Alabaster Dawn just got significantly more interesting. Radical Fish Games dropped a year-end update on December 20, 2025 revealing Somu’s Dream – an optional roguelite mode integrated into their upcoming action RPG launching in Early Access during the first half of 2026. The German studio behind the acclaimed CrossCode is addressing one of Early Access’s biggest challenges – keeping players engaged while waiting for story content – by building a replayable side mode that doesn’t sacrifice development time on the main game.
The announcement came alongside a progress report showing Alabaster Dawn crossed 250,000 Steam wishlists after the September demo launch, which sits at 98% overwhelmingly positive reviews. The team confirmed they’re tackling performance optimization for lower-end hardware and integrated GPUs, with an updated demo planned for Steam Next Fest in February 2026. But Somu’s Dream steals the spotlight as a clever solution to funding independent development without compromising the core story-driven experience fans expect from Radical Fish.
What CrossCode Fans Need to Know
CrossCode launched in 2018 and became one of the most celebrated indie action RPGs of the decade, praised by critics and players for its intricate combat, challenging Zelda-style dungeons, engaging MMORPG-within-a-game narrative, and gorgeous retro pixel art. The game took place primarily inside a fictional MMO called CrossWorlds, blending sci-fi storytelling with fantasy gameplay in ways that felt genuinely fresh despite drawing from familiar influences.
Alabaster Dawn moves away from the MMO framing into pure fantasy. The shadow of Nyx fell upon the world, warping it into a wasteland and vanishing the gods and their people. You play as Juno the Outcast Chosen who awakens to an impossible task – bring it all back. The setup trades CrossCode’s meta-narrative for straightforward post-apocalyptic rebuilding, with settlements growing from rubbles into bustling towns as you progress.
GamesRadar played the September demo and declared Alabaster Dawn might actually surpass CrossCode, praising the crunchy sword combat, beautifully moody pixels, and satisfying weight to successful hits. The combat draws inspiration from Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry rather than CrossCode’s ranged-focused battles, featuring eight distinct weapons with individual skill trees, four elemental slots, gem enchantments, and Divine Arts abilities that unlock when your gauge fills. The depth appears significantly expanded from the first game.
How Somu’s Dream Actually Works
Somu the Dreamer is a character you encounter early in Alabaster Dawn’s main story. This mysterious figure allows protagonist Juno to enter a dream world that functions as a roguelite-inspired experience completely separate from the main campaign. The mode features seed-based runs broken into layered segments inspired by areas you’ve already visited in the main game, with each layer ending in a boss fight that increases in difficulty and rewards as you dive deeper.
During dream runs, you earn Blessings – temporary upgrades ranging from simple stat boosts to attack-altering effects. These come in rarity tiers and appear in special rooms throughout the dream layers. Enemies and environmental objects drop Dream Shards, which you can spend during runs or convert into Sleep Tokens after completing or failing an attempt. Sleep Tokens unlock Perks outside the dream that modify future runs by adding new room types or enhancing existing ones, with the ability to toggle them on or off.
The progression integration is clever. Core character progress from the main game carries over into dream runs – your levels, equipment, and abilities all transfer. However, temporary resources like healing items reset during dream runs and are restored afterward, maintaining roguelite stakes without punishing your main save. Story progression limits how deep you can dive into the dream, naturally gating content while encouraging players to bounce between story and roguelite modes.
Why This Matters for Early Access
Radical Fish Games explicitly stated they’re following the same Early Access structure as CrossCode – delivering finished content as it’s completed rather than waiting for the full story. The initial Early Access release includes the complete first area and dungeon from the demo plus an additional area and new story content currently in development. Future updates may introduce explorable areas and dungeons before their story segments are implemented, with clear warnings and the ability to reset story progress without losing character progression, equipment, or solved puzzles.
This approach is necessary to secure funding while remaining independent, but it creates a problem. Players who buy into Early Access might exhaust available story content quickly and then wait months for new narrative chapters. Without something to do between updates, player interest wanes and Early Access communities shrink. Games that fail to address this struggle maintain momentum throughout development.
Somu’s Dream solves this elegantly. The roguelite mode provides infinite replayability using assets already developed for the main game, requiring significantly less development time than creating entirely new story content. Players can grind dream runs between story updates, experimenting with different builds, hunting for rare Blessings, and unlocking all Perks. The fact that it’s entirely optional means story-focused players can ignore it completely without missing anything essential.
The Demo That Won Everyone Over
The September 2025 demo released to overwhelmingly positive feedback, currently sitting at 98% positive reviews with nearly 250,000 wishlists accumulated. The demo includes two parts – the very beginning of the game where progress carries over to the full release, and a more substantial section that skips ahead in the story to showcase non-linear exploration and systems depth without spoiling narrative beats. Progress in this second section doesn’t carry over since it jumps forward in the timeline.
Players immediately praised the combat’s satisfying weight and crunch. Movements feel slower and more deliberate than CrossCode’s frantic action, with sword hits landing with palpable impact similar to smashing rocks in Donkey Kong. The heavy spinning swings deal increased individual and AoE damage, while the crossbow provides intuitive ranged options using the right stick for aiming. Each weapon has its own skill tree, suggesting the demo barely scratches the surface of combat depth available in the full game.
The demo also revealed technical issues that slipped past internal testing, leading to ongoing bug fixes and performance optimization. Radical Fish is currently exploring rendering at reduced resolutions for lower-end hardware and integrated GPUs, ensuring the game runs smoothly across a wide range of systems. The updated demo planned for February 2026’s Steam Next Fest will incorporate these improvements alongside additional polish based on player feedback.
