Mystery adventure game Dark Auction, featuring story from Hotel Dusk writer, planned for Switch [update: release date]

September 2023: IzanagiGames today announced that it is developing Dark Auction, with a release planned on Switch. The project is targeting a 2024 launch.

Dark Auction is a mystery adventure game. Riza Suzuki, the writer behind Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Trace Memories, will be working on the game’s story. Gangsta author Kohske is in charge of character designs.

Here’s an overview of the game:

A deep, compelling mystery adventure with a script and scenario written by Rika Suzuki, known for her brilliant work on Another Code and Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Also featuring character design by Kohske, the author / illustrator of GANGSTA., and music by Monster Hunter composer Yuko Komiyama.

• Search freely within an ancient castle across a 3D map
• Apply reason and analyze the possibilities using keywords found in word clouds
• Join an auction where the truth is revealed about the past

West Germany, 1981.

Eighteen-year-old Noah is haunted by the memory of his mother abandoning him at a very young age. He lives together with just his father Leonardo, a failed writer and eccentric obsessed with Hitler research. Although Noah wishes his father would put aside such a strange pursuit, Leonardo has no intention of giving it up, despite the various money problems that they endure.

One day, an invitation arrives for an auction selling items connected to Hitler. Leonardo brushes aside Noah’s objections and soon departs for the ancient castle where the auction will be held. He promises to tell Noah all about it upon his return.

But Leonardo never comes home on the appointed day. Having lost all contact with his father, Noah sets off for the castle himself. There, he witnesses a most shocking sight.

Noah soon finds himself trapped inside the castle together with other auction participants. Upon the invitation of the auctioneer, he too takes part in the mysterious event.

IzanagiGames opened a crowdfunding campaign for Dark Auction: Hitler’s Estate on Campfire here. The game is targeting a 2024 launch and is planned to support English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese languages.

September 19: A trailer has now been released, which we have below.

Teaser Trailer

September 18, 2025: We now have a release date. Based on listings from various Japanese retailers, the game launches on January 29, 2026.