Experience the new Steam demo of the Valheim team’s side project, a cozy yet dark co-op dungeon crawler that mixes elements of Lethal Company, Phasmophobia, and Animal Crossing.

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In November, a team of Valheim veterans quietly unveiled their new studio, Grip Jaw, along with their debut project, Begraved. This game is described as a blend of Lethal Company, Phasmophobia, and Content Warning, and now you can see what they’ve been working on.

Grip Jaw, led by Valheim’s creative director Robin Eyre, has just launched a free demo for Begraved on Steam, allowing you to experience this intriguing concept firsthand. You begin in a sprawling mansion hideout filled with items like torches and pickaxes to stash in your limited inventory before venturing into procedurally generated dungeons teeming with grotesque, violent creatures. The mission? Simple: gather treasure and escape, a familiar loop for indie horror fans, but with a twist: you need to sell enough loot to pay the taxman when he arrives, or face the gallows. The consequences of being hanged remain a mystery; during my playthrough, I was simply sent back to the demo’s start, but I suspect it’s not a pleasant fate.

The cozy aspect seems to come from the hideout, which Grip Jaw promises will be expandable and customizable in the full game. One particularly charming feature is the adorable black cat that meows and wanders around the hideout, although I’m not a fan of how you pick him up by the scruff of his neck—definitely not the recommended method! Grip Jaw has hinted at more pets and cosmetics in the full release, along with a night garden for tending crops. I always appreciate when a game packed with action includes cozy elements to ease the tension, much like how Dondoko Island transforms Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth into an Animal Crossing experience.

It’s an interesting move to start a new studio and release a game while still developing Valheim, which has been in early access for five years. I played the demo and had a decent time, but so far, Begraved hasn’t resonated with me the way Valheim did right from the start. This could be due to my solo play, as the game seems designed for cooperative experiences. Give it a shot yourself and share your thoughts in the comments.

In the meantime, here are some games similar to Valheim that we recommend.