UltraGirl Alters (Demo) First Look

Written by Ross Locksley on 14 Oct 2025

Welcome to the world of UltraGirl Alters, a strategic RPG where you're drafted as a manger for the virtual idol group, Alters. You start the game reporting to the Infi-X HR department, though along the way you'll bump into a mysterious girl who drops her snack before running off. Upon reaching HR you discover this isn't the data research job you thought you were applying for, but an idol operator, which is essentially a manager's position responsible for the groups social media, appearances and daily lives. 

The interactions with the diminutive assistant Droom are actually quite amusing, which is a tribute to the translators - there's a lot of personality evident quite early on, so the process of introducing the world and your role in it is enjoyable rather than a chore.

Could this mysterious beauty possibly pop up again later? 

The game operates in a fixed isometric view in a chibi style - your tasks are pinned to the top right of the screen, while the time is shown on the top left. The icon on the bottom right brings up the menu - it's a clean and easy to navigate interface. You can view items with F while the arrow keys move you around. The text boxes are bumped along by the space bar and again, it's very easy to just pick up and play - the game gives you prompts when needed, while items of interest (such as the object dotted around your hastily constructed dorm room) sparkle to let you know that they can be examined. 

Battles are straightforward - enemies will appear, choose your movement/attack and execute. The neon-soaked display is very appealing.

In the demo you'll meet the ice-queen Nanase and Mitsuki, the ditzy girl you bumped into earlier. The pair will take you through the first fight and introduce the play mechanics for battle. Transforming into Takusatsu style heroines, the UltraGirls take on monsters inside the virtual world. You have a number of attacks that can be deployed, from targeted to area attacks and, when your SP is full, super attacks that fire off a cool animation. It's a pretty simple game to pick up and play, the skill comes from managing your units (though you'll start with just Mitsuki to get used to things) and suppressing enemy movement and attacks. This is really the meat of the demo, getting to sample various scenarios and learning how to get the best from your team.

Once you've won a battle or two, you can upgrade your idols - this involves overall stats, specific attacks and more. 

You can upgrade your team's stats after the missions

You'll spend some time travelling between locations, hopefully a fast-track menu will be available down the line, as running down corridors was fine for the length of the demo, but I can see this becoming cumbersome over time. Thankfully the lifts will take you where you want to go pretty easily and the notifications keep you on track as to where you have to be and why.

The pre-release information promises a darker side to Infi-X, so we'll wait and see just what unfolds - you can never trust big corporations though...

In order to better coordinate, the girls will take part in multiple extra-curricular activities which you can organise to optimise your team. The demo really sorts most of this out for you, so you'll spend time developing the teamwork in the Practice Room before going to the Streaming Room for the latest battle. You'll also manage their social media accounts to bring in fans, making you responsible for the team's image.

The game proper promises side missions which will deal with personal issues the girl face and overcoming them to form unbreakable bonds between the characters. The aim is to complete all the side missions to unlock the "Perfect Ending" wherein the girls form the ultimate idol group. You'll also face challenges such as information leaks, cyberbullying and fan club drama, so the story of all five girls looks to be complex and involving.

It therefore feels very much like a cross between idol management sims like Needy Streamer Overload and Final Fantasy Tactics. 

The game shows plenty of promise - I hope the corridors of Infi-X become a little more populated and the dialogue more varied, but in terms of a time-management SRPG, the combat works well, menus are clear and upgrades feel worthwhile. I love the presentation, it's very cute and lively. The graphics didn't push my Surface laptop particularly, and while I haven't had time to test it on Steam Deck, the simple menu interface shouldn't prove hard to navigate on a smaller screen.

Whether or not the full game will live up to its potential we'll have to wait and see, but I certainly recommend picking up the demo if this is your kind of game - playing giant Tokasatsu girls squashing monsters in the heart of a virtual city while watching them grow closer together could be the feelgood hit of the Autumn.

You can download the UltraGirl Alters demo from Steam. The game launches on October 24th.