Radical Fish’s Track Record
Radical Fish Games earned their reputation through CrossCode’s development and support. The game launched in Early Access and received consistent updates over an extended period, with the developers actively incorporating community feedback to refine systems and balance. The final product became one of the most polished indie action RPGs available, with particularly strong praise for its dungeon design that rivaled official Zelda titles in quality.
The team’s transparency about development challenges builds trust with their community. The December 2025 update openly discusses technical issues discovered through the demo, ongoing optimization work, and the necessity of Early Access funding to maintain independence. They’re not overselling – they clearly state the game is still in a relatively early state content-wise despite being far developed feature-wise. The vertical slice demonstrating all major systems is nearly complete.
Console releases are planned but unspecified, though CrossCode eventually launched on all platforms including Switch. Given Alabaster Dawn’s development timeline and the impending Switch successor, expect the game to target Switch 2 alongside current-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The pixel art style and 2.5D perspective should scale beautifully across different hardware, similar to how CrossCode ran smoothly even on less powerful devices.
The Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry Influence
Radical Fish explicitly cites Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry as combat inspirations for Alabaster Dawn, a significant departure from CrossCode’s Zelda and Terranigma influences. The reveal trailer showcases stylish combos, juggling enemies with sword swings, seamless weapon switching mid-combat, and flashy Divine Arts that function as limit breaks. The action looks more aggressive and combo-focused than CrossCode’s methodical ranged combat.
The eight distinct weapons each slot into any of four elements at any point during your playthrough, creating build flexibility that encourages experimentation. Gems add enchantments ranging from basic stat buffs to targeted bonuses that fundamentally change how you engage enemies. The cooking system ties into healing and buffs through a Palate Level that increases with every dish you prepare, enhancing effects of future cooking. It’s a clever twist on typical RPG consumables that reduces item hoarding by making cooking itself a form of progression.
The developers promise 30-60 hours of playtime across seven unique areas with multiple large dungeons filled with puzzles and boss fights. The complete RPG system includes leveling, equipment management, and extensive skill trees for each weapon type. Radical Fish Games describes this as building on the best aspects of CrossCode, which suggests they identified what worked (dungeon design, combat depth, world exploration) and refined what didn’t (some players found the story pacing uneven or certain mechanics too obtuse).
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Alabaster Dawn release?
Early Access launches in the first half of 2026 on Steam. No specific date announced yet, but expect it between January and June 2026. Console versions are planned but unspecified, likely targeting PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2.
Will Somu’s Dream be in the Early Access launch?
Yes, the roguelite mode will be included in the initial Early Access release to provide replayability while waiting for additional story content updates. It’s entirely optional side content that won’t delay main game development.
Do I need to play CrossCode first?
No, Alabaster Dawn is set in a completely different universe with no narrative connections to CrossCode. It’s a spiritual successor in gameplay style rather than a direct sequel, similar to how Dark Souls 2 relates to Dark Souls.
How much will Alabaster Dawn cost?
Pricing hasn’t been announced. CrossCode launched at $19.99, so expect Alabaster Dawn in the $20-30 range for Early Access given the expanded scope and longer playtime promise of 30-60 hours.
Is there a demo available now?
Yes, the September 2025 demo is still available on Steam with two sections – the game’s opening where progress carries over, and a more substantial later section that doesn’t transfer progress. An updated demo comes to Steam Next Fest in February 2026.
What platforms will Alabaster Dawn support?
Confirmed for PC via Steam initially. Console releases are planned but unspecified – likely PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and potentially Switch 2 based on the game’s optimization and Radical Fish’s history porting CrossCode everywhere.
Is Somu’s Dream required or can I skip it?
Completely optional. Radical Fish emphasized that Alabaster Dawn remains a story-driven action RPG first and foremost. The roguelite mode is side content for players who want additional replayability, not a core requirement.
How does progress work between the main game and dream mode?
Character levels, equipment, and abilities carry over from the main game into dream runs. Temporary items like healing consumables reset during dreams and are restored afterward. Story progress limits how deep you can go in the dream, naturally gating content.
Why This One Matters
Alabaster Dawn represents everything promising about experienced indie developers tackling their second major project. Radical Fish Games proved themselves with CrossCode, building goodwill through transparent development and post-launch support. They’re not resting on those laurels – Alabaster Dawn expands combat depth, refines systems based on lessons learned, and introduces new mechanics like the cooking progression system that shows genuine creative evolution.
The Somu’s Dream roguelite mode demonstrates smart design thinking about the Early Access experience. Rather than leaving players waiting months between story updates with nothing to do, they built replayable content using existing assets that doesn’t detract from main game development. It solves a real problem many Early Access games face while adding value for players who enjoy build experimentation and challenge modes.
The 98% overwhelmingly positive demo reception and 250,000 wishlists show Radical Fish hasn’t lost their touch. GamesRadar’s claim that Alabaster Dawn might surpass CrossCode carries weight coming from someone who played the demo extensively. The Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry combat influences suggest more dynamic, stylish action than CrossCode’s methodical battles, potentially appealing to a broader audience while maintaining the puzzle-heavy dungeon design fans love.
Wishlist Alabaster Dawn on Steam now if story-driven action RPGs with deep combat and challenging dungeons appeal to you. Download the current demo to experience the opening hours and get a taste of what Radical Fish is building. Follow the studio on social media for development updates leading into the first half 2026 Early Access launch. And remember – this is from the team that made CrossCode, one of the best indie action RPGs of the past decade. They’ve earned the benefit of the doubt.