Melbourne-based developer Summerfall Studios has surprise-released its latest game, Malys, with the title now available to the public in early access. The move follows a failed Kickstarter for the project, which was designed to raise support for continued development, to ensure it could become the best experience it could possibly be. Now, the team is turning to early access, to give keen supporters a taste of what’s to come.
Notably, Malys did raise ample support during its Kickstarter, reaching 80% of its goal before the funding window ended. While unsuccessful, this Kickstarter made clear just how much support there is for this upcoming game, and for Summerfall Studios.
Following the release of Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical in 2023 – an ambitious magical fantasy adventure with an all-star cast of voice actors – there’s been much excitement about what’s next for Summerfall Studios. While Malys is a very different sort of game compared to its predecessor, so far, it brims with the signature creative charm of the studio.
For those yet to familiarise themselves, Malys is a dark fantasy rougelite deckbuilder that follows a former priest turned exorcist who must wield arcane tools to save a city from demonic overrule. Players wield a variety of cards in various exorcism-based battles, deploying special skills and tricks to push back the demons, and cleanse a corrupted city.
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With demons and angels vying for your attention, you’ll also need your skills to determine what’s just and right. Anyone who knows and loves Constantine, Dark City, Nightmare Alley, or The Dark Tower will find familiar elements here.
Malys – Early Gameplay Preview
Those keen to jump in and support Summerfall Studios’ latest endeavour as it develops in early access can now hop onto Steam and purchase the game. In the months ahead, Summerfall Studios plans to continue working on the game, buoyed by audience support.
‘Early Access enables Malys to become the best game it can be, working with our community to iterate, solve issues, and respond to feedback at a scale otherwise unavailable to our small team,’ the studio said.
‘Malys in early access includes a majority of our planned core gameplay features, a variety of cards and curios, the initial story beats, and the first region of the game, which has been extended for maximised deckbuilding. However, final voiceover is not implemented, some polish is still to come, and there are a few known bugs at this stage. We expect there will be significant balance changes before launch.’
Summerfall Studios plans to have ‘V1’ of Malys ready for launch by the end of 2025.
