From Press Release:
KYOTO, Japan – Oct. 28, 2026 – At the Nintendo Indie World Showcase today, CRITICAL REFLEX and developer Denkiworks announced the release date for TANUKI: Pon’s Summer, coming November 10 to Steam, Nintendo Switch, XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Game Pass, XBOX on PC, and revealed today for the first time, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4! Players can pre-order the highly anticipated, BMX-riding, package-delivering, open-world adventure game now for $19.99 on XBOX and the Nintendo eShop.
Meet Pon, a part-time mail-delivery tanuki and full-time show-off trying to restore the Great Tanuki Shrine for the festival of a lifetime by summer’s end. Explore a picturesque Japanese island brought to life with colorful artwork, and take part in minigames galore. Deliver mail, pull off sweet BMX tricks, help and befriend the townsfolk, join fun summertime activities and sports, make sushi, and so much more in TANUKI: Pon’s Summer!
Key Features
- Deliver the Mail in Style: Hop on your BMX and deliver letters and packages to the quirky inhabitants of a fictional Japanese island. Packages vary in size, weight, and shape, so it’s up to you to figure out how to get everything to its final destination.
- The Island Is Your Playground: Explore the island on two wheels, launching off ramps, grinding along rails, and stringing together tricks and combos as you discover new routes, radical heights and everything in between. Chase the satisfaction of a perfect landing across over 100 BMX challenges.
- Befriend Townsfolk with Summer Activities: As you build up friendship and loyalty with the island’s residents, they’ll invite you to a wide range of sports and activities. Make sushi, join a baseball game, step into the sumo ring and discover what else your new friends have going on. Every activity brings opportunities to earn rewards for the shrine, and more reasons to get attached to the people who live here.
- Restore the Shrine to Glory: Build, upgrade and decorate the shrine with the money and items you earn through deliveries and activities, all to get it ready in time for the big festival at the end of summer! Choose the details that make it yours, and watch your summer’s work take shape. When the Great Tanuki Festival arrives, you’ll have somewhere special to welcome the people you’ve spent the season getting to know.
Pon will also be able to dress with unique crossover hats inspired by games like Hollow Knight: Silksong, PEAK, Shovel Knight and more!
The TANUKI: Pon’s Summer‘s demo, available on Steam, features 2-3 hours of gameplay across the title’s first three days. Save progress can be carried over to the full version at launch.
Pre-order TANUKI: Pon’s Summer on XBOX and the Nintendo eShop* today, and wishlist on Steam, XBOX, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. TANUKI: Pon’s Summer will also be free to download for XBOX Game Pass subscribers on PC and consoles when it releases on November 10!
*Players who purchase TANUKI: Pon’s Summer on Nintendo Switch can unlock the Nintendo Switch 2 version (and vice versa) at no extra charge.
About Denkiworks
Denkiworks is a studio based in Kyoto, Japan. The three co-founders, who previously worked together on projects including the hit indie “golf-like” Cursed to Golf, formed the studio after recognizing their strong creative chemistry. TANUKI: Pon’s Summer is the team’s debut title.
About the Publisher
CRITICAL REFLEX is an indie game publisher obsessed with genre-blending, rule-breaking, brain-melting games. We help devs polish the weird, sharpen the wild, and launch their projects loud. Known for titles like Buckshot Roulette, Lunacid, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human, we champion unforgettable experiences. Genre is a prison and we ate the warden.
