Dark Auction Extends Its Free Demo Ahead of Launch

Posted in: Games, Indie Games, Video Games | Tagged: Dark Auction, good smile company, Izanagi Games

Dark Auction Extends Its Free Demo Ahead of Launch

You can play the free demo for the upcoming mystery adventure title Dark Auction before the game is released on Steam next week

Published Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:12:08 -0600
by Gavin Sheehan
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Article Summary

• Dark Auction's free Steam demo extended, giving players extra time to explore the mystery-adventure game.
• Set in 1981 Europe, the story follows Noah searching for his missing father at a secretive castle auction.
• Auction bids are made with memories, not money—repairing distorted memories reveals hidden truths and trauma.
• Investigate rooms, uncover secrets, and use a Word Cloud to solve mysteries behind each dramatic auction exhibit.

Developer Izanagi Games and publisher Good Smile Company have extended the free demo on Steam for their upcoming game Dark Auction. Basically, this is the team giving you an extra week to play the mystery adventure game before they launch it on January 29, 2026. We have more details and the latest trailer for you to check out here in case you haven't seen the game yet.

Dark Auction

1981, somewhere in Europe. Eighteen-year-old Noah is haunted by the memory of his mother abandoning him as a child. He lives with his father Leonard, a failed writer obsessed with collecting items related to "Dictator X." Noah wishes he would stop, but Leonard refuses to give up his strange obsession, even as they struggle financially. One day, an auction invitation arrives, addressed to Leonard. Ignoring Noah's protests, Leonard sets off for the old castle where the auction is to be held, promising to tell Noah everything once he returns. But Leonard never comes home. With no way to contact him, Noah heads to the castle himself, determined to bring him home—only to witness something shocking. Trapped inside the castle with the other guests, Noah decided to accept the Auctioneer's invitation, and take part in the auction himself.

In the exploration phase, you will search rooms and floors, and talk to other participants, revealing trauma and lies that will lead you to the truth each one keeps hidden. Information you learn here will be stored in your Word Cloud, and can then be used to solve mysteries during each auction! But in this place, the auction exhibits aren't bid on with money, but with memories. Auction participants try to win their bids by offering their own memories, using a memory reconstruction device known as EPO. But memories burdened by secrets or trauma can change completely, becoming distorted and incorrect. If the participants offer incomplete memories, their auction bids will fail. Noah must become their supporter, fixing each target's memory to ensure they are correct. If the auction is a success, the truth will be revealed—unleashing the dramatic story behind each ill-fated auction exhibit.

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