Moon Beast Productions, a studio formed by developers who worked on the Diablo saga, has released a pre-alpha demo of their upcoming game, Darkhaven. This free version on Steam allows testing the base gameplay, leveling up to 8, and experimenting with three skill branches. In parallel, the team has started a Kickstarter campaign aiming to raise $500,000 to fund full development.
A Technical Look at the Pre-Alpha: Sandbox, Destruction, and Bugs 🐛
The demo offers a first contact with the core mechanics that the studio intends to polish. It presents a world with sandbox elements and an environmental destruction system that affects combat. The developers warn that this build is unstable and may contain bugs, as its purpose is to gather feedback. The plan is to launch the game in early access with more content, including cooperative and PvP modes.
Kickstarter: Pay for the Privilege of Testing Our Bugs 😅
The strategy is clear: first they let you play an unpolished version so you see the potential, and then they ask for funds to fix it. It's like a mechanic letting you test drive a car without doors and, after the ride, passing you the crowdfunding to weld them on. That said, the promise of an action RPG with the seal of veterans is bait juicy enough for many to bite the hook, bugs included.