Relics (1986) hits Steam in 2026: a 40-year-old MSX gem

Key Takeaways

• Relics, a 1986 Japanese action-adventure by Bothtec, will release on Steam in 2026 via D4 Enterprise
• The game features a spirit possession mechanic, positional combat damage, and multiple endings with zero required kills
• Originally released across MSX, PC-88/98, Sharp X1, X68000, and FM-7 platforms, this marks its first Western digital release

Relics, a 1986 action-adventure game by Japanese developer Bothtec, is coming to Steam in 2026. D4 Enterprise, the company behind the Project EGG retro preservation platform, is bringing this nearly 40-year-old title to modern PCs for what appears to be its first official Western digital release. The game originally shipped on cassette tape for platforms like the MSX, PC-88, and Sharp X1, hardware so obscure outside Japan that most Western players have never heard of it.

PCGamer's Kerry Brunskill, writing in the publication's Pasokon Retro column, calls the announcement one of her PC gaming highlights of the year. That's a bold claim for a game with a frame rate she describes as "present" and visuals that resemble "an optician's colour blindness test." But Relics earns the praise through mechanics that feel decades ahead of their time.

What makes Relics unusual for a 1986 game?

The core mechanic is spirit possession. You start as a humanoid shadow and can "spirit ride" into different bodies throughout the game. One moment you're a skeletal rabbit with H.R. Giger vibes. The next, an armoured soldier with a gun. Then a sorcerer in gold robes. Each body grants different abilities and, more interestingly, changes how NPCs react to you.

The game models faction relationships and social hierarchy. Soldiers view the nightmare bunny form as a pest to be eradicated. They greet each other with "NO TROUBLE" as equals. Possess an officer, and that greeting gains a "SIR" at the end. Officers can attack soldiers who refuse orders. These aren't scripted events. They're systemic behaviors running on hardware from the mid-1980s.

Combat that predates modern design conventions

The combat system features positional damage. Attack an enemy's knees from behind, and they drop faster than if you hit them head-on. Heavy blows cause characters to stumble, fall to their hands and knees, and attempt to crawl away. Opponents can decide they'd rather flee than fight. Whether you chase them down is, as Brunskill puts it, "left up to my conscience."

Your health is displayed as "???", represented only by a beating organ that looks like neither heart nor brain. And here's the detail that makes this feel ahead of its era: the number of beings you must kill to reach one of the game's multiple endings is zero. Violence is optional. In 1986.

Deliberate obscurity as design philosophy

Bothtec clearly wanted players lost. The manual spends more time emphasizing mystery than providing guidance. You start floating in an unidentified space. A crumbling wall reveals sunset. Waves crash. There's a hole in the floor. That's all the context you get.

Most in-game messages are in English, which has been true since the original 1986 release. Some text uses an English cipher that requires pen, paper, and an in-game key to decode. Fragmented notes guarded by deadly statues hint at a larger story. Powerful beings appear and vanish without explanation.

The game reportedly includes a woman in a stasis pod you may or may not free, Hell levels with organic pulsating walls, and NPCs who shout coded phrases before attacking. Brunskill admits she barely scratched the surface before her preview ended.

D4 Enterprise and Japanese PC game preservation

D4 Enterprise has operated Project EGG since 2001, digitizing hundreds of titles from Japan's distinct PC gaming ecosystem. The MSX, PC-88, and PC-98 platforms hosted entire genres that never crossed the Pacific. Visual novels, strategy RPGs, and experimental adventures thrived on these machines while Western PCs ran DOS games.

Steam releases like Relics give these games their first real chance at Western audiences. The hardware is long dead. Emulation exists but requires technical knowledge. A Steam release with proper compatibility work removes those barriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Relics release on Steam?

Relics is confirmed for a 2026 Steam release, though D4 Enterprise has not announced a specific date.

What platforms was Relics originally released on?

Relics launched in 1986 for the MSX, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, X68000, and FM-7, all Japanese home computer platforms.

Who developed Relics?

Bothtec, a Japanese developer known for distinctive adventure games during the 1980s. D4 Enterprise is handling the Steam port.

Is Relics in English?

Most in-game text has been in English since the original 1986 release, with some messages using an English cipher that players decode manually.

Can you beat Relics without killing anyone?

Yes. The game has multiple endings, and the number of required kills to complete it is zero. All combat is optional.

Source: PCGamer latest