MONTREAL – After partnering last year with digital hentai distributor Kimochi to develop a Steam-like online network, adult game publisher Nutaku is well on its way to creating a bona-fide rival to the mainstream platform — except without Steam’s notorious censorship.

Using the Nutaku Store’s downloadable client, adult gamers may choose from free titles and demos formerly distributed by Kimochi as well as adult versions of popular Steam titles, including recent releases like “Sakura Dungeon” and “Summer Fling.”

The Nutaku Store represents the most recent effort by Nutaku to build up the hentai gaming market, a field that has grown considerably since the debut of the Nutaku portal in 2015. Boasting over 13 million monthly visitors, Nutaku.net is the largest adult-gaming site on the web, selling both localized Japanese titles and projects from western indie developers.

In February, Nutaku launched Kimochi Red Light, dubbed “the Kickstarter of adult games” by mainstream media. On its first day, the platform attracted more than $20,000 for independent game development projects. Three projects reached their funding goals within hours.

These Nutaku guys are onto something.

All funds raised by the site go directly to the game developers. Nutaku takes no cut, but presumably wants the finished product to show up on its platform.

That very scenario happened in late March, when “Karmasutra” debuted on Nutaku.net. Top Hat Studios Inc. exceeded its expectations when the project achieved 268 percent of the funding goal. The intense, erotic, role-playing visual novel is doing well for the developer, and hence for Nutaku.

On April 21, Nutaku released its newest exclusive title: “NEKO-NIN exHeart.” Inspired by the Japanese Series Nekopara by Sekai Project, “NEKO-NIN exHeart” follows Fuuma Yura and Fuuma Tama, two feline human ninjas, as they travel to serve their new Master, Haruki. Intimacy and intrigue ensue.