# HOTARU: The Lost House

> HOTARU: The Lost House (iPhone/iPad app by Kenji Kobayashi.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotaru-the-lost-house/id6770427114 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Kenji Kobayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/535002271)
- Category: Games, Adventure
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 147 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, European Portuguese, Russian and 2 more
- Released: 2026-05-21
- Data updated: 2026-08-01
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotaru-the-lost-house/id6770427114/reviews.md

## What is HOTARU?

A beautiful Japanese house. A creature in the dark. A swarm of light to guide you home.

HOTARU is a first-person walking horror set in an old Japanese house known in folklore as the "mayoiga" — the Lost House. Once the door closes behind you, there is no way back out. Walk by firefly light. Listen for footsteps. Hide when they come close. Find the back gate before the night devours you.

— FOLLOW THE FIREFLIES —
A swarm of fireflies drifts around you. The more you have, the wider your sight, the brighter your path. When a yokai draws near, the fireflies scatter and flicker — your only warning. Replenish them at andon lanterns hidden in the rooms.

— ONE YOKAI PER NIGHT —
Each night brings a different visitor from Japanese folklore. The faceless Nopperabou listens for sound. The eight-foot-tall Hachishaku-sama sees too far. More will come as the nights deepen.

— HIDE. SURVIVE. ESCAPE. —
Slip behind a folding screen. Disappear into a closet. Wait for the footsteps to fade. Then keep walking — the back gate is somewhere in the dark.

— FEATURES —
• First-person 3D horror in a hand-crafted Japanese house
• Fireflies as both your light and your enemy detector
• Multiple yokai with distinct behaviors (more added every update)
• Hide-and-survive tension without jump-scare excess
• Procedurally arranged rooms — each night is a new map
• Picture-book chapters introduce the world (no walls of text)
• Andon safe zones to catch your breath
• Painted-style art direction, Ghibli-inspired atmosphere
• Beautiful starlit skies and gentle ambient soundtrack
• Available in 9 languages: English, 日本語, 中文, 한국어, Deutsch, Français, Español, Português, Русский
• Single player. No internet required after install.

— HOW TO PLAY —
1. Move with the on-screen joystick (left)
2. Look around by swiping (right half of screen)
3. Stay close to your fireflies
4. Watch them flicker — that means something is near
5. Hide in closets when you hear footsteps
6. Find the back gate to clear the night

A short session is 5–15 minutes. Perfect for a moment of quiet dread between trains, before sleep, or on a rainy afternoon.

Free to play, supported by occasional ads. No internet required after install.

Got feedback? Email us at idev10752@gmail.com — we read every message.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.10 — 2026-07-26

Smaller download size and smoother performance.

### 1.0.9 — 2026-06-13

• New: When caught, you can now watch an ad to refill your fireflies and revive — continue the same night instead of starting over.
• Improved ad reliability and minor fixes.

### 1.0.5 — 2026-06-03

NEW: Added a privacy consent prompt where required (EEA/GDPR).
IMPROVED: Ad stability and minor fixes.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-05-27

Maintenance update

### 1.0.3 — 2026-05-25

Fixed an issue where some Simplified Chinese text was not displayed correctly.

## More apps by Kenji Kobayashi

- [CounterParts](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/counterparts/id535002008)
- [Mole Whack](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mole-whack/id6770864132)
- [ISSEN: Samurai Slash](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/issen-samurai-slash/id6772437281)
- [Parcel Pals](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parcel-pals/id6772976470)
- [HAYATE: Katana Racer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hayate-katana-racer/id6775771603)

All apps by Kenji Kobayashi: https://appshunter.io/developer/535002271

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-01.*