If you’re tired of deckbuilders where random number generators dictate your fate, Harma might be exactly what you need. The dark fantasy roguelike dropped a free demo on Steam on November 3, 2025, accompanied by an official demo trailer on November 8 that showcases its striking pixel art and unique combat mechanics. Developed by Korean studio Indirect Shine and published by Astrolabe Games, this isn’t just another Slay the Spire clone with a new coat of paint.
The Artifact System Changes Everything
Most deckbuilding roguelikes have you drawing cards and playing them based on their static values. Harma throws that formula out the window with its artifact system. Three random artifacts activate each turn, and these artifacts determine how powerful your cards actually are in that moment. A card that was weak last turn might become devastating this turn if the right artifacts line up. This creates a constantly shifting battlefield where adaptation matters more than memorizing optimal combos.
But here’s the clever part. You’re not completely at the mercy of random chance. Players have a resource called Focus that lets you override the random artifact activation and force specific artifacts to trigger. Do you save your Focus for a crucial boss turn, or do you spend it now to guarantee a powerful play? This transforms what could have been frustrating randomness into meaningful strategic choices where you decide when to accept fate and when to seize control of it.
A Grim Tale Worth Following
The story setup immediately establishes Harma’s bleak tone. Knights who returned from an expedition started slaughtering their own people. The kingdom burned, everything was lost, and you were left standing alone in the heart of the tragedy. Your goal is uncovering what caused loyal knights to become murderers, discovering what happened to your missing father, and potentially saving a world that’s already mostly destroyed.
The game’s aesthetic draws heavy inspiration from Berserk, the legendary dark fantasy manga by Kentaro Miura. The hand-drawn pixel art captures that same oppressive atmosphere of desperate people trapped in a world controlled by demonic forces. Reddit users who tried the demo specifically called out the Berserk vibes, praising how the game nails that dark and gritty feel. If you’ve been waiting for a game that captures what made Berserk special beyond just putting a big sword in the main character’s hands, Harma appears to understand the assignment.
What’s Actually in the Demo
The free demo includes a portion of the game’s prologue and has been refined based on feedback from offline events where Indirect Shine let players test it. You get access to cards from three core archetypes, letting you experiment with different playstyles. The demo features regular enemies, elite fights that provide tougher challenges, and culminates in a boss encounter that tests whether you’ve figured out the artifact system.
Beyond combat, you’ll find special events scattered throughout, make choices through branching dialogues, and experience the deckbuilding systems including card upgrades and removal. Collecting relics provides permanent bonuses that carry through your run. The demo is designed to give you a genuine taste of what the full game will offer rather than being a glorified tutorial that ends right when things get interesting. Based on early player impressions, the demo provides several hours of content if you want to explore all the available options.
Two Characters With Different Approaches
Harma features two playable characters, though the demo appears to focus primarily on introducing the core systems rather than showcasing both in full. The full game will combine these characters with over 300 unique cards and artifacts, suggesting substantial variety in how you can build decks and approach challenges. Each character will have their own playstyle and synergies with different artifact combinations, encouraging multiple runs to experience everything the game offers.
The developers have emphasized that combining different artifacts with character-specific cards should lead to emergent strategies that go beyond simple good card, bad card evaluations. A card that seems weak for one character and artifact combination might become the centerpiece of an entirely different build. This kind of depth is what separates great deckbuilders from forgettable ones.
Campaign and Endless Modes
The planned Early Access release in 2026 will feature the first chapter of a story-driven campaign spanning four epic acts. Unlike many roguelikes where narrative is an afterthought and you’re just fighting through procedurally generated stages, Harma is building its campaign around dynamic battles, branching dialogue choices, and cinematic cutscenes. The story of the fallen knights and the burning kingdom will unfold across these acts as you uncover secrets and make choices that shape the narrative.
For players who finish the campaign or just want pure deckbuilding challenges without story interruptions, Dimensional Rift mode offers endless replayability. This mode strips away the cinematic storytelling and focuses entirely on combat and strategy. Battles constantly change with new modifiers and challenges, letting you test experimental builds and push your skills to their limits. It’s perfect for the crowd that treats story campaigns as extended tutorials before diving into the real endgame grind.
The Limited Time Factor
One important detail. This demo won’t be available forever. Indirect Shine has stated it’s up for a limited time only, though they haven’t specified an exact end date. If you’re interested in trying Harma, don’t sleep on downloading it. Limited-time demos have become more common as developers use them to generate buzz around specific events or announcements, then remove them to maintain scarcity and keep wishlists climbing.
