{"id":66326,"date":"2026-05-08T12:42:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=66326"},"modified":"2026-05-08T12:42:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:42:58","slug":"japanese-atmospheric-liminal-space-exploration-game-tokyo-stories-returns-to-new-phase-of-development-with-new-publisher-and-over-50000-steam-wishlists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-atmospheric-liminal-space-exploration-game-tokyo-stories-returns-to-new-phase-of-development-with-new-publisher-and-over-50000-steam-wishlists\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese atmospheric liminal space exploration game Tokyo Stories returns to \u201cnew phase of development\u201d with new publisher and over 50,000 Steam Wishlists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Japanese entertainment company Happinet announced on May 8 that it would be publishing <strong>Tokyo Stories<\/strong>, an action-adventure game planned and developed by Drecom with support from Character Bank. This marks a \u201cnew phase of development\u201d for the project, <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20230620\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3 years after the postponement of its release<\/a>, originally scheduled for 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The title is set to launch on <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2251970\/Tokyo_Stories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>, and, according to Happinet, has already amassed over 50,000 Wishlists on the platform. A new release date is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tokyo Stories [The Night Moves Again]\" width=\"1160\" height=\"870\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HCkwaejTfRM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Stories is an exploration-based adventure game set in a mysterious, deserted Tokyo where \u201ceveryone has disappeared.\u201d The game\u2019s story unfolds through multiple intertwining narratives, and as the lonely protagonist Suzu, players will have to piece together the fragments of the tale as they search for their missing best friend Yuno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260001.jpg\" alt=\"Tokyo Stories\" class=\"wp-image-66328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260001.jpg 960w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260001-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260001-768x432.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to gameplay, Tokyo Stories features exploration-based sections in which players get to investigate the \u201cghost town\u201d of Tokyo for clues, as well as puzzle sections. The title\u2019s unique visual style is a blend of 3D and pixel graphics, deepening the title\u2019s nostalgic but slightly eerie and surreal atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Development of Tokyo Stories began in July 2022, and a release date was originally scheduled for the following year. However, in June 2023, Drecom announced that the game\u2019s launch would be indefinitely postponed. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tky_stories\/status\/1669993289393803264?s=20\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tky_stories\/status\/1669993289393803264?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">According to the game\u2019s producer Yuki Ikeda<\/a>, this was because there were \u201cmore ideas and content\u201d the developers wanted to implement into the title compared to what was initially planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260002.jpg\" alt=\"Tokyo Stories\" class=\"wp-image-66330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260002.jpg 960w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260002-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-663260002-768x432.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While the game\u2019s playable demo was showcased at certain indie events in Japan, and subsequent social media posts suggested that development had been progressing to some extent, the updates on the title\u2019s official accounts had gone silent since July 2025.\u00a0It was not until May 2026 when Tokyo Stories\u2019 official X account started dropping some new hints about the project, leading to the announcement of Happinet as the game\u2019s publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Stories is set to release for PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2251970\/Tokyo_Stories\/\">Steam<\/a>). A release date is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-indie-horror-game-lets-you-go-on-a-bizarre-dreamcore-inspired-date-through-liminal-spaces-with-a-cute-santa-claus-maid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Japanese indie horror game lets you go on a bizarre, dreamcore-inspired date through liminal spaces with a cute Santa Claus maid<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/yume-nikki-inspired-dark-fantasy-exploration-adventure-alice-in-wonder-underland-aiwu-launches-today-on-switch-and-steam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Yume Nikki inspired dark fantasy exploration adventure Alice in Wonder Underland \u2013 AIWU \u2013 launches today on Switch and Steam<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Developer Drecom&#8217;s Tokyo Stories will be published by Happinet for Steam. A new release date for the game is yet to be determined. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":66329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[39,17],"class_list":["post-66326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-indie-games","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Japanese atmospheric liminal space exploration game Tokyo Stories returns to \u201cnew phase of development\u201d with new publisher and over 50,000 Steam Wishlists - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Developer Drecom&#039;s Tokyo Stories will be published by Happinet for Steam. A new release date for the game is yet to be determined.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-atmospheric-liminal-space-exploration-game-tokyo-stories-returns-to-new-phase-of-development-with-new-publisher-and-over-50000-steam-wishlists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Japanese atmospheric liminal space exploration game Tokyo Stories returns to \u201cnew phase of development\u201d with new publisher and over 50,000 Steam Wishlists - AUTOMATON WEST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Developer Drecom&#039;s Tokyo Stories will be published by Happinet for Steam. A new release date for the game is yet to be determined.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-atmospheric-liminal-space-exploration-game-tokyo-stories-returns-to-new-phase-of-development-with-new-publisher-and-over-50000-steam-wishlists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AUTOMATON WEST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-08T03:42:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-08T03:42:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260508-66326-header.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u0110or\u0111e P\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AUTOMATON_ENG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AUTOMATON_ENG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u0110or\u0111e P\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Japanese atmospheric liminal space exploration game Tokyo Stories returns to \u201cnew phase of development\u201d with new publisher and over 50,000 Steam Wishlists - AUTOMATON WEST","description":"Developer Drecom's Tokyo Stories will be published by Happinet for Steam. A new release date for the game is yet to be determined.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-atmospheric-liminal-space-exploration-game-tokyo-stories-returns-to-new-phase-of-development-with-new-publisher-and-over-50000-steam-wishlists\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Japanese atmospheric liminal space exploration game Tokyo Stories returns to \u201cnew phase of development\u201d with new publisher and over 50,000 Steam Wishlists - AUTOMATON WEST","og_description":"Developer Drecom's Tokyo Stories will be published by Happinet for Steam. 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