With Dark and Darker set to arrive on the Epic Games Store but still absent from Steam, the PvPvE extraction dungeon crawler space has seen a few challengers spring up. Alongside rival Dungeonborne, Korean studio Action Square has been teasing us with Dungeon Stalkers, a gorgeous multiplayer RPG where darkness is your ally rather than something to be feared. Launching today on Steam, a free playtest lets you try out the new Dungeon Stalkers class, equipment crafting, another game mode, and dancing.
Dungeon Stalkers follows in the footsteps of the now familiar multiplayer, run-based extraction RPGs such as Dark and Darker, but the twist here is that the darkness is a welcoming place, with the brighter areas of dungeons running a higher risk of dangerous foes. As one of the eponymous stalkers, you’ll have to decide whether to team up with other human players to maximize your loot gains, or hunt them down to snatch their well-earned wealth, all while dealing with the Witch’s curses placed on you by the dungeon’s malevolent master.
The new Dungeon Stalkers playtest, which starts today, Wednesday May 22, and runs through the weekend, lets you get your hands on the newest addition to the roster, Summoner Rene. The vampire newcomer can be used in the standard dungeon mode or the new combat-focused battleground mode, Supremacy.
Along with this comes a hefty haul of new additions. Necklaces, rings, and pants have been introduced to add more depth to the gear system, while new equipment crafting and reforging tools will allow you to build the perfect loadout before you head into the dungeons. With damage displayed in real-time on your character, you’ll want to make sure your armor is up to scratch so that rivals don’t spot you and see an easy target.
Action Square has also given Dungeon Stalkers a balance pass since the last playtest, so if you’ve jumped in previously you’ll notice that your normal attacks are a bit faster. You’ll also be able to switch out broken armor mid-run to restore your shield value. That’s important, as more regular Witch’s curses and a faster-closing Blood Veil means you’ll be kept more on your toes than before.
That’s not the end, however. There are also daily quests to give you more direction, if you’re unsure what to do next. A lobby customization feature has been introduced, allowing you to decorate and personalize your lobby to suit your tastes, while new dance emotes allow you to show off a little style in the dungeon depths – just be careful you don’t leave yourself open to attack when you throw down.
The Dungeon Stalkers playtest begins Wednesday May 22 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT (May 23 at 2am BST / 3am CEST / 10am KST), and runs until Sunday May 26 at 7am PDT / 10am EDT / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST / 11pm KST. To join, simply head to the game’s Steam store page and download the demo version.
Can’t get enough of the competition? Then you’ll want to check out the best multiplayer games for plenty more of that. Or, if you’d rather everyone just got along, here are the best co-op games in 2024 for lots to play with pals.
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