Izanagi Games announced that it plans to publish the next game written by Rika Suzuki, Dark Auction: Hitler’s Estate.
If you're unfamiliar with Rika Suzuki, she's the writer and designer behind classic adventure games like Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Another Code: Two Memories/Trace Memories.
The developer defines the game as an "authentic mystery adventure" and features character design by Gangsta mangaka Kohske. The plan is to release the game for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2024.
That being said, before everything is said and gone, Dark Auction: Hitler’s Estate will have a crowdfunding campaign on the Japanese platform Campfire. A preview is already available and it starts on September 2 at Noon Japan time.
It'll last two months and the goal is 2,000,000 yen. That's a fairly modest $13,600 at the current exchange rate.
The announcement includes a comment bt Suzuki-san herself, describing the game in more detail.
The game is a mystery adventure centering on the idea of a historical figure having surreptitiously bequeathed a fictitious estate, following the drama that plays out among the characters faced with an enigma extending all the way into their modern world.
The tale unfolds in an ancient castle in 1981, 36 years after Hitler’s death. 18-year-old protagonist Noah is determined not to turn out like his father, but, beyond that, he has no idea of the kind of person he wants to be. Noah takes part in a mysterious auction held at the old castle, and, as someone living in the 1980s, comes to terms with the absurdity of the trauma the war left behind, learning of the truths hidden deep within those affected, ultimately closing in on the big secret his father has been concealing.
When we learn about history, we think about the present and what it means to be human.
Thinking about the past also means thinking about the future.
Throughout the long flow of time, certain individuals are predestined to make history—a projection of, and projection onto the times in which they lived. Hitler was one such individual—an evil specter at the heart of the tumult of the Second World War.
What if, behind the scenes, as a final act, he sought to bequeath something to the next generation?
In the 1980s, in a Germany still haunted by this dark specter, how did the youngsters who found themselves entangled with his estate react? How did their perceptions of the future change? My goal is to portray the human drama at the heart of it all.
The game promises an interesting world view, stylish and unique characters, the ability to freely explore the estate on a 3D map, a reasoning system based on keywords, puzzles, multiple endings depending on the player's choices, and a full-fledged mystery adventure.
Below you can check out the full key artwork.