The timing suggests the demo is meant to build momentum heading into Early Access. By offering a substantial playable slice now, Indirect Shine can gather feedback from a wide player base, identify balance issues, and refine systems before the paid Early Access version launches. Players who enjoy the demo are likely to wishlist the full game, and wishlists directly translate to visibility and sales when Early Access finally arrives.
Early Access and Pricing Strategy
When Harma enters Early Access in 2026, it will include the first chapter of the campaign. The developers have been upfront that the price will increase when the game officially launches after Early Access concludes. This is a common strategy that rewards early adopters who take a chance on the game while it’s still in development. Players who buy during Early Access get the full finished product at a discount, while those who wait pay full price for the complete experience.
The full game is planned to contain four acts, three complete chapters, over 300 cards and artifacts, branching dialogue throughout, and both the story campaign plus Dimensional Rift mode. That’s a substantial amount of content, suggesting Harma will spend a considerable time in Early Access as Indirect Shine builds out the remaining chapters based on community feedback and their development roadmap.
Community First Impressions
Reddit reactions to the demo have been largely positive, with players praising the atmosphere and art style. The main criticism that keeps appearing is disappointment that it’s a roguelite rather than a traditional RPG. Some players are captivated by the world and story but wish they could experience it through a more linear narrative-focused game instead of repeated runs. This speaks to how effectively Harma establishes its setting and characters even in the demo’s limited scope.
Those who do enjoy roguelikes and deckbuilders have called out the artifact system as a fresh take on the genre that adds genuine strategic depth. The Focus resource gives you agency over randomness without eliminating it entirely, which is exactly the balance these games need. Too much RNG feels unfair, but eliminating randomness completely removes the exciting moments where you have to think on your feet and adapt to unexpected situations.
FAQs
What is Harma about?
Harma is a dark fantasy roguelike deckbuilding game where you uncover the mystery of why loyal knights turned on their own people and burned the kingdom. You play as a survivor trying to find your missing father and battle demonic forces using ancient artifacts.
When was the Harma demo released?
The free demo launched on Steam on November 3, 2025, with an official demo trailer released on November 8, 2025. The demo is available for a limited time, though no specific end date has been announced.
How does the artifact system work?
Three artifacts randomly activate each turn and determine your card strength. You can spend Focus points to control which artifacts activate, letting you override randomness at critical moments. This creates strategic choices about when to accept fate and when to take control.
Who is developing Harma?
Korean indie studio Indirect Shine is developing Harma, with Astrolabe Games serving as publisher. The game will launch on PC via Steam, with Early Access planned for 2026.
Is Harma inspired by Berserk?
While not officially licensed, Harma draws heavy inspiration from dark fantasy manga like Berserk. The grim atmosphere, pixel art style, and themes of betrayal and demonic forces create a similar tone that fans have recognized and appreciated.
How much content is in the demo?
The demo includes part of the prologue with three card archetypes, regular and elite enemies, a boss fight, special events, deckbuilding systems with upgrades and card removal, and relic collection. Players report several hours of content exploring all options.
When will Harma launch in Early Access?
Early Access is planned for 2026, with the first chapter of the story campaign included. The full game will have four acts and three complete chapters, with the price increasing at full launch to reward early supporters.
What is Dimensional Rift mode?
Dimensional Rift is an endless combat mode that strips away story elements for pure deckbuilding challenges. It features constantly changing battles with new modifiers, perfect for players who want to test builds and push their skills without narrative interruptions.
Conclusion
Harma arrives at an interesting time for the deckbuilding roguelike genre. Slay the Spire defined the formula years ago, and countless games have tried to iterate on it with mixed results. What makes Harma stand out is its willingness to fundamentally change how card power works through the artifact system while wrapping it in a genuinely compelling dark fantasy setting. The Focus mechanic threads the needle between frustrating randomness and boring determinism, giving players meaningful agency without removing the exciting chaos that makes roguelikes replayable. If you’ve been waiting for a deckbuilder that does something genuinely different while nailing the atmosphere of grim fantasy like Berserk, downloading the free demo is a no-brainer. Just don’t wait too long, since it’s only available for a limited time. For a Korean indie studio’s first major project, Harma shows remarkable polish and vision. Whether it can sustain that quality across multiple acts and hundreds of cards remains to be seen when Early Access arrives in 2026, but the foundation demonstrated in this demo is extremely promising.