Swiss two person studio GudaGuda Studio has released a free demo for Yokai Mart on Steam. The cozy single player shop simulation puts you behind the counter of a small konbini in a Tokyo suburb, where daytime regulars share their personal stories and supernatural visitors walk through the door after dark. The demo takes about 30 minutes to finish, and the full game is scheduled for release in Q1 2027.
Quick Facts
- Game: Yokai Mart
- Developer: GudaGuda Studio
- Publisher: GudaGuda Studio
- Release window: Q1 2027
- Platforms: Windows, macOS and Linux
- Demo length: about 30 minutes
- Demo languages: English, German, Japanese and Simplified Chinese
- Price: free demo
What you do in the Yokai Mart demo
You play as Aoi, a recent college graduate with no job prospects in the city. After receiving a letter from her grandmother, she agrees to take over the family konbini in a quiet Tokyo suburb. What sounds like a perfectly normal retail job turns out to be something stranger, because this particular store attracts customers who are not entirely human.
The demo covers your first nights behind the counter. You stock shelves, serve customers and keep the little shop running while getting to know the regulars. According to the demo announcement on Steam, you will meet Rin, Ayame, Endo and Makoto, encounter your first yokai and start filling a notebook with everything you learn about the people and spirits who visit. Fans of shopkeeping games will feel at home here, though the tone is closer to a slow character drama than to our Moonlighter 2 review, where dungeon runs fund the storefront.
Everything you learn is recorded in the notebook. Over time it fills with notes on who shows up on which nights and what your regulars like, and stray comments from earlier visits start to make sense. You never leave the store. The whole story arrives through the front door, one customer at a time.
Five yokai visit after dark
The heart of the game is its night shift. Each of the five yokai is its own mystery with distinct likes and dislikes, and your job is to figure out what each spirit wants so you can leave a little more good in the world. Daytime is about the human regulars and their wishes, like an employee who stops in every morning for a hot cup of coffee or a schoolgirl who always brings the latest gossip. Nighttime belongs to folklore.
The full game builds on that contrast. The konbini gradually becomes your own, regular customers share stories that change across visits, and the single setting grows more alive the longer you pay attention. It is a compact premise, and the demo earned its place among the current wave of playable Steam demos alongside stories like the Lich Lords demo now live on Steam.
Platforms, languages and Steam Deck
The demo runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and the studio says it also works on Steam Deck even though Valve has not formally verified it yet. It supports English, German, Japanese and Simplified Chinese for interface and subtitles, with English voice work included. Minimum requirements are modest, with Windows 10 64 bit, an Intel Core i3 processor, 2 GB of RAM and any GPU with Vulkan 1.0 support listed on the Yokai Mart Steam page.
Steam Next Fest and the full release
GudaGuda Studio plans to bring Yokai Mart to Steam Next Fest in October with an updated demo, so this first release is an early taste rather than the final showcase build. If you enjoy your nights behind the counter, wishlisting the game helps the small team more than anything else. The demo joins a busy season of free trials, including the Ashfield Hollow demo live on Steam, which offers a much longer sample of its own world.
Yokai Mart is the work of Dominik and Oli, a two person team from Switzerland. The full release is planned for Q1 2027, and the demo is free to download on Steam right now.
Yokai Mart demo FAQ
Is the Yokai Mart demo free on Steam
Yes. The Yokai Mart demo is free to download and play on Steam for Windows, macOS and Linux.
How long does the Yokai Mart demo take to finish
The demo takes about 30 minutes to play, covering your first nights running the konbini and your first yokai encounter.
When is the full Yokai Mart release date
Yokai Mart is scheduled for full release in Q1 2027 on PC, with an updated demo planned for Steam Next Fest in October.
Can you play the Yokai Mart demo on Steam Deck
The studio reports that the demo works on Steam Deck, although Valve has not officially verified it for the handheld yet.
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