Wane is a turn-based tactical rogue-lite set in the ruins of a drowned city called Ravelle. You assemble a small squad of named adventurers, run them through node-based expeditions full of combat, events, and bosses, then bring whatever survives back to a hub city you manage between runs. It is being made by Metis Creative and Shoreline Games.
Quick answer: Wane pairs grid-based turn combat with expedition management and a persistent base hub. A Steam demo is planned for 2027, and no full release date has been announced.
Wane genre and core loop
The game bills itself plainly as a tactical rogue-lite, and the structure follows that label closely. A run begins when you pick who descends, moves through a branching map of encounters, and ends