This cosmic horror action RPG basically turns my home state of Arizona into the Upside Down from Stranger Things, and it’s my first must-play Steam Next Fest demo

Whether you adore it or despise it, Stranger Things captures the essence. I’m not an obsessive enthusiast, but I can concede that the Upside Down provides an almost flawless setting for the Halloween period. Upon launching the Steam Next Fest demo of Kingdom of Night, my sole anticipation was that it would fulfill a similar role. It’s set in the ’80s. You’re a teenager. Demons are plentiful. Heck yes.

What I didn’t foresee was the proficient, refined, and remarkably profound action RPG at the heart of Kingdom of Night. I spent approximately thirty minutes experimenting with the game’s Rogue class, which enabled me to stealthily navigate the eerie streets of Miami, Arizona—a genuine Western copper mining town located about three hours away from my home—and I am eager to dive back in.

From the outset, the evocative ambiance of an ’80s-inspired cosmic horror narrative is vigorously established inside a classroom populated with chattering teens scheming to defy their 7 PM curfew, newly enforced by a mysterious cloaked doctor, by attending a covert house gathering. The sound of a xylophone playing in a minor key merges with an ominous string arrangement as you interact with classmates and start uncovering details about a vanished child, the initial spark of a mystery that grows increasingly captivating with each passing moment.

You’ll want to savor this brief spell of tranquility, which features a tutorial where you evade basketballs and thwack your high school adversary with a wiffle ball bat, because it doesn’t endure long. Once school wraps up, the club-swinging demons, lunging zombies, and werewolf-esque creatures emerge. Thankfully, being a hack-and-slash action RPG, those foes are largely designed to be vanquished in groups.

It’s appropriate that many individuals, myself included, recall Stranger Things when experiencing Kingdom of Night, because, akin to the Netflix series, the scant glimpses I’ve encountered of this game’s horror aspects are somewhat clichéd, borrowing monsters not only from Lovecraftian narratives but also from broader horror lore, such as ghosts and ghouls™. That’s not necessarily a critique, especially since I haven’t completed the entire demo, but it’s important to acknowledge that these skillfully crafted vibes heavily depend on eerie predecessors.

I spent minimal time with Kingdom of Night’s skill tree, aiming to concentrate on gameplay during the limited time available for this writeup, but from what I observed, there is substantial depth and variety within the five accessible classes – rogue, necromancer, barbarian, knight, and sorcerer – alongside gear and abilities that incentivize multiple playthroughs.

With Kingdom of Night, I arrived for the atmosphere, and I intend to return for the gameplay. I’ve been indulging in hack-and-slash action RPGs since childhood, starting with the original Diablo on PC, and this charming indie gem’s action significantly exceeds its expectations. Combine that with enchanting ’80s horror nostalgia and the enticing allure of a haunted small town in Arizona, and you obtain perfect material for the Halloween season. I certainly do not regret the thirty minutes I spent with Kingdom of Night, and I dare wager you won’t either.

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After obtaining an English degree from ASU, I served as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for outlets like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my significant break here in 2019 with a freelance news position, and I was brought on as GamesRadar’s West Coast Staff Writer in 2021. This role entails managing the site’s western regional operations, also known as my home office, and writing about whichever horror game I am too intimidated to finish.