As I wind down for the year and prepare for 2026, I’ve been very selective about the demos and playtests that I’m trying out. My inbox is busy right now, and I wish I had the time to try more.
One game that caught my eye this week and that I thought warranted a closer look was Surfpunk. In fact, the new demo for this island-hopping co-op roguelite is out now on Windows PC, and so I took it out for a swim spin earlier today.
What is Surfpunk, then?
This top-down isometric action-RPG is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the oceans have risen, and the world is reduced to small islands. If you’re old enough to remember the old Kevin Costner movie Waterworld, it’s like that, kinda, but you’re on Dennis Hopper’s side (but he’s not so bad) and there are lots of little archipelagos to explore.
This water-logged backdrop sets the scene for our adventures, wherein players explore a range of exotic island-based locations, navigating them via land and sea. Not only that, but players must also brave the elements (storms in the demo) and battle zombie-like-monster-things.
Controlling a little pirate surfer person, who you can customise from a broad array of options, you get sent out on an assignment by a pirate captain who looks like he played lots of Sonic as a kid. On his orders, you must find another surfer, with this rescue mission acting as your tutorial through the basics.
Action and adventure
I thought the atmosphere was one of the standout parts of the demo. I really liked the vibe, and it’s not the usual roguelite experience. Rather than a mindless hack-and-slash, there’s a slower-paced mixture of exploration, crafting, and combat. Oh yeah, and surfing.
The islands are full of coins, there are consumables for crafting, and plenty of enemies to hurt with your weapon (there are four in the demo, and they’re actually surprisingly interesting, not your usual fodder).
Ladders can be crafted to unlock new areas, and there are different objectives within each island cluster. Once you’ve worked through everything and your objective is completed, you can try to surf back to your ship/base and collect your rewards.
I can’t say that I tried the co-op side of things, because I am a grumpy old git with no intention of socialising, but the single-player experience was nicely paced, I thought, and I enjoyed the overall atmosphere.
I’ve only seen a small slice of the game, but apparently, there are up to five hours of content to sample – more if you take your time over things. If you’d like to get stuck in and try the demo for yourself, alone or with up to three friends, head over to Steam and get surfing.
