She did her time. She came home to start over. The city’s three crime syndicates had other plans. Devolver Digital announced that Tenjutsu, its stylish action roguelike, will launch in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
Tenjutsu is developed by Deepnight Games, the independent studio founded by Sébastien Bénard, best known as the lead game designer of the global hit Dead Cells, which has action fans worldwide paying close attention.
The release window and platforms were revealed during a Nintendo Direct showcase, officially confirming the game for Nintendo Switch 2.
A new gameplay trailer released alongside the announcement showcases Deepnight Games’ dense pixel art and fast, hard-hitting combat.
Two Years of Silence, Then a Date
Tenjutsu was first revealed at Devolver Digital’s own Devolver Direct showcase in 2024. Its distinctive visuals and action drew attention, but its release timing and platforms remained a complete mystery.
With almost no news for about two years, fans were left wondering, until this announcement confirmed both Switch 2 and PC and a 2027 window.
A Devolver Digital spokesperson summed up the publisher’s confidence in a single line: “This is the real deal.”
An Ex-Yakuza’s Fight in the Neon City of Kuroboro
Tenjutsu is set in Kuroboro, a dazzling but dark city packed with neon signs. The protagonist is Ten, a former yakuza who, after a long prison sentence, returns home hoping to put her past behind her and start a new life.
But the three powerful crime syndicates that now control the city’s underworld see her return as a threat to their power and start sending ruthless assassins to eliminate her for good.
Forced to take up arms again, Ten must fight all three organizations while learning and mastering martial arts techniques and deadly weapons. Strategic choices matter most along the way.
Each time Ten takes down a syndicate, the remaining ones regroup and grow stronger. That means whichever syndicate survives to the end becomes the most dangerous enemy of all, so players have to think carefully about which one to target, and when.
Melee, Ranged, and Special Weapons in One-vs-Many Brawls
Combat centers on fast, relentless martial arts action against crowds of enemies. Players combine hard-hitting melee weapons, ranged weapons, and game-changing special weapons on the fly to handle overwhelming assaults.
Skills picked up along the way can be mastered and combined, letting players develop their own fighting style.
As befits a roguelike, Kuroboro’s layout and placements change every run. Using the Joker system, players can rewrite the city’s rules in their favor for combat and exploration.
For example, Jokers can place vending machines around the map, change what shops sell and at what price, or restore health in a pinch, creating strategic opportunities.
Tattooed teeth, special spoils taken from defeated enemies, are the game’s key permanent progression currency. Unlike many roguelike resources, they’re kept even when Ten dies and a new run begins.
Players can collect them to expand the functions of their hideout and the city, permanently alter the game’s rules in their favor, or unlock powerful high-tier weapons to improve their odds on the next attempt.
Secrets Over a Bowl at Granny Hoken’s Ramen Shop
The story unfolds around Ten’s home and Granny Hoken’s ramen shop on the ground floor of her apartment building.
After each run, players can visit and talk with the shop’s many customers over a warm bowl of ramen. Through these conversations, they gradually learn the dark history hidden behind Kuroboro’s neon and the state of the underworld.
But even the ramen shop isn’t completely safe. Enemies after Ten can suddenly raid it mid-conversation.
As progress and runs accumulate, the bigger mystery surrounding Kuroboro unravels, along with the struggles and lives of ordinary people trying to get by in a brutal crime city.
Born From a 48-Hour Game Jam
Deepnight Games is the independent studio Sébastien Bénard founded after leaving Dead Cells developer Motion Twin in 2020, to fully pursue his own design philosophy.
According to international outlets, Tenjutsu is based on a prototype of the same name that Bénard created in 2022 for a game jam where developers had just 48 hours to build a game.
That small project, praised at the time for its bright ideas and intense action, has since been refined and expanded at length into a full release.
Who This Is For
Strong fit for: Dead Cells fans eager to see what its lead designer does next; players who love fast, crowd-fighting action roguelikes; anyone drawn to neon-noir and yakuza revenge stories; players who like meta-progression that genuinely reshapes the game; Switch 2 owners looking for standout indies.
Less ideal for: players who prefer slow, methodical combat or games without permadeath loops.
What to Watch For
With a 2027 window confirmed, watch for an exact date, pricing, and language support, as well as whether a demo arrives ahead of launch. How well the syndicate-order strategy and Joker system add depth to the Dead Cells-style combat will be the big test.
The Takeaway
Tenjutsu went quiet for two years, but it’s back with a 2027 date and Devolver’s bold “real deal” backing. A former yakuza, three syndicates that grow stronger as you topple each one, Jokers that rewrite the city’s rules, permanent progression paid in tattooed teeth, and story told over ramen: Sébastien Bénard’s 48-hour jam idea has grown into one of the most intriguing action roguelikes on the horizon.
Coming in 2027 to Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
Information related to ‘Tenjutsu’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Deepnight Games |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| Genre | Action Roguelike |
| platform | Nintendo Switch 2, PC |
| Release date | 2027 (Detailed schedule TBD) |
| price | Undecided |
| language | Unconfirmed |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
