Developer Arc System Works has announced that Donutal an alien conversation adventure game, will launch for PC via Steam on September 3, 2026. The release carries a price tag of 1,000 yen and will include support for both English and Japanese language options.

Quick Facts

  • Release Date: September 3, 2026
  • Platform: PC via Steam
  • Developer/Publisher: Arc System Works
  • Price: 1,000 yen
  • Languages: English and Japanese

Life as a Chief Xeno Inspector in 2206

Set in the year 2206, Donutal casts players as a human who wakes up from a cold sleep to find that the former International Space Station is now the International Space Port. Burdened by a massive, unexplained debt, the player is forced into the role of Chief Xeno Inspector. Diplomatic relations with technologically advanced alien species begin on day one, and the inspector's job is to screen visitors arriving for tourism, studies, and other purposes. Making the wrong call on who to admit and who to turn away could result in Earth's destruction.

Instead of traditional paperwork, players rely entirely on conversation and observation. Screening mechanics include group-based analysis for up to eight aliens at a time to spot patterns and red flags. Players can also summon up to two applicants into an interrogation room simultaneously, observing how their chemistry shifts depending on who sits next to them.

Cast of Characters

Throughout the screening process, players will encounter several distinct characters and entities:

  • Dolphin: An android assistant who provides operational briefings, though the human model behind its design remains a mystery.
  • Martian: A brutally honest visitor incapable of lying or using social filters.
  • Pictor: An advanced technological species viewed as potential saviors for Earth's lingering crises.
  • Octo: A highly intelligent, octopus-like alien locked in a hostile relationship with the cephalopod Takoo species from the same home planet.
  • Other Aliens: Various enigmatic figures arriving for asylum, crime, migration, or romance, alongside an unidentified object categorized simply as???.

Your performance on the job determines your ability to repay your debt, earn your own trip to Earth, and ultimately decide whether the planet survives.