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Return from Core

Mine, build, and explore with Monster Girl companions in this underground sandbox adventure. Uncover lost tech, automate production, and forge bonds with allies as you fight to survive and journey back to the surface.

Publisher
Release
July 17, 2025
1 year and 61 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mostly Positive1,818 reviews76.5%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Shochiku is a publicly traded media company.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Shochiku is a publicly traded media company.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Shochiku provides the corporate publishing relationship for this release.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Return from Core and 顽核社 FuncoreClub?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Aug 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The game released with a separate publishing relationship.

Media

11 items

About the Game

Feature Summary

  • Mine endlessly – Swing your pickaxe or blast entire mineral veins for resources

  • Explore a vast underground world – Discover secrets of humanity’s downfall

  • Befriend Monster Girls – Gain allies with unique abilities for battle and life

  • Build your base – Craft, decorate, and create a home underground

  • Automate production – Unlock machines and logistics to accelerate progress

  • Fight powerful enemies – Explore dangerous ruins and forgotten technologies

Full Description

After surface civilization's destruction, you're an underground survivor exploring a world of unknowns and dangers. Wield your pickaxe, explore ruins, befriend Monster Girls, build automated production lines, construct your base, and return to the surface!

Grip your pickaxe and extract abundant underground resources. Chip away at rock walls or use powerful explosives to blast entire mineral veins - enjoy the satisfying destruction. Collect ores and rare materials to fuel construction, production, and equipment upgrades.

Meet Monster Girls with unique abilities during your underground adventures. Each has distinct personalities, but earn their trust and they become powerful combat allies with special exploration skills. They also help at your base with farming, cooking, gathering, and production - boosting your survival efficiency.

The vast underground hides countless secrets and dangers. From deep caverns to forgotten human ruins, fight alongside Monster Girls against powerful creatures, discover scattered lost technologies, and uncover the truth behind humanity's downfall.

Start with just a pickaxe, but master lost technologies to create powerful machinery. Construct automated production and logistics systems to power the super drill and accelerate your surface return.

In this sunless world, a comfortable, functional base ensures survival. Build workbenches, craft furniture, plan production and living areas, defend against underground creatures, and transform a crude cave into a warm home with your Monster Girl companions.

Take up your pickaxe, join your Monster Girl companions, explore underground secrets, and become the first human to return to the surface!

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