Nivalis Nights is a life sim set in a voxel cyberpunk city where you run a noodle bar, ride flying cabs, pilot boats, and play chess with the locals. ION LANDS developed it and 505 Games published it. The gameplay launch trailer, which premiered during The MIX Fall Game Showcase 2026, packs most of that loop into under two minutes. It ends on two words: out now.
Quick answer: Nivalis Nights launched on Steam on September 29, 2026, and is available to buy now. The launch trailer focuses on running Ramen Noir and exploring Nivalis by boat, cab, and train.
Nivalis Nights release date, platform, and credits
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | ION LANDS |
| Publisher | 505 Games |
| Release date | September 29, 2026 |
| Platform shown at launch | Steam |
| Status | Out now |
The game was originally listed on Steam as Nivalis. The Nivalis Nights name came with the release date trailer, which set the September 29 date. A gamescom 2026 version of that trailer also showed an Epic Games logo next to Steam. The launch trailer’s end card shows only Steam. Its copyright line runs from 2021 to 2026, which suggests about five years of development.
The game is on its Steam store page.
Ramen Noir and running a venue in Nivalis Nights
The game is built around a noodle bar called Ramen Noir. Earlier trailers set up the premise. An older chef in an apron talks about leaving, and the shop passes to the player. The launch trailer shows the day-to-day side of that job. While you walk through Hive Mall, a HUD notice reads “RAMEN NOIR, INGREDIENTS RESTOCKED”. A “SHOPPING LIST” prompt, opened with Tab, sits in the top-left corner of almost every gameplay shot.
Bar building has its own mode. In Central Canyon, the player walks into an empty venue and opens an “ALL FURNITURE” menu. A green grid shows valid spots for tables, chairs, and shelves, and pieces snap into place on it. Some of the furniture shown has neon lighting. The first quest marker shown, “Noodle Bar Introduction: Find a cab to Meridian Market”, indicates that the story’s opening hours lead straight into the restaurant job.
Districts of Nivalis shown in the launch trailer
Nivalis is split into named districts that each look different. The HUD names the current district next to the day and time. The trailer also cycles through rain, snow, sunny afternoons, and late nights.
| District | What the trailer shows |
|---|---|
| Lowtown | Starting apartment, crowded neon alleys |
| Meridian Market | Cab destination, Hanz Grundown |
| Central Canyon | Venue renovation, snowy canal |
| Mountain Town | Boardwalk stalls, boat routes |
| Hive Mall | Lantern-lit shopping promenade |
| Calypso Island | Sunny palm-lined dirt roads |
Between the districts the trailer shows dense multi-level night markets, slums under tangles of high-voltage wiring, stilt shanties over the water, and huge animated billboards in an anime style. Storefronts include Izakaya Star, TV Shop, and Tasty Trails. There is also an indoor hydroponic farm with green grow lights.
Weather changes how the same places look. Central Canyon appears both as a snowy overlook and as the site of the bar renovation. Calypso Island stays sunny and tropical.
Getting around Nivalis: boats, flying cabs, and trains
Water covers a large part of the map, and you can pilot boats. In first person, the cockpit has a compass and a glowing radar screen labeled FDetect. An earlier trailer showed a handheld radar used for fishing at the Docks, so the radar appears tied to finding things in the water as well as steering.
On land, yellow flying cabs land at marked roadside platforms. The tutorial quest sends you to find one, and the cab ride plays as a cutscene that you can skip.
Elevated yellow commuter trains cross the city on overhead tracks. Earlier footage includes a view from inside a train cabin, which suggests you can ride them and not just watch them pass. The HUD compass shows yellow and blue waypoints with distances in meters.
Ava, Hanz Grundown, and other Nivalis Nights characters
You play a set character, not one you create. NPCs call them “the new Thaddeus”, and in third-person shots they have short blonde hair and a teal jacket. The trailer switches between first-person and third-person views while on foot. Conversations use a portrait box and selectable replies.
- Ava is an AI companion who gives you a tour of your Lowtown apartment and explains that the Localized Unity Zone, “The LUZ”, is in effect.
- Hanz Grundown is the Night Manager of the Grundown Ritz, and you meet him at Meridian Market.
- Brent Foster plays a full game of chess against you.
- Karel Crabface Jones appears in the earlier fishing footage at the Docks.
Conversations give you a choice of tone. With Hanz, for example, you can answer “Hi Hanz.” or “Hello Mr. Grundown.” The story has a surreal side that the launch trailer doesn’t show. Earlier trailers open with the line “Only the dreamers know how to wake up” and include narration about déjà vu and dying twice.
Nivalis Nights HUD: day counter, clock, and ¤ currency
The top of the screen shows the in-game day, weekday, clock time, money, and current district. Money uses the “¤” symbol. Because the trailer cuts between saves at different points, its HUD readings show how far a playthrough can progress.
| Day | District | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, Monday | Lowtown | 1000.00 ¤ |
| Day 2, Tuesday | Meridian Market | 326.84 ¤ |
| Day 44, Tuesday | Mountain Town | 5059.48 ¤ |
| Day 60, Friday | Hive Mall | 181277.20 ¤ |
The player starts with 1,000 ¤ and is down to a few hundred by day two. By day 60, the save has about 180,000 ¤, and small amounts drop between Day 60 shots as furniture is placed and time passes. This suggests the economy is a slow climb driven by the business.
Put together, the launch trailer presents Nivalis Nights as a slower game than its neon cyberpunk look suggests. The main activities are running a ramen shop, arranging furniture, making small talk, and getting across a large city by water, air, and rail. The game is available now on Steam.
