This 1986 Japanese adventure game showing up on Steam in 2026 guarantees it makes my GOTY list—you’ve really got to play it
The 1986 Japanese action-adventure game Relics, originally developed by Bothtec for early PC platforms including the MSX, PC-88/98, Sharp X1, X68000, and FM-7, is arriving on Steam in 2026. The re-release marks a significant moment in game preservation, bringing this classic title from Japan’s distinctive early computing era to modern audiences through what appears to be D4Enterprise’s EggConsole collection.
Despite its considerable age and technical limitations—characterized by distinctive blue and yellow visuals and frame rates reflecting its 1986 origins—the game is generating substantial interest among retro gaming enthusiasts and critics. PC Gamer’s coverage, part of their ongoing “Pasokon Retro” series examining early Japanese PC gaming, highlights how the re-release makes historically significant software accessible to players who would otherwise have no way to experience it.
The release demonstrates the continued effort to preserve and maintain access to classic PC titles, particularly from Japan’s important but often overlooked early computing period. By bringing Relics to Steam’s modern platform, the game joins an ongoing movement to ensure these important pieces of gaming history remain playable and discoverable for future generations of gamers and gaming historians.