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BANDAI NAMCO / CYGAMES · Since 2015.09.03

Deresute (CGSS) Guide

The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage — a rhythm game with hundreds of idols, still region-locked to Japan a decade later. This page covers getting in from outside Japan, gacha rates, and the early game.

Genre
Rhythm / Idol Sim
Platforms
iOS / Android
Access
Japan Region-Locked
Developer
Bandai Namco / Cygames
Updated
2026.09
01

Overview

Deresute (デレステ, short for "Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage," also called CGSS) is a rhythm game built around The Idolmaster's Cinderella Girls cast — hundreds of idols across three attributes, each with their own cards, costumes, and songs. It has stayed Japan-only and region-locked since 2015, but the fandom outside Japan is large enough to run its own unofficial FAQs and communities just to help new players get in.

Service status (updated September 2026): Bandai Namco scaled Deresute down on October 1, 2025. The September 3, 2025 gacha and event were the last to add new idols and new songs; the PC version and the Starlight Spot companion app shut down on August 21, 2025. The smartphone app is still running — rerun gachas continue monthly, LIVE Infinity became a permanent mode, and LIVE Carnival is held about once every three months — but no new cards or songs are being added. That makes it a game to enjoy for its existing catalogue, not one to invest in expecting future content.

Three Attributes

Every idol and every song is Cute, Cool, or Passion. Matching your team's attribute to the song gives a real score bonus, so team-building starts here.

Collect & Dress Up

Gacha cards double as costumes and as playable stats — pulling is about both power and the idol you want to see on stage.

Play the Rhythm Game

Tap to the beat across a growing songlist. Higher difficulty and better teams push your score and combo higher.

02

Setting Up to Play

Deresute is officially distributed only through the Japanese App Store and Google Play. Once it's installed, this is the minimum setup for a smooth experience.

  • 1A Namco ID (Bandai Namco's account system) is required to play, and it's how you transfer progress to a new device — register early.
  • 2On devices that lag or crash, switching live performances to 2D mode usually stabilizes things.
  • 3Closing background apps before you play cuts down on crashes.
03

Gacha & Reroll

A single pull costs 250 jewels; a 10-pull costs 2,500 jewels and guarantees at least one SR or higher.

RarityBase RateDuring Cinderella Fes
SSR3%6%
SR12%—
Timing matters: "Cinderella Fes" banners double the SSR rate to 6%. They ran every 2–3 months before the 2025 scale-down and were still scheduled afterward, though now only with existing cards — saving your jewels for one of these is the standard advice for both rerolling and long-term pulls.
04

Getting Started

The early game is forgiving — you don't need to spend money to make progress.

  1. 1Finish the tutorial, then follow Chihiro's advice and the panel missions — they're the game's built-in to-do list.
  2. 2Play songs to raise your Producer Level and unlock more songs. Don't worry about stamina early on — the game hands out recovery drinks generously.
  3. 3Build your first team around one attribute (Cute, Cool, or Passion) rather than spreading cards across all three.
  4. 4Save jewels toward a Cinderella Fes banner instead of pulling on every standard gacha that appears.
  5. 5If the game crashes during a live performance, switch to 2D mode — it's lighter on older devices.
F2P-friendly: training materials and jewels are obtainable without spending, so a free account isn't at a hard disadvantage in the early game.
Picking a Center: the Center Effect isn't flavor text — beginner-friendly picks are appeal-boosting effects or "Tricolor Synergy" effects, since both scale with your whole team instead of a single card.
Building for Auto mode: if you're leaning on autoplay, skills like Skill Boost and Judgment Up are the common picks — Auto needs skills that trigger reliably on their own, not just the flashiest name on the card.
Picking songs: favor songs with a steady, uncluttered note pattern when you're starting out. Some songs look easy on paper but have dense note clusters that trip up new players more than the listed difficulty suggests.
05

Glossary

Menus are Japanese-only. These are the terms you'll see constantly.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
ZokuseiAttribute — Cute Cool Passion, applied to both idols and songs.
Producer LevelYour account level — raised by playing songs, gates content and team size.
JewelThe premium currency, spent on the gacha.
StaminaResource spent per song played; recovers over time or with drink items.
Center EffectA passive bonus from whichever idol card is placed in your team's center slot.
Cinderella FesA gacha with doubled SSR rates — the best time to pull.
Namco IDBandai Namco's account system — required to play and to keep progress across devices.
ComboConsecutive successful taps during a song — breaking it costs score.