Game: TANUKI: Pon’s Summer
Developer: Denkiworks
Publisher: CRITICAL REFLEX
Release: November 10, 2026
Price: $19.99 (pre-order now)
Platforms: PC · Switch · Switch 2 · PS5 · PS4 · Xbox Series X|S · Game Pass
Genre: Open-world BMX delivery adventure
📬 TANUKI: Pon’s Summer launches on November 10, 2026. CRITICAL REFLEX and Denkiworks revealed the date at today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase, along with three newly announced platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. It’s also coming to Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, and it’ll be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one. Pre-orders are open now for $19.99 on Xbox and the Nintendo eShop.
🦝 Come Spend a Summer in Japan
Meet Pon, a part-time mail-delivery tanuki and full-time show-off. The Great Tanuki Festival is just a month away, the shrine is in disrepair, and Pon has until summer’s end to restore it.
Explore a picturesque, fictional Japanese island on your BMX. Deliver mail, pull off sweet tricks, befriend the townsfolk, make sushi, play baseball, step into the sumo ring, and get the shrine ready for the festival of a lifetime.
You’ve got mail. And a BMX. And a very full summer.
We’ve had our eye on TANUKI: Pon’s Summer since it stole CRITICAL REFLEX’s Gamescom show, and now the delightful open-world adventure is less than two weeks away. It’s the debut game from Denkiworks, a Kyoto-based studio founded by three developers who previously worked together on projects including the hit indie “golf-like” Cursed to Golf. Its publisher, CRITICAL REFLEX, is the label behind Buckshot Roulette, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human.
A Very Full Summer
📦 Deliver in Style
Packages vary in size, weight and shape, so plan how to fit every awkward box on your bike.
🚲 The Island Is Your Playground
Launch off ramps, grind rails and string together combos across 100+ BMX challenges.
🍣 Summer Activities
Befriend the locals and get invited to sushi-making, baseball, sumo and more.
⛩️ Restore the Shrine
Build, upgrade and decorate the shrine in time for the Great Tanuki Festival.
🎩 Yes, He Needs Another Hat
Pon can dress up in crossover hats inspired by games like Hollow Knight: Silksong, PEAK, Shovel Knight and more. And everything you earn from deliveries and activities feeds back into the shrine, so when the festival arrives, you’ll have somewhere special to welcome the people you’ve spent the season getting to know.
🎮 Play the Demo Now
The free Steam demo offers 2–3 hours of gameplay across the game’s first three days, and your save carries over to the full game at launch. On Switch, buying either the Switch or Switch 2 version unlocks the other at no extra charge. It’s also Steam Deck Verified.
TANUKI: Pon’s Summer at a Glance
Genre
Open-world adventure · BMX · delivery · life sim
Developer
Denkiworks (Kyoto, Japan · debut title)
Publisher
CRITICAL REFLEX
Release
November 10, 2026
Price
$19.99 (pre-order on Xbox and Nintendo eShop) · free on Xbox Game Pass
Platforms
PC (Steam, Xbox on PC) · Switch · Switch 2 · PS5 · PS4 · Xbox Series X|S
Demo
Free on Steam · 2–3 hours · save carries over
Steam Deck
Verified
Languages
15, including English, French, Italian, German and Spanish
📅 November 10, 2026 · PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, PS4, Xbox & Game Pass
Pre-order TANUKI: Pon’s Summer now on Xbox and the Nintendo eShop, or wishlist it on Steam and PlayStation.
Hi there! I’m Marie, also known as CtrlQueen. I’m passionate about keeping up with the latest in gaming news and sharing my insights. RPGs steal my heart with their rich narratives and immersive worlds, but I also love unwinding with fun, casual games. Whether you’re here for deep dives into game mechanics or just to chat about your favorite casual game, you’ve found the right place! Let’s game and explore together.
