Contrast Games has released a free playable demo for Akatori, giving players their first hands-on look at the studio’s staff-driven 2D search action game ahead of Steam Next Fest: February 2026 Edition. The demo is available now on Steam and will remain playable throughout the event, which runs from February 23 to March 2, 2026.
Akatori blends staff-based combat, kung fu-inspired parkour, and myth-infused world design into a fast-paced action platformer that emphasizes fluid movement and vertical exploration.
Staff-Centric Combat and Traversal
Players take on the role of Mako, a young monk raised in the Firebird Temple, who sets out to save her homeland from the Amber Storms, a corrupting force distorting all living things. Sealed within her staff is a mysterious red bird, tying narrative and mechanics together through a single versatile tool.
The staff acts as a weapon, a traversal device, and a puzzle key. In combat, players can chain light and charged strikes, execute aerial combos, launch the staff as a projectile, and pull it back mid-flow to maintain momentum. Outside of battle, the staff enables gliding, wall-hooking, sliding, and momentum-driven parkour across highly vertical environments.
Explore Myth-Inspired Realms
The demo offers roughly 45 minutes of gameplay across three distinct areas: the Monk Forest, which introduces core movement and combat systems; a vertical Bamboo location focused on glider traversal and flexible stalk navigation; and a tense Underwater section built around breath-limited exploration and environmental hazards.
Players will encounter more than ten enemy types within a living ecosystem where foes battle each other, trigger traps, and react dynamically to hazards. The demo also includes a Chaos Arena challenge, a high-speed chase against a massive Serpent, and a climactic boss battle against the Bumblebee.
Akatori’s 2.5D presentation combines pixel-art characters with fully 3D environments, creating layered, visually striking biomes that range from medieval, Asian-inspired landscapes to floating bamboo islands and volatile, otherworldly dimensions.
A Journey Through Interconnected Worlds
Designed with both controller and keyboard support, the demo is available in English, German, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. The full game is currently in development for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
With its emphasis on expressive traversal, movement-driven combat, and diverse myth-inspired environments, Akatori’s demo offers a substantial preview of what’s to come as the game continues its path toward full release.
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