Arc System Works announces alien interrogation adventure game Donutal for PC

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Arc System Works is releasing a unique adventure game called Donutal in 2026 for PC via Steam. In this alien interrogation game, you’ll rely solely on conversation to progress. A demo is available to play right now.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

You wake up after a long, cold sleep to find it’s now the year 2206. The International Space Station has been rebuilt as the International Space Port, and it’s become a hub for alien visitors. To make matters worse, you’re deeply in debt and forced to take a job you didn’t want: Chief Xeno Inspector.

Okay, so the job seems straightforward: greet the nice aliens and block the scary ones. But seriously, mess up just once, and it’s game over for Earth. No big deal, though, right? As a fan of this whole situation, I’m trying to stay calm, but the stakes are pretty high!

The Year 2206

Humanity hasn’t been able to fix major problems, and now they’re beyond our control. Earth is turning to aliens with advanced technology for help. And today, on the day you wake up, official contact with alien civilizations begins.

Aliens arrive on Earth for various reasons, like visiting as tourists or claiming to be researchers. However, their stated purposes aren’t always genuine. As a Chief Xeno Inspector, your job is to detect their lies and discover what they’re really up to.

Chief Xeno Inspector’s Daily Routine

Start by reading the latest news. Next, you’ll interview the alien visitors and decide if they can enter. Complete your tasks, settle your obligations, and work towards returning to Earth someday.

Whether Earth still exists by then… depends entirely on you.

System Features

  • Group-Based Screening – Examine a group of up to eight aliens. Analyze their collective information to spot patterns, inconsistencies, or red flags
  • Simultaneous Interrogation – You can summon up to two aliens from the group into the interrogation room. Conversation between them may reveal hidden information.
  • Conversation is Your Tool – There is no paperwork here. Listen carefully to what they say, who they suspect, and who they protect, to make your judgment.
  • Chemistry Matters – Lovers, strangers, rival species… An applicant’s answers may change depending on who is next to them.
  • A Story Shaped by Your Decisions – The future of Earth changes based on the results of your screenings.

Characters

  • Dolphin – An android assigned to be your assistant, DOLPHIN provides operational briefings, but lacks the authority and manual to make final judgments. Instead, it supports your work in a friendly and familiar manner. The identity of the human model used for DOLPHIN’s design remains a mystery.
  • Martian – Yes Martians actually exist. They lack any sense of social filters and are incapable of lying. Unfortunately, their brutal honesty often ends up hurting the feelings of other aliens…
  • Pictor – Possessing technology far beyond Earth’s capabilities, Pictor are seen as potential saviors to the planet and its enduring challenges. Their knowledge is rumored to eclipse all others in the universe. When disaster strikes, placing your bet on them is rarely a mistake.
  • Octo – An octopus-like alien with a distinctive manner of speech, Octo are highly intelligent and honest. Though they share a genetic connection with the Takoo, another cephalopod species from their home planet, the two are locked in a hostile relationship. Curiously, the Octo claim no knowledge of why they are being targeted.
  • Other Aliens – You’ll meet an array of enigmatic aliens who defy human understanding and common sense. They come to Earth for various reasons: tourism, migration, asylum, crime… or perhaps even in search of love!?
  • ??? – This object is unable to be identified by Earth’s technology.

Check out the announcement trailer. You can find the first images in the gallery, and learn more on the official website.

Announce Trailer

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2026-02-19 09:01