PC The Touhou games are on sale.

[Evaccaneer Doom]

This never happens so stock up before June 15
(the sale ending on my birthday is crazy)

Save 30% on Touhou Bunkachou ～ Shoot the Bullet. on Steam

天狗と妖怪の日常を覗き見られる小劇場シューティング 妖怪の不思議で美しい弾幕を撮れ！撃て！

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Save 30% on Touhou Chireiden ~ Subterranean Animism. on Steam

弾幕は　地獄であるほど　美しい 深ければ深いほど地底は地獄の姿を取り戻す ヘリッシュでラブリーな弾幕シューティング地獄

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Save 30% on Touhou Fuujinroku ~ Mountain of Faith. on Steam

我が国には八百万の神々がいる 弾幕は八百万発程度では終わらない ノスタルジックでネイティブな弾幕シューティング原風景

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Save 30% on Touhou Seirensen ~ Undefined Fantastic Object. on Steam

アレは何だ？　鳥か？　妖精か？ 謎に満ちた未確認幻想物体が、君を未知の世界に誘う！ ファンタスティックでレトロな弾幕シューティング幻想

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Save 30% on Touhou Tenkuushou ~ Hidden Star in Four Seasons. on Steam

桜を見ながら西瓜を割り、紅葉を見ながら鍋をつつく こんな季節に誰がした！ イレギュラーでシーズナルなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Hifuu Nightmare Diary ~ Violet Detector. on Steam

東方Project第16.5弾！ 超能力女子高生「宇佐見菫子」に、突如襲いかかる幻想郷の住人達。その恐ろしくも美しい弾幕を、スマホに撮りまくり、SNS映えを狙おう！ サイキカルでSNS映え狙いのシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Touhou Kanjuden ~ Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom. on Steam

月の都から敵が攻めてきた！ その弾幕が過去最狂難易度を誇るのは当然だろう？ ピュアーでルナティックなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Danmaku Amanojaku ~ Impossible Spell Card. on Steam

ルール無用の弾幕地獄週間！ 華麗に、ずる賢く、卑怯な手でしのぎきれ！

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Save 30% on Touhou Shinreibyou ~ Ten Desires. on Steam

飛び出そう、いつも通りの弾幕へ それが結果として世界をひっくり返す事になるだろう プリティでデュアリスチックなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Touhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character. on Steam

飛び出そう、いつも通りの弾幕へ それが結果として世界をひっくり返す事になるだろう プリティでデュアリスチックなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Yousei Daisensou ~ Touhou Sangetsusei on Steam

飛び出そう、いつも通りの弾幕へ それが結果として世界をひっくり返す事になるだろう プリティでデュアリスチックなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Double Spoiler on Steam

天狗の取材は一方的で新聞記事は捏造ばかり。 強行取材、捏造記事の楽しさを君にも！ トラディショナルな妖怪達の本気の日常を激写せよ！

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Save 30% on Touhou Kikeijuu ~ Wily Beast and Weakest Creature. on Steam

誰が強いのか、誰が賢いのか、誰が正しいのか　畜生の理に則って、全て弾幕で決めよう！ ワイルドでビーストライクなシューティング幻想！

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Save 30% on Touhou Kouryudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers. on Steam

買う、売る、貰う、手放す いつから人間は所有権を自由に扱えると勘違いしたのか レインボーでイマモリアルなシューティング幻想！

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[Dyne]

I've never played a Touhou game. Which one do you suggest?

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

I've never played a Touhou game. Which one do you suggest?

Of the ones on Steam (Touhou 1-8 as well as many of the fighting games are unavailable there), it depends.

What I can tell you are what NOT to start with

Anything with a point in it- these aren’t the main series, they’re spinoffs and aren’t bullet hells. Some of them technically are like Great Fairy Wars or Shoot The Bullet, but still aren’t great to start with. And of course the point games also include fighting games

Touhou 9 aka Phantasmagoria of Flower View- some pseudo spinoffs are mainline, this is one example. Phantasmagoria of Flower View is a vs shooter. These are games like Twinkle Star Sprites and not the average game.

Touhou 11 aka Subterranean Animism- this is one of the more difficult games

Touhou 12 aka Undefined Fantastic Object- this is one of the more difficult AND experimental games

Touhou 15 aka Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom- this is THE hardest Touhou game to date.

Touhou 19 aka Unfinished Dream of All Ghost- this is another vs shooter like Touhou 9. It’s also not on sale so I was hesitant if I should even mention it lmao

Other than these, you can start anywhere. The most common one to start is Touhou 16 aka Hidden Star in Four Seasons, but Touhou 10 aka Mountain of Faith is also a solid choice. Then you got Touhou 13 aka Ten Desires which is quite easy compared to many of them.