A roguelike game with four-player co-op called Tears of Metal has launched on Steam and is already earning promising reviews from fans of the genre. Tears of Metal attracted plenty of attention before release, with many calling it the “Scottish Dynasty Warriors,” a nickname that has followed it into its early access launch on Steam.
Tears of Metal is developed by indie studio Paper Cult, which is best known for its 2021 beat ’em up, Bloodroots. That game also received very positive reviews on Steam and was well received by critics. However, Tears of Metal appears set to become the studio’s biggest release yet, having already broken several of the team’s records during its early access phase.
Check Out Tears of Metal on Steam
- Release Date: July 22, 2026
- Developer: Paper Cult
- Genre: Co-op, Medieval, Roguelike, Hack and Slash
- Price: $24.99 USD (10% discount until August 5)
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
Each playthrough in Tears of Metal involves entering enemy-infested, occupied regions with an army of Scottish soldiers to liberate them. It’s an action roguelike where the goal is to strengthen the protagonist and his allies while battling the invaders. The combat has drawn comparisons to the Dynasty Warriors franchise and is brutal, recreating massive medieval battles.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
Tears of Metal Gameplay Features
- Co-op and single-player modes
- Action roguelike gameplay loop
- Tons of unlockable weapons, skills, and buffs
- Customizable characters
- Build-crafting and permanent upgrades
- The ability to command troops
- Fast-paced combat with different melee combos
- Handcrafted battle arenas and maps
While the hack-and-slash combat mechanics are somewhat limited, Tears of Metal adds variety through its build-crafting system. During each playthrough, players can choose from different spell-like upgrades that modify their core moves, including Strike, Heavy, Parry, Block, and Dash. Combining these power-ups creates distinct combat styles, helping keep the gameplay loop fresh.
Some playable characters in Tears of Metal are not available in the early access build and will be added in future updates.
Developer Paper Cult’s indie roguelike peaked at 4,500 concurrent players on Steam shortly after release. It has also received rave reviews from players, with 87% of its user reviews currently marked as positive. Players seem to appreciate the game’s high replay value and chaotic melee combat. One fan wrote, “For its scale, this game is very rich in content. A lot of things to unlock and do and keep you busy.”
Tears of Metal is still in early access, so fans should expect to encounter minor bugs or glitches. The game was also added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC as a day-one title for July, which will likely help boost its player count in the coming days. The good news is that Tears of Metal comes with crossplay support. So, players who get it via the Game Pass subscription should be able to play with Steam users. The feature will likely extend to Xbox Series X/S once the game launches on consoles later this year.
- Released
-
2026
- Developer(s)
-
Paper Cult
- Publisher(s)
-
Paper Cult
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
-
1-4 players
