Dark Alley: Everything We Know

Dark Alley, a noir detective adventure set in Kyoto, is out on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC from Thursday 5 November 2026. Here’s everything we know.

Dark Alley is a first-person, cinematic detective adventure from solo developer CheesecakeGames, published by JanduSoft. JanduSoft describes it as “a narrative noir thriller set in Kyoto”, and it’s a standalone case in the Detective Bennett: Solved Cases series.

When is the Dark Alley release date?

Dark Alley is out on Thursday 5 November 2026, the release date on the Microsoft Store listing. Publisher JanduSoft lists the same date on its official Dark Alley page.

Is Dark Alley on Game Pass?

No. The Microsoft Store doesn’t list it in any Game Pass tier, so you’ll need to buy it.

How much is Dark Alley, and is it Play Anywhere?

Dark Alley costs £10.49 / $12.49 on the Microsoft Store. That’s its standard price, not a launch discount. JanduSoft says it supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so you can carry on your investigation on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox on PC. The Store lists PC, Xbox Series X|S and handheld.

What is Dark Alley about?

British detective Edward Hale has vanished in Kyoto. London sends Detective Thomas Bennett to Japan expecting a straightforward missing-person case, but he finds a city where everyone seems to know more than they’ll admit. The trail leads to the Yakuza, though according to the Store they’re “far from the whole story”.

JanduSoft’s game page adds that the case involves the Dragon Vein Yakuza, a mysterious informant and a man behind a black car. It also says Dark Alley shapes the Bennett players will meet later in The Empty Desk.

What are the key features?

• A self-contained mystery: a focused story designed to be played from start to finish, with no filler or grind.
• Kyoto locations: Gion’s lantern-lit streets, Nishiki Market, hidden temples, bamboo forests, traditional ryokans and a secret onsen nightclub.
• Investigation: examine objects, question witnesses, take notes in Bennett’s notebook and revisit old evidence.
• Environmental puzzles: built to keep the investigation moving from one discovery to the next.
• Characters and alliances: question suspects and decide who deserves your trust.
• Bennett’s voice: internal monologue, sharp dialogue and dry, noir humour.

How many achievements does Dark Alley have?

There are 12 achievements worth 1,000 Gamerscore, according to TrueAchievements. Eight are for completing each chapter. The rest are for finding all the hidden voodoo dolls, finding everything in the game, drinking three bottles of sake in under a minute, and inspecting a Japanese sign in the nightclub.

Everything we know is in one place on our Dark Alley hub. Are you taking the case? Tell us on X or Facebook.

Last updated 5 November 2026.