I like the idea of a tactics game where getting to know your companion changes what you two can do in combat. That’s the premise behind Nightbound, and you can now give it a try. Crooked Cats Studio has released a free demo on Steam for Windows, covering the first three days and nights of Jun and Loren’s story.
Jun arrives at Loren’s home in a world devastated by the Bloom, which hunts the remaining survivors after dark. She isn’t exactly pleased to see him, but they need each other to survive. The plan is to repair a van and reach a mountain refuge where the cold keeps the Bloom away. Until then, they have a house to defend.
At night, you control the pair in turn-based battles with a shared pool of Command Points, deciding how to divide those points between them. You aim your shots manually, can go for headshots, and use cover to stay alive.
Interception fire also means you need to watch where you move: cross an enemy’s sights and it can shoot during your turn. Your characters can do the same when enemies move into view.
Daytime gives you a chance to scavenge, clear away spores, and board up the windows again. Leave an opening, and the Bloom can use it that night. There’s also time to cook, play at the arcade cabinet, or do some gardening together. Those quieter moments help Jun and Loren get closer and unlock abilities they can use as a pair.
For example, ending a turn beside an injured partner can trigger healing, while a shot can prompt your companion to fire at the same target.
The demo introduces a new Bloom creature each night and includes weapon mods and decisions about what to pack into the van. Nightbound will also participate in October’s Steam Next Fest, with the full release currently planned for January 2027. Below i share more details and trailer.
About The Game
The Bloom has decimated the world, and when night falls, it hunts down the few remaining survivors. Loren has defended her family’s home since the Bloom’s arrival and doesn’t take kindly to Jun’s sudden appearance. But surviving means working side by side, and if they are going to make it to the sanctuary in the mountains, they will need to put aside their differences to grow together or die alone.
When night falls, the Bloom comes. Fall back to your defenses and hold out until dawn in turn-based tactics built for two. Interception fire means you don’t wait for your turn to shoot. Walk into an enemy’s sights and they’ll fire as you move. Aim by hand. Use cover. No two nights play the same, so make every shot count.
The better Jun and Loren know each other, the more they can do together. Bonds are moves that take two. End your turn beside a hurt partner and you’ll patch each other up. Take your shot, and your partner fires at the same target right behind you.
The days are yours to spend together, and the closer you get, the more the two of you can pull off at night. Scavenge for valuable items. Clear out the spores the night left behind and board the windows back up, because anything you leave open the Bloom will use after dark. As Jun and Loren grow closer, they become stronger together.
However comfortable the old house gets, you both know safety lies in moving on. Get the van running, then pack it. Whatever goes into the van is what you fight with at night, and with limited space, every choice counts.
