We’ve been reworking the MUSTER demo around one question: how do we give you a feel for what a warband can become within a single expedition?
The new flow brings together a short playable introduction, a guided look at camp, and three prepared warbands that show different stages of progression. Then you take your chosen company through six floors of the Barrow to its final boss.
One practice board. Three starting warbands. Six floors to put your choices to the test. We want the first few minutes to make the basics easier to grasp. The introduction now fits on one practice board: dig, read the numbered clues, uncover a recruit, place a flag, check your suspicion with a lantern, and prepare an ambush. You learn by doing, and you can skip or replay it.
The first battle also teaches two things that are easy to miss: you can move your diggers before the fighting starts, and you can change the playback speed. We let the opening moments play out before introducing the speed controls, so there’s time to see what the formation is doing.
Back at camp, a short tour explains what the buildings do in the full game and how they support progression between expeditions. You can see where the longer campaign is heading without opening every building’s management screen. Then comes the choice we’re most interested in hearing about:
Hold the Line — Early: protect a healer and archer behind a durable front line.
Ambush Crew — Mid: use scouting, mobility and a strong opening to finish fights quickly.
Curse Company — Endgame: protect your casters while curses and support build sustained damage.
These companies let you try different tactics straight away. Their starting talent investment ranges from 2 to 6 to 31 points per hero, with the endgame company already using signature talents.
You still get to make the company your own. Talents can be changed and refunded, equipment can be swapped, and recruits offer specialization choices. The initial three diggers auto-level along their intended builds by default; manual edits let you take control. We’ve also spread recruitment out: the fourth digger can join on floor one, with the fifth slot opening from floor three, giving the party room to develop during the run.
This is a look at the reworked demo. Which company would you take underground first—and how quickly would you start changing its build? We’d love to hear what you think.