Akatori, a Metroidvania Blending Kung Fu and Parkour, Unveils Playable Demo on PC

The 2D metroidvania Akatori, developed and published by Contrast Games, is now playable via a free demo on PC via Steam, while the full game remains in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The demo is featured during Steam Next Fest: February 2026 Edition and offers players their first hands-on experience with Contrast Games’ staff-driven action adventure.

In Akatori, players follow Mako, a young monk from the Firebird Temple, who sets out to protect her homeland from the Amber Storms, a corrupting force twisting all living things. Armed with a mystical staff that also houses a mysterious red bird, Mako travels across interconnected realms spanning different eras, uncovering the truth behind a spreading catastrophe.

Combat and traversal in Akatori are tightly interwoven through the staff, which functions as both weapon and movement tool. Players can chain ground and aerial combos, hurl the staff as a projectile, and seamlessly pull it back to maintain pressure in battle. Outside combat, the same tool enables gliding, wall-hooking, sliding, swimming, and momentum-based parkour across vertical environments that range from medieval Asian-inspired landscapes and flooded mines to floating bamboo islands and otherworldly dimensions.

The demo delivers roughly 45 minutes of gameplay across three areas, introducing core mechanics in Monk Forest, expanding vertical traversal in a bamboo-themed region, and adding environmental tension in an underwater zone with limited oxygen. Players encounter more than ten enemy types, take on a Chaos Arena challenge, survive a high-speed Serpent chase, and face the demo’s climactic boss, the Bumblebee. The build supports both controller and keyboard input and includes multiple language options.