Combining the horde-slaying ARPG gameplay of Diablo with strategic MOBA-like defense, Wardens Rising is hard to put in any one box. It’s gained a lot of traction recently for its unique gameplay, and you can finally play it for yourself thanks to a new Wardens Rising demo that is available on Steam.
Developed by Bix Moxi, the Wardens Rising demo is, at least for now, only available on Steam despite plans to launch the action RPG and MOBA hybrid on PlayStation and Xbox in the future. Currently, Wardens Rising is planned to be released in Q1 2025, so this demo gives you quite a head start to familiarize yourself with its unique gameplay. Unfortunately, this also means that if you fall in love you’ll have to stick with the demo for a while.
While the full game will feature both solo and co-op PvE action, the demo is limited to single-player missions. Likewise, the demo features the first biome of the campaign – the Forest, which is just one of the 24 campaign maps planned that will accompany the endless horde mode and 12 mission modes which provide fresh challenges every time.
Available via the Wardens Rising Steam page, here is everything you can sink your teeth into during the demo:
- Three Wardens (characters) to level up and customize
- Eight equipment items
- Three SPEC companions
- Various upgradeable defensive structures
- The Forest campaign maps and the Warchief boss
When you see Wardens Rising in action, it’s not hard to see why it’s earned its fair share of attention. From setting up turrets to suiting up in a massive mech, Wardens Rising is a much more intense tower defense game than you’d first expect, owning to its ARPG and MOBA influences. In fact, at times it even feels like the original, top-down Helldivers as you hold your ground against waves of invaders as you scramble to set up defenses to fend them off.
The maps themselves are also surprisingly large and complex. Don’t expect to be limited to just a few tiles or linear defensible lanes in Wardens Rising. Instead, you’ve got a whole area to defend and manage with your wide variety of tools, making playing it with friends even more appetizing.
While you wait for the demo to download, check out our recommendations of the best MOBAs or multiplayer games to tide you over.
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