Australian independent developer WeForge Studio will launch the first public demo and a brand-new gameplay trailer for its upcoming co-op stealth extraction horror game Macabre, available exclusively during Steam Next Fest from 9–16 June.

Titled Banjo’s Trial, the demo gives players their first taste of the Rift. Guided by NPC Banjo, you’ll take on an early objective to gather intel on Macabre, a shapeshifting horror that evolves based on player behaviour. The trial introduces key systems from the full game — including procedural maps, shifting objectives, and extraction-based co-op — all built for replayability and unpredictable runs.

“Listen up. Macabre’s adapting faster than I expected, and I need someone reckless enough to gather intel on the bastard. I’ll drop you into the Rift with a Space Shifter — but you’ll need to scavenge what you can, and survive what you can’t. Work together if you have to… just know, not everyone makes it out.”  — Banjo

Demo features include:

• Explore Snowgum Retreat, a hostile procedural map with shifting layouts and threats
• Take on Banjo’s Trial, an early mission to gather intel on the Crawler
• Play solo or with up to 3 othersin high-stakes, betrayal-prone PvE co-op
• Loot, sneak, and surviveas you fight to extract with whatever you can carry
• Purchase and experiment with early-game equipment and tools
• Face the Crawler, an unpredictable predator that adapts to your tactics
• Navigate dynamic weather, from thick fog to blinding storms, as conditions shift between runs

“With Macabre, we’ve designed a loop that pressures players to make hard calls — when to sneak, when to risk a distraction, when to betray. The demo pushes those systems: every tool, every enemy behaviour, every map shift is tuned to provoke a reaction. With procedural layouts, shifting objectives, and adaptive threats, there are millions of possible scenarios — and we want to see how players navigate them.”
— Jake Davey, Game Director

“As a team of just three full-time developers and a handful of freelancers, getting here has been a massive task. Our alpha test subjects have helped shape Macabre’s foundation, and now we’re opening it up. This demo is about putting the game in real players’ hands, seeing what holds up, and figuring out what to improve next.”
— Jay Topping, Creative Director

Macabre is currently in alpha and has surpassed 217,000 wishlists on Steam. Early Access is planned for late 2025. The Banjo’s Trial demo will be available exclusively during Steam Next Fest, running from 9–16 June.