Deresute (CGSS) Guide

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.

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.

How to Access from Outside Japan

Deresute isn't on the App Store or Google Play outside Japan. This is the part every other guide on this site skips, because every other game here doesn't need it.

iOS

1Create a new Apple ID with its region set to Japan (no Japanese address or phone number is required to create one, only to add payment).
2Sign into the App Store with that Apple ID and download the game from the Japanese store.
3To spend real money later, you'll need a Japan-region payment method (a Japanese iTunes gift card is the common route).

Android

1Google Play region-locking is stricter, so most Android players sideload the APK directly instead of using the Play Store.
2Download the APK from a source the community currently trusts and install it manually.
3Purchases don't require a Japan-region account on Android, unlike iOS.

Also required: a Namco ID (Bandai Namco's account system) to actually play. The game is also known for crashing on some devices — closing background apps, or switching live performances to 2D mode, are the common fixes.

Full guide: how to access from outside Japan →

Gacha & Reroll

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

Rarity	Base Rate	During Cinderella Fes
SSR	3%	6%
SR	12%	—

Timing matters: "Cinderella Fes" banners run every 2–3 months and double the SSR rate to 6% — saving your jewels for one of these is the standard advice for both rerolling and long-term pulls.

Getting Started

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

1Finish the tutorial, then follow Chihiro's advice and the panel missions — they're the game's built-in to-do list.
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.
3Build your first team around one attribute (Cute, Cool, or Passion) rather than spreading cards across all three.
4Save jewels toward a Cinderella Fes banner instead of pulling on every standard gacha that appears.
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.

Glossary

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

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
属性	Zokusei	Attribute — Cute Cool Passion, applied to both idols and songs.
プロデューサーレベル	Producer Level	Your account level — raised by playing songs, gates content and team size.
ジュエル	Jewel	The premium currency, spent on the gacha.
スタミナ	Stamina	Resource spent per song played; recovers over time or with drink items.
センター効果	Center Effect	A passive bonus from whichever idol card is placed in your team's center slot.
シンデレラフェス	Cinderella Fes	A recurring gacha event with doubled SSR rates — the best time to pull.
Namco ID	Namco ID	Bandai Namco's account system — required to play and to keep progress across devices.
コンボ	Combo	Consecutive successful taps during a song — breaking it costs score.