Roguelites live or die by community momentum, and Grim Trials is proving the formula works. The action roguelite, built around weapon crafting and dual-wielded combat in hex-grid arenas, has crossed 45,000 wishlists on Steam, a milestone its creator celebrated this week.
The game tasks players with taking on the role of Avelin, a woman conscripted into Death’s ranks and forced to prove herself across endless trials in pursuit of a reunion with her living love. Combat centers on mastering the scythe and crossbow in tandem, with every material harvested from fallen enemies feeding into a crafting loop tied to mentors within the Academy, the game’s hub world. Build variety emerges from the interplay of customizable equipment, an expansive skill tree, and randomized Blessings drawn from gods of death across mythologies.
The momentum arrives alongside a fresh demo during Steam Next Fest, featuring new content and localization support in Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, and LATAM Spanish. The expanded demo window gives international audiences a concrete reason to engage before the full release, addressing a persistent friction point for smaller roguelite projects seeking visibility.
What sets Grim Trials apart in a crowded genre is its narrative backbone. It’s a coming-of-age story anchored in the afterlife, where deaths carry meaning through progression systems that preserve experience and materials across runs. The Academy itself functions as both mechanical hub and character-driven space, where relationship quests unlock support and lore.
One thing’s for sure, in an increasingly crowded roguelite market, reaching 45,000 wishlists is no small achievement.