Ahh, the nostalgia is real 🙌. Ahead of PAX East 2026, I got to check out the Wyldheart demo, and let me tell you, it’s a total blast from the past 🎉. The graphics and gameplay took me back to the good old days of playing RPGs online with my friends, chatting on MSN Messenger 📱, and talking beside each other on computers in the public library 📚. I mean, who needs social skills when you can just play video games all day, right? 😂. Even oldies who played EverQuest or World of Warcraft will feel the nostalgia, and I’m not just talking about the carpal tunnel 😂.
So, Wyldheart is a brand new co-op action RPG set in a rustic fantasy world, developed by the newly formed independent studio, Wayfinder Studios 🌟. The team has only 10 people, but they’ve managed to create this expansive world, and I’m not just talking about the size of their egos 🤣. Many team members are huge tabletop fans, and I had the chance to play alongside Wayfinder Studios’ Creative Director and co-founder, Dennis Brännvall, and Marketing Director, Erin Bower 🤝.
I got to check out the classless character creator/generator, and let me tell you, it’s a real game-changer 🤯. There are three playable ancestries: Halfling, Human, and Ogre, because who doesn’t want to play as a giant ogre, right? 🤣. There are also 19 roleplaying backgrounds, which consist of roles like Fisher, with a description that reads: “You pulled living things out of cold water” 🎣. I mean, who comes up with this stuff? 🤣. The Fisher is a funny role because your starting weapon is a fishing rod, similarly to how the Baker has a rolling pin as their starting weapon 🍞️. But there are regular roles too, like the Squire who starts with a longsword 🗡️.
The skill trees are also pretty cool, allowing players to specialize in Sword, Axe, Mace, Bow, and Staff techniques under the Weapon heading 🤺. There are also two other main skills for my Halfling Fisher: Adventuring and Magic 🔮. Adventuring had subsections listed as Attributes, Survival, and Dungeoneering 🏕️. Then, Magic had two subsections called Animism and Elementalism ⚡️.
One of the best parts of the game is how players who love crafting and gathering can spend an hour or two doing that, while the rest of the group can jump straight into a dungeon 🏰. This can be done without having a singular host player, essentially leading to some asynchronous participation 🤝. It’s like, you can play with your friends, but also not play with your friends, you know? 🤣.
In terms of the overall gameplay experience, Wyldheart was intuitive to learn if you have played those aforementioned RPG games 🎮. The controls were similar too, with WASD movement, left mouse click being Primary Weapon Attack, and right click being Block, Parry, or Secondary Weapon Attack 🎯. Then, certain numbers can switch to potions, interactable items, or other weapons 🧙♂️.
Combat in Wyldheart was fairly typical of the genre as well when facing off against many skeletons and slimes in the first dungeon 💀. I liked how they included realistic actions and sound design affecting gameplay, like finding lockpicks for certain locked doors or kicking them open 🚪. However, the penalty for kicking doors open was that it could alert enemies, so planning who attacks what is important 🤔.
Aesthetically, I was pleased with the hex tile movements between regions 🗺️. I saw the tabletop inspiration with this visual design because it looked like the hex tiles in Catan 🎲. The map also looked almost like the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 map as well, with the dreamlike effect lighting and tiny characters 🌌. Dungeons are also designed with hidden traps and secret compartments, which add a layer of replayability and discovery through multiple playthroughs 🎉.
As far as we all know, Wyldheart will be launching its Early Access soon 🚀. On the Wyldheart Steam page, the dev team wrote that they “hope to finish the Early Access period and release our 1.0 build at some point in 2027” 📆. Additionally, they have already disclaimed that the price of the game would rise as the game leaves Early Access and more content and features ship 🚨. Be sure to check out the Discord to stay updated, and see and provide feedback for the Early Access 📱.
So, what are you waiting for? Join the Wyldheart community and get ready to embark on a epic adventure with your friends 🎉. And if you’re not excited, well, what’s wrong with you? 😂. Wyldheart is the perfect game for anyone who loves RPGs, co-op gameplay, and, you know, not having a social life 🤣. See you in the game, and don’t forget to bring your sense of humor 😂! 🎮💻👍
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
