousands of iterations.
“I didn’t feel any aversion to what the AI output,” Kaneko told 4Gamer. “Even if you ask me and AI Kaneko to draw based on the same theme, the results will differ. It’s just data — not something to be afraid of.”
Announced on March 31, Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter marks Kaneko’s first major project since joining Colopl in 2023. Originally teased as “Project MASK,” the game is slated for release on PC via Steam, iOS, and Android. English language support is already confirmed. Below an overview, screens and trailer.
About This Game
■ Deckbuilding Roguelike
In this dungeon-exploration game, players use a variety of cards with different abilities to battle enemies and make their way forward. Each run is unique—the types of cards you acquire and the structure of the dungeon change every time you play.
Lose a battle, and everything you’ve gained during that run will be lost.
■ Battle System
Combat unfolds as a turn-based card battle. Players draw cards at random from their deck and must adapt their strategy to the current situation. Each turn, you can take a single action: attack or defend using a card from your hand.
■ Dungeon Exploration
While exploring, you’ll encounter branching paths and various events that require you to make key decisions.
Each choice you make may significantly affect the outcome of your journey…
■ Story
In Tokyo’s bayside area stands “THE HASHIRA,” a state-of-the-art, ultra-high-rise complex. The tower has become a sealed-off space crawling with monstrous beings.
To eliminate the target lurking at the very top, Tsukuyomi, an elite organization sworn to protect the nation, begins its mission—
