Tears of Metal: Co-op Hack-and-Slash Roguelike Demo 2026

Tears of Metal is the kind of game that sells itself in one screenshot: a lone warrior, a castle gate, and an absurd amount of blood. Paper Cult's medieval co-op roguelike is at Steam Next Fest in June 2026, and the demo is the best look yet at whether the carnage has staying power.

What is Tears of Metal? (quick answer)

Tears of Metal is a medieval hack-and-slash co-op roguelike from Paper Cult. You cut through hordes of enemies to reclaim your island with the help of a Scottish battalion, uncovering the mystery of a Dragon Meteor as you push deeper into enemy trenches. It plays solo or in online co-op, and a free demo is live at Steam Next Fest (June 15 to 22, 2026).

Key takeaways

• Medieval hack-and-slash roguelike from Paper Cult, solo or online co-op
• Demo at Steam Next Fest, June 15 to 22, 2026
• You reclaim your island with a Scottish battalion against an invasion
• Story hook: the mysterious Dragon Meteor and the trenches beyond it
• Bold cel-shaded art with large-scale, blood-soaked battlefield combat

A horde roguelike that wants a crowd

The pitch is volume. Tears of Metal puts you on vast battlefields against packs of enemies, with kill counters ticking into the hundreds and blood painting the ground. This is not a careful dueling game. It is about wading into a formation and coming out the other side, then building your run's power to do it again against worse odds.

The cel-shaded art does heavy lifting. The stark palette and red splatter give the violence a graphic-novel punch that most horde games lack. If you enjoy build-driven action like this, our Cursemark launch preview covers another fresh roguelite leaning on deep build variety.

Tears of Metal supports online co-op, and the four-fighter party display hints at how chaotic a full squad run gets.

Co-op is the hook to watch

Horde combat and co-op are a natural pairing, and Tears of Metal builds around it. The on-screen party display shows up to four fighters, and the appeal is obvious: the carnage scales when friends are carving the same battlefield. Whether the roguelike progression holds a group together across a full run is exactly what a Next Fest demo is good for testing. For more in this space, our best indie co-op games and best indie roguelites roundups point to neighbors worth a look, and the Lost Castle 2 weapons tier list covers the co-op beat-em-up the genre currently measures itself against.

What to watch in the demo

The combat feel is the make-or-break. Horde roguelikes succeed when each swing has weight and each run feels meaningfully different. The demo is the place to judge whether Tears of Metal's melee lands with impact and whether the upgrade variety keeps runs fresh. The Dragon Meteor story is a nice hook, but the moment-to-moment slashing is what will decide this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tears of Metal? A medieval hack-and-slash co-op roguelike from Paper Cult where you reclaim your island with a Scottish battalion, with a demo at Steam Next Fest June 2026.

Is it co-op? Yes, solo or online co-op, with a four-fighter party shown on screen.

Is there a demo? Yes, free during Steam Next Fest, June 15 to 22, 2026.

When does it release? 2026 in Early Access; no exact date confirmed.

What kind of roguelike is it? A horde-focused action roguelike about mowing through large enemy formations and building run power.

References

• Tears of Metal on Steam
• Steam Next Fest June 2026
• Paper Cult (developer)