Living together while exploiting people’s weaknesses… A horror adventure game titled “1999 Tokoyo Building,” where you break into homes by lockpicking to uncover the secrets of a character with some seriously strange habits, is set to launch on Steam on November 10, and a demo version is now available.
On October 14, Kodansha announced that “1999 Tokoyo Building,” a neo-nostalgic horror adventure developed by Tokoyo Real Estate, will be released for PC (Steam) on November 10, 2026. A demo version is now available on Steam.
Sneak into the private room of a dangerous coworker, exploit the weaknesses of the eccentric characters, and survive life in this shared living space
Set in December 1999, this horror adventure game follows your attempt to escape “Tokoyo Building,” a dilapidated indoor amusement park rumored to be a place where “people vanish.”
Akira Hiruyuki, the young protagonist who has lost his memory and wandered into Tokoyobiru, is caught in the act of burglary by the owner, Yano.In exchange for food and lodging, he is forced to work for free as a live-in employee, but his coworkers are all dangerous individuals—if he upsets them, there’s no telling what might happen to him.
The game alternates between an “Exploration (Burglary) Segment,” where you use point-and-click to investigate 360-degree backgrounds rendered in low-poly graphics, and a “Conversation Segment” in visual novel format, where you interact with and make choices among the colorful characters animated with Live2D.
In the exploration part, you use the protagonist’s lock-picking skill to break into the private rooms of your dangerous roommates. By searching the rooms, you uncover their “secrets” and gather clues to help you survive in peace.
In the conversation segments, the characters’ expressions change seamlessly via Live2D based on the choices you make. It’s said that even slightly upsetting them can immediately lead to a DEAD END.
To avoid provoking them, you need to know their secrets—but knowing too much also risks arousing their suspicion. Engage in these strange interactions, where death is always just around the corner, and as you come to understand your colleagues’ worries and struggles, aim to escape from the Tokoyo Building.
Characters
Akira Hiruyuki | A Boy with Amnesia
The protagonist of this story. After being caught breaking into a house by the building’s owner, he ends up working for free at the Tokoyobiru in exchange for food and lodging. He possesses exceptional lock-picking skills that allow him to open any lock.
Camellia | A perpetually grumpy fortune-teller
A young girl who works as a fortune-teller at the Fortune-Telling Parlor. Her hobby is making dolls. She has a short temper.
Samejima | The Self-Deprecating Aquarium Keeper
An aquarium keeper who single-handedly maintains the giant aquarium surrounding the Tokoyo Building. He’s a big eater.
The Count | Self-Proclaimed, Extremely Popular Charismatic Villain
A performer popular with female guests. He’s always dressed as Count Dracula, but tends to skip his performances.
Tokoyoman | Passionate Suit Actor
“Tokoyoman,” who battles the Count in hero shows. He’s surprisingly level-headed among the residents.
Hajime Kotobuki | A Nervous Employee
A conscientious employee. Together with the owner, Yano, he helps run the Tokoyo Building.
Kazuto Yano | Workaholic Manager
The owner of the Tokoyo Building. He works 24 hours a day at the indoor amusement park, which is constantly short-staffed.
A free Chapter 1 demo—approximately 2 hours long—is now available! Official gameplay footage will also be released in a series of videos.
The Steam demo, now available, includes the entire Chapter 1—in which the Count and Camellia hold the key—and offers approximately 2 hours of gameplay. Players can interact with the residents of the Tokoyo Building and experience illegal entry through lockpicking.
The in-game music is composed by Yasuhiro Nakashima, who created the soundtrack for *DareKare*.In addition to a nostalgic soundscape reminiscent of 1999, players will enjoy an interactive BGM experience that closely follows the story, with the musical tone shifting seamlessly in response to the protagonist’s changing emotions.
Furthermore, an “official gameplay video” covering the demo content will be released daily in a series of eight episodes on YouTube. The first episode is currently available, and subsequent episodes are scheduled to be released daily at 5:00 PM.
Additionally, original merchandise will be available at Animate, and previews of some of the designs currently in production have been released. Details on the merchandise will be announced at a later date on the Kodansha Game Lab official X account https://x.com/kodanshaGCL.
*1999 Tokoyo Building* is scheduled for release on PC (Steam) on November 10, 2026. A free demo featuring Chapter 1 (approximately 2 hours) is currently available.
Please note that this title contains some violent and shocking content, as well as depictions of suicide.
