Game: GRAVHOUNDS
Developer: Octopus Panic, Inc.
Publisher: Octopus Panic, Inc.
Genre: Co-op Action Builder
Released: November 2, 2026 (Early Access)
Price: $19.99 · $14.99 until November 16
Platform: PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S
🐕
How we reviewed it: on PC, via Steam. This follows our earlier
playtest impressions, and it also reflects what players are saying in the first two weeks of Early Access.
1–4Players
25Planets
5Gravhounds
22Turrets & Deployables
60Mods
🚀 Know this first: it’s Early Access, and the launch discount ends soon. GRAVHOUNDS is $14.99 with a 25% launch discount until November 16, then $19.99. The developer plans to raise the price as the game grows toward 1.0, which it expects to take roughly six months, potentially longer. It’s playable solo, but it’s at its best with friends.
🪐 Hit Quota. Get Home.
You’re a bio-engineered space dog on a corporate job far from home. Drop onto a hostile planet with your pack, mine resources, build and defend a base against an alien swarm, then extract with everything you can carry.
The longer you stay, the bigger the payout, and the deadlier the swarm. Every shift is a bet on how much your pack can handle.
Loyal. Obedient. Expendable.
GRAVHOUNDS comes from Octopus Panic, an independent studio led by Halo 4 creative director Josh Holmes, and it borrows from some great co-op games without feeling like a copy of any one of them. It’s part third-person shooter, part tower defense and part physics sandbox, all tied together by a pipeline network that powers your base, moves your resources and doubles as a high-speed highway for dogs. Its aiming can feel clunky and its balance still needs work, but for an Early Access game, it’s already packed with content and a whole lot of chaotic fun.
Our verdict: “A chaotic blast when played co-op, this indie builder nails the risk-reward tension of smash-and-grab missions.”
The Shift
⛏️ Mine
Drop onto hostile planets and gather materials. Riskier worlds hold the best rewards.
🏗️ Build
Deploy turrets, generators and fabricators, and run pipelines to power the base and move resources.
🧲 Fling
Use the Grav Beam to toss objects to teammates and send enemies flying.
🚀 Extract
Keep your escape route alive and get home before the escalating swarm overwhelms you.
Tower Defense, but You’re Also a Tower
🔫 Build First, Shoot Second
Don’t go in expecting a pure shooter. As one player put it, GRAVHOUNDS is really a frantic tower defense game where you can also blast away at the closest enemies. Another summed it up as tower defense where you’re also a tower. Several players called the tower defense side the highlight, and one enjoyed experimenting with different setups, from laser fences to rows of miniguns.
The pipelines are what make it click. They power your turrets, move your materials and form your escape route, and you can boost along them to race across the map. In co-op, one player found there’s room for everyone to play their way, whether that’s building, gathering, exploring or fighting.
Plenty to Do Already
📦 A Big Early Access Launch
At launch, Octopus Panic listed 7 solar systems and 25 planets, 5 playable Gravhounds, 22 turrets and deployable systems, 4 upgradeable weapons plus the Grav Beam, and 60 mods, including 12 game-changing “Showstoppers.” There’s also a Juggernaut boss, mid-shift upgrades that stack as the swarm escalates, and a skill tree to grind through. One player had already finished a full campaign run and moved on to New Game Plus.
Two players said they were amazed at how much the game already offers for Early Access, and the studio’s first Early Access patch has already lowered friendly fire, cut turret damage to players by 80% and given you more time between later waves.
What Players Are Saying
GRAVHOUNDS sits at Very Positive on Steam from 442 reviews. The most common comparison is to Deep Rock Galactic and Helldivers 2, with several players mentioning one or both, and one described it as Sanctum meets Deep Rock Galactic meets Helldivers 2. Several players said it’s best with friends, while two said it’s still a lot of fun solo or with randoms.
Players also enjoyed the humor. One called it more of a satirical co-op game than a story-driven one, full of team damage and gravity-beam trolling, and another said the Cone of Shame you wear after respawning makes up for the respawn system they otherwise disliked. One player praised the movement as super slick, and another felt no primary weapon was an obvious best pick.
Not everyone was sold. One more critical player felt it was too derivative of Deep Rock Galactic, disliked the soundtrack and announcer, and didn’t find the art style cohesive, though they still kept coming back for the gameplay.
Where It Stumbles
⚠️ Still a Bit of a Puppy
1. Clunky aiming. One player called the aiming unwieldy and clunky, and another described the gunplay as just alright. The shooting works best as a backup to your defenses.
2. Balance needs work. One player found it too easy and said turrets usually get their final upgrade near the end of a round, so they don’t get to use them for long. Another, though, said it brings them to the edge of a rage quit every so often.
3. Progression feels early. One player called the character skills underwhelming, and another said the skill tree has a lot to grind for but still feels like Early Access.
4. Missing quality-of-life features. One player wanted a map legend, after realizing late that yellow triangles meant sentries and blue dots meant materials. They also asked for a way to send money to teammates, plus player and gun customization. They hit a bug where they phased into the ground during the ball-rolling minigame, but only once.
5. Known issues. Octopus Panic itself lists occasional frame-rate drops in intense fights, host-dependent multiplayer, minor UI bugs and physics quirks.
🎮 Bring a Pack, or Go Lone Wolf
GRAVHOUNDS supports solo play and online co-op for up to four players, with full controller support and six accessibility features listed on Steam, including camera comfort, color alternatives and subtitle options. A broadband connection is required.
Things to Know
📋 Before You Buy
• $19.99 · $14.99 with the 25% launch discount until November 16 · price expected to rise during Early Access
• Early Access since November 2, 2026 · about six months or more to 1.0, according to the developer
• Also on Xbox Series X|S
• Solo or 1–4 player online co-op · player-hosted multiplayer · friendly fire is on
• 6 languages · English voice audio · Steam Deck: Unknown
• Minimum: Windows 10 64-bit, Core i5-7600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1660 or RX 590, 10 GB of storage
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
| The Good |
The Bad |
The Ugly |
| Tower DefenseYou’re also a tower. |
Clunky AimingGunplay is just alright. |
The Cone of ShameWorn after every respawn. |
| PipelinesPower, logistics and a dog highway. |
BalanceTurrets max out too late. |
— |
| Co-op ChaosFlinging friends with the Grav Beam. |
Thin SkillsProgression still feels early. |
— |
| Launch Content25 planets, 60 mods. |
No Map LegendWhat are the blue dots? |
— |
The Verdict
GRAVHOUNDS delivers on the promise we saw in our playtest impressions. Its mix of mining, base building, tower defense and physics chaos already works, and the pipeline network ties it all together in a way that makes every shift feel like a team effort. With a full pack, it’s a riot.
It still has the rough edges you’d expect from Early Access. The aiming is clunky, the balance is still being tuned, and progression needs more depth. But the foundation is strong, the launch content is generous, and the studio is already responding to feedback.
The honest read: if you have a regular co-op crew and love Deep Rock Galactic or tower defense, jump in now, especially before the launch discount ends. If you want a polished shooter or a deep solo experience, wait for more updates.
For more game reviews, check out our full reviews section.
Score Breakdown
Tower Defense & Building9.0/10
Pipelines & Movement8.5/10
Physics & Grav Beam8.5/10
Early Access Content8.5/10
Progression & Skill Tree7.5/10
Final Score
8.0/10
GRAVHOUNDS — Octopus Panic, Inc.
Far from home. Swarm closing in. Still expected to hit quota.
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