The first phase of the Astral Party x Magical Girl Witch Trials collaboration will begin on September 3, 2026.
Its initial artwork features Ema Sakuraba, Hiro Nikaido, Sherry Tachibana, and Hanna Tono. The announcement does not yet explain how the four characters will appear inside Astral Party.
Quick Summary
- Collaboration: Astral Party x Magical Girl Witch Trials
- Japanese title: アストラル☆パーティー × 魔法少女ノ魔女裁判
- Event phase: first collaboration phase
- Start date: September 3, 2026
- End date: not announced
- Visual revealed: August 7, 2026
- Featured characters: Ema Sakuraba, Hiro Nikaido, Sherry Tachibana, and Hanna Tono
- Playable status: not announced
- Free character: not announced
- Character skills: not announced
- Skins or costumes: not announced
- Collaboration cards: not announced
- Special map: not announced
- Event story: not announced
- Login rewards: not announced
- Acquisition methods: not announced
- Regions and servers: not announced
- Host game: Astral Party
- Genres: online board party game, casual, strategy, and RPG
- Developer: STAR ENGINE PROJECT
- Steam publisher: Neverland Entertainment
- Platforms: Steam, iOS, and Android
- Business model: free-to-play with in-app purchases
- Player count: one to four
- Modes: online PvP, online PvE, multiplayer, and solo play with AI
- Collaborating game: Magical Girl Witch Trials
- Japanese title: 魔法少女ノ魔女裁判
- Japanese abbreviation: Manosaba
- Genres: magical discussion mystery adventure and visual novel
- Developers: Acacia and Re,AER
- Publishers: Re,AER and CIRCLE LINE GAMES
- Steam release date: July 18, 2025
- Indonesian support: not listed for either Steam release
- Content note: Magical Girl Witch Trials contains murder, blood, corpses, torture, suicide references, and psychological horror
Announcement, Steam Pages, and Collaboration Artwork

The First Collaboration Phase Starts September 3
Astral Party’s official account describes the September update as the first phase of its Magical Girl Witch Trials collaboration.
The wording leaves room for additional phases, but the number of planned updates and their schedules remain unknown.
No maintenance period or precise launch time has been provided. Players will need to wait for update notes to determine the server schedule and regional timing.
It is also unclear whether Steam, iOS, and Android will receive the event simultaneously or whether the announcement currently applies only to the Japanese service.
Four Characters Lead the Initial Artwork
The collaboration artwork features:
- Ema Sakuraba
- Hiro Nikaido
- Sherry Tachibana
- Hanna Tono
Ema is the central protagonist who awakens inside an isolated prison alongside the other witch candidates. Hiro, Sherry, and Hanna are among the thirteen girls forced to live under the prison’s rules.
Their appearance confirms participation in the collaboration’s promotion. It does not yet prove that all four will become recruitable or playable characters.
Astral Party has not shown combat models, card illustrations, skills, new voice recordings, or an event interface.
The Form of the Collaboration Remains Unknown
The announcement does not specify whether the update contains new characters, skins for existing units, cards, chips, maps, monsters, bosses, or a limited story event.
Unannounced details include:
- the number of playable guests
- individual statistics and skills
- banners or store products
- free characters and items
- daily missions and login rewards
- a prison or Witch Trial-themed board
- new cards and panel effects
- dedicated PvP or PvE modes
- character dialogue and story scenes
- event currency and exchange deadlines
- a possible rerun
The four names in the artwork should therefore not yet be treated as a confirmed playable roster.
Astral Party Combines Boards, Cards, and Dice
Astral Party is a free online board game supporting matches with up to four participants.
Each player selects a character with a unique skill and moves across the board according to dice rolls. Cards can be used to attack, defend, alter movement, or interfere with the match.
Its boards contain fifteen types of panel effects alongside random events. One-on-one battles allow attackers to increase their power with cards, while defenders may improve defense or attempt a dice-based dodge.
Monsters can enter the board to attack players or steal their coins. A boss later targets the participant currently holding the most wealth.
The game includes competitive PvP and cooperative PvE. Solo players may also enter matches alongside AI-controlled participants.
Magical Girl Witch Trials Centers on Prison Investigations
Magical Girl Witch Trials begins as Ema prepares for her first day of high school but awakens inside a dark prison cell instead.
She and twelve other girls are classified as potential witches who pose a threat to the world. They are told that a real witch is hiding among the prisoners.
After a murder, the group must investigate the crime and enter a Witch Trial. They expose contradictions, identify the culprit’s magic, and vote for the person who will be executed.
The game combines prison exploration, character conversations, crime-scene investigation, and deduction-driven courtroom debates.
Its psychological mystery creates a sharp tonal contrast with Astral Party’s chaotic competitive board-game structure.
Why This Matters
1) Two very different genres meet
Astral Party focuses on dice, cards, and unpredictable multiplayer sessions. Magical Girl Witch Trials is built around murder, investigation, and psychological tension.
2) The reveal already names four characters
The announcement uses more than the two game logos. Ema, Hiro, Sherry, and Hanna are positioned as the faces of the first phase.
3) Astral Party supports several possible crossover formats
The guests could appear as characters, cards, skins, board elements, bosses, or story participants. Their final roles remain open.
4) A first phase may not represent the complete lineup
Only four of Magical Girl Witch Trials’ thirteen candidates have been shown. No additional guest has been confirmed.
Game and Collaboration Information
The important details currently known are:
- the collaboration begins on September 3, 2026
- the announcement identifies it as the first phase
- Ema Sakuraba, Hiro Nikaido, Sherry Tachibana, and Hanna Tono appear in the artwork
- their playable status has not been announced
- skills, rarities, skins, cards, maps, and rewards remain unknown
- the closing date and server coverage have not been disclosed
- Astral Party is a free online board game for up to four players
- it combines dice, cards, character skills, random panels, monsters, and bosses
- PvP and PvE modes are available
- its PC edition launched on Steam on February 28, 2024
- mobile editions are available through the App Store and Google Play
- Magical Girl Witch Trials is a mystery visual novel from Acacia and Re,AER
- it launched on Steam on July 18, 2025
- its story follows thirteen witch candidates imprisoned together
- players investigate murders and identify culprits through Witch Trials
- updates are available through the official Astral Party X account
- the PC edition is available through Astral Party on Steam
- mobile links are available through the official Astral Party website
- Magical Girl Witch Trials information is available through its official website
- its PC edition is available through Steam
Closing
Astral Party x Magical Girl Witch Trials begins on September 3 with Ema, Hiro, Sherry, and Hanna as the first four characters shown.
It remains unclear whether they will become playable guests or appear through another kind of crossover content. Event systems, rewards, duration, platforms, and later phases await further announcements.
- Official Astral Party X — First Collaboration Phase, September 3 Start Date, and Collaboration Visual
- Famitsu — Four Featured Characters, Event Date, and Astral Party Gameplay Overview
- Astral Party Official Website — Mobile Downloads and Official Game Information
- Steam — Astral Party Platforms, Developer, Publisher, Modes, Languages, and Gameplay
- App Store — Japanese iOS Version, Multiplayer Description, Rating, and In-App Purchases
- Google Play — Official Japanese Android Version
- Magical Girl Witch Trials Official Website — Characters, Story, and Project Information
- Steam — Magical Girl Witch Trials Story, Creators, Languages, Release Date, and Content Warning