Dark Fantasy Tactical RPG 'Echoes from Below' Debuts Gameplay Trailer, Opens Playtest Sign-ups Ahead of Steam RPG Fest

Dark Wagon Studio unveils a grid-based dungeon crawler where emergent romances, rivalries, and permadeath shape every descent.

BANDUNG, INDONESIA – September 1, 2026 – Independent game developer Dark Wagon Studio announced today that Echoes from Below, a tactical RPG blending Fire Emblem grid strategy with Darkest Dungeon survival attrition and dynamic party mechanics, will launch a free playable Steam demo on September 14, 2026.

Set in lantern-lit depths, Echoes from Below tasks players with recruiting hunters from the surface village and leading them into an unforgiving dungeon. Combat centers on turn-based grid positioning, strict line-of-sight checks, and tactical body-swapping, giving players direct control over party members to utilize destructible terrain, knockback maneuvers, and mana-free cooldown skills.

Beyond raw strategy, the core of Echoes from Below lies in the emotional bonds forged under pressure. Mid-battle events dynamically create romances, rivalries, and mentorships that directly impact combat performance. However, the dungeon wears heavily on unit sanity; if a hunter’s morale hits zero, they may flee the expedition or turn on their own squad. When permadeath strikes, the loss echoes permanently: lovers grieve, students inherit grudges, and rivals rejoice.

Key Features (Demo Build):

• Dynamic Relationship System: Hunters form emergent romances, rivalries, and mentorships during combat. Relationships directly alter party synergy and battlefield tactics.
• Tactical Body-Swap Combat: Command squad members across tight grid maps featuring destructible terrain, knockback mechanics, line-of-sight checks, and mana-free cooldown skills.
• Morale & Psychological Attrition: Manage squad morale alongside physical health. Broken hunters will break formation, panic, or turn hostile against their allies.
• 27 Unique Character Classes: Recruitable roster featuring diverse roles ranging from Knights, Mages, and Scouts to Miners, Priests, and Gourmets.
• Consequential Permadeath: Fallen hunters are lost forever. Their deaths trigger lasting emotional impacts on surviving squad members.
• Handcrafted 2D Dark Fantasy Art: 100% handcrafted sprite-work and moody, lantern-lit environments with zero AI generation and Content-ID-free soundtrack.

Coverage Details:

• Playtest Sign-ups Live: Registration is now open to players and creators via our form: Echoes From Below | Playtest Registration Form
• Playtest Schedule: Access will be distributed in waves starting September 15, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT (running alongside Steam Party-Based RPG Fest).
• Gameplay Trailer: Highlighting grid combat, body-swapping tactics, and emergent party romance/rivalry systems.

Media & Broadcast Rights: Full permission is granted to media outlets, journalists, and content creators to stream, review, and re-upload trailer assets and gameplay footage for coverage purposes. (Note: If re-uploading trailer videos directly to your channel/platform, kindly include our Steam Store and Discord Server link in the video description).

Press Assets & Links:

• Press Kit: Echoes From Below - Press Kit
• High-Res Videos and Assets: PRESS KIT