LEVEL-5’s detective RPG gets a fresh look and a playable event demo, although its release has moved to 2027.
I was starting to lose hope, but fortunately, there’s finally been some movement on this promising Detective JRPG currently in development. DECAPOLICE has been a long time coming. First announced in 2023, LEVEL-5’s detective RPG has gone through several delays, so it is good to finally have something new to dig into. The studio has released a three-minute gameplay trailer ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2026, giving us another look at the game through footage of its playable event demo.
Unfortunately, alongside the good news, there is also some bad news. During its September 10 presentation, LEVEL-5 confirmed that DECAPOLICE is now scheduled for 2027, moving it out of its previous 2026 release window.
Solving Crimes in a Virtual City
For anyone who needs a refresher, DECAPOLICE follows Harvard Marks, the leader of a rookie detective team. His investigations take him into DECASIM, a virtual recreation of a real city that retains information about past crimes. By examining what happened inside that simulation, the team can uncover evidence relevant to cases in the real world. Collected clues go onto a Case Board, where you piece together the evidence to identify the culprit.
Finding the suspect does not necessarily end the case. Some criminals can be persuaded to surrender, while others transform into Crime Beasts, monstrous manifestations of their malice.
Those confrontations lead into turn-based battles, with the team using futuristic equipment to subdue and arrest them. Investigation, deduction, and combat are therefore all part of bringing a case to its conclusion.
One interesting detail from last week’s presentation concerns the mysteries themselves. LEVEL-5 has partnered with SCRAP, the company behind real-world escape games, to help develop case concepts.
The Three Mafioso Murders case introduced during that presentation came from one of SCRAP’s ideas. There are also optional investigations called Case Missions, giving the team additional mysteries to solve outside the main story.
The TGS Demo Includes Two Ways to Play
Visitors to Tokyo Game Show 2026 can choose between solving a case or patrolling the city in the DECAPOLICE demo. LEVEL-5 lists Japanese as its supported language. The event runs from September 17–21, with public admission beginning on September 19. This is an on-site playable build; the announcement does not include a downloadable demo for home players.
DECAPOLICE is being developed and published by LEVEL-5 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. Its release is currently scheduled for 2027, with an exact date still to be announced.
