JAST has reaffirmed its plans to release nurturing simulation game Machine Child in English, confirming that the title is expected to arrive in 2026 following its recent launch in Japan. While a specific release date has not been locked in, the publisher has opened the game’s Steam page for wishlisting and is accepting pre orders via the JAST store.
Machine Child is pitched as a daughter raising simulation from artist Oyari Ashito, positioned in the same genre lineage as titles such as Princess Maker. As with other nurturing sims, players guide a girl through her daily life by scheduling her activities across days, weeks and months. Choices around education, work, leisure and social interaction influence her skills, relationships and eventual future, with multiple endings available based on how she is raised.
Where many games in the genre focus on a single child, Machine Child centres on three different daughters, each with their own personality. Froline is presented as a gentle and straightforward girl who embodies a traditionally feminine demeanour. Cordelia is described as slightly cheeky and overconfident but kind at heart. Chole is portrayed as a young lady with a gentle personality and a strong sense of maternal warmth. Across repeated playthroughs, players can raise each girl and pursue different developmental paths.
In the world of Machine Child, players live in a quaint town and shape their daughter’s future through the skills she learns and the bonds she forms. Town rumours play a mechanical role, acting as a key to unlocking special events as the years pass. The game features 22 endings in total, each linked to one of the Major Arcana cards from the tarot deck, giving a clear thematic identity to each possible destiny.
As is typical with games of the genre, dress up and interaction systems expand on the day to day routine. Each daughter has access to dozens of unlockable outfits that can be obtained through shops or triggered by events. On the home screen, the girl responds with dynamic voiced lines that change according to her affection level, reinforcing the sense that her personality is evolving in response to the player’s decisions. A dedicated vacation system allows families to travel on holiday, unlocking commemorative images as mementos of those trips. Each daughter has five seasonal CG illustrations tied to this feature, covering Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and a Special scene.
Tarot mechanics are woven into progression. Players can spend accumulated “Inspiration” to draw tarot cards that apply unique effects, influencing how a run unfolds. The 22 tarot linked endings are described as including both fulfilling resolutions and more unexpected outcomes, encouraging experimentation with different routes and priorities.
