Moonbeast Productions, the independent studio founded by former Diablo developers Philip Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, has launched the Kickstarter campaign for its next-generation action RPG, Darkhaven. Alongside the crowdfunding debut, the studio released a publicly playable demo that it describes as closer to a pre-alpha build than a polished vertical slice.
The studio’s leadership carries significant weight within the action RPG genre, with founders previously involved in shaping the early identity of Blizzard’s Diablo series. That legacy places Darkhaven in direct conversation with genre heavyweights while attempting to evolve the formula beyond instanced dungeons and static world design.
Darkhaven Kickstarter Goes Live as Diablo Creators Debut Ambitious Sandbox ARPG Demo
The newly released demo for Darkhaven offers several hours of open-ended gameplay within a persistent sandbox world, allowing players to level the Witch class up to level 8. Three skill trees emphasize mobility, positioning, and resource management, offering early insight into the game’s build diversity and progression design.
Darkhaven is set in a dark fantasy world following the collapse of ancient civilizations. Ruins reclaimed by wilderness and supernatural forces form the backdrop for a story centered on heirs to a fading legacy of power. As eldritch forces spread across the land, players must reclaim and reshape a world on the brink of extinction.
The game is built around procedural generation and a fully dynamic, persistent world. Terrain and structures are both deformable and buildable, enabling players to dig through terrain, tunnel into dungeons, drain lakes to uncover hidden ruins, redirect lava flows, and reconstruct fortresses. Environmental systems extend beyond static design: seasons change, weather conditions impact combat and traversal, and world-altering events leave lasting marks on the landscape.
Darkhaven supports solo play, cooperative multiplayer, and PvP-enabled realms. The studio emphasizes that player actions contribute to a shared evolving world state, shaping long-term progression and replayability beyond traditional dungeon resets.
The developer details that the demo aims to demonstrate two core goals: maintaining the addictive foundations of classic isometric ARPGs, progression loops, itemization depth, and build synergy, while pushing the genre forward through dynamic world systems and expanded player agency.
Since its reveal, Darkhaven has generated approximately 140,000 wishlists, signaling strong early interest within the ARPG community. The Kickstarter campaign is aiming to raise $500,000 for further development and polishing of the game, and it is now live. The free demo is available on the game’s official Steam page.
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Would you be interested in trying out Darkhaven when it comes out? Let us know in the comments section below.
