The new demo features seven planets across two solar systems, with four playable Gravhounds to choose from: Selene, Zane, Dozer and Finn. Expeditions can be tackled solo or with up to four players in co-op, so you can build your own squad and take on the game’s hostile alien environments together.
New in the Demo: The Mod Deck Builder
The demo’s biggest addition is the Mod Deck Builder, created directly in response to feedback from the game’s open playtest. It gives you more control over the possibilities you’ll come across during an expedition, while keeping the unpredictability that makes each run unique. You can change your deck between expeditions and try out different strategies as your Mod library grows.
That’s welcome news. When we went hands-on with the playtest, the randomized loadouts were one of our main frustrations, so we’re keen to see how much the deck builder changes things.
“The support from our playtesters has been pretty overwhelming,” said Octopus Panic co-founder Josh Holmes. “We’re a small team, and having so many people take the time to play, report bugs, and share ideas has been a huge help.”
Life as a Gravhound
Use the Grav Beam to fling objects across the battlefield or send enemies flying. Careful with the volatile stuff.
Deploy turrets, generators and fabricators, and run pipelines across hostile terrain to power your base and escape route.
Boost in any direction, hover and reposition under fire to reach a downed teammate or grab materials.
Stay longer for better materials, but every extra second makes the swarm deadlier.
Each Gravhound has its own strengths, so combining them and improvising together is how you beat back the swarm. Go lone wolf to expand the operation, or stick with the pack to stand your ground. You can also unlock new abilities and upgrades mid-shift, stacking bonuses to reshape your loadout as things escalate, so no two shifts play the same.
Our Playtest Impressions
We spent time with GRAVHOUNDS during its open playtest, and came away with a provisional 7.5/10. The co-op chaos, the physics-driven Grav Beam and the pipeline system were the highlights, and it was already a lot of fun with friends. The tutorial, mission variety and some rough edges needed work, but as we said at the time, that’s exactly what playtests are for. You can read our full GRAVHOUNDS playtest impressions.
Key Dates
| When | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| Now – October 18 | New free demo on Steam, with the Mod Deck Builder. |
| November 2, 2026 | Early Access launch. |
GRAVHOUNDS at a Glance
| Genre | Co-op action-builder · base building · extraction |
| Players | Single-player · 1–4 online co-op |
| Controls | Full controller support |
| Languages | English (full audio), French, German, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese |
| Minimum PC | 64-bit Windows 10 · Core i5-7600K / Ryzen 5 1600 · 8 GB RAM · GTX 1660 / RX 590 · DirectX 12 · broadband internet · 10 GB storage |
| Recommended PC | 64-bit Windows 11 · Core i5-10600KF / Ryzen 5 3600X · 16 GB RAM · RTX 2060 / RX 5600 XT · DirectX 12 · broadband internet · 10 GB storage |
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