A free-to-play prologue for the upcoming role-playing game Dead Weight has been released on PC via Steam, giving players an early introduction to its combat mechanics, setting and progression systems ahead of the full game’s planned launch in 2026.
The standalone build, titled Dead Weight: Prologue, became available on December 17 and serves as a short, playable slice of the larger game being developed by Klukva Games and published in partnership with Spaghetti Cat. It is designed to showcase the opening chapter of the steampunk-themed tactical RPG.
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In the prologue, players take on the role of Arn, a barbarian tasked with exploring the game’s first region while attempting to rescue a character named Berry from an antagonist known as the Mad Oracle. The experience introduces turn-based tactical combat on compact, grid-based battlefields, where positioning and movement play a central role.
Combat encounters feature goblins and other enemies, with mechanics that allow characters to interact with environmental hazards. Outside of battle, players can upgrade a flying pirate ship, recruit crew members and unlock more than 20 skills and items during the introductory content.
The prologue also incorporates roguelite elements, including random events, exploratory choices and early character customization, set within a world of floating islands and ancient deities. According to the game’s description, the prologue is intended to deliver “roughly 40–60 minutes of gameplay” as a preview of the full release.
Dead Weight: Prologue is available now as a single-player, free-to-play experience on Steam and is tagged under RPG, strategy, roguelite, turn-based tactics and steampunk genres, as developers seek to build interest ahead of the complete game’s expected release next year.
Source: Steam