Apostle Games has mapped out the next big steps for Age of Tribulation, announcing a public demo playtest in early 2026 and putting a firm date on when players can finally get their hands on the full demo.
The dark fantasy open-world survival RPG, which blends CRPG exploration with JRPG-style turn-based combat, will open its public demo playtest on Friday, January 9, 2026, and keep it live for roughly two to three weeks.
In the latest update, shared via Steam along with a new video, the solo developer explains that this public test follows an earlier closed beta round and marks the “last steps before a demo release.”
If you haven’t been following the project, Age of Tribulation is a “slow burn” survival roguelite set in the grim, corrupted world of Hyrinthia.
It positions you as a chosen Apostle wandering a large open world where every decision matters, with optional permadeath, a full day–night cycle, and a heavy focus on studying the in-game codex to understand enemy behavior and weaknesses.
Combat plays out on a grid in turn-based encounters that mix physical and spiritual threats, while the overworld leans into survival: you need to eat, drink, and rest to stay alive long enough to push deeper into hostile regions.
The project has been in development for roughly three years, and the demo roadmap is meant to make that final stretch more transparent. According to the developer, the internal checklist of tasks will be tracked publicly via a “Roadmap Scroll,” with boxes ticked off as systems, content, and polish passes are completed on the way to the March demo release.
During the public playtest, Apostle Games wants players to be vocal. In the announcement, they invite feedback not just on Steam, but also via the game’s Discord server, YouTube channel, and X account.
For those already following Age of Tribulation, this schedule finally puts concrete dates on what had so far been a “to be announced” release window. For everyone else who likes the idea of a punishing, codex-driven survival RPG with grid-based turn order and a strong dark fantasy flavor, January’s public playtest looks like the first real chance to see how all those systems fit together over a couple of weeks rather than a quick trailer cut.
If you want to be ready, you can wishlist Age of Tribulation on Steam now and keep an eye on the community hub for the playtest details as January rolls around.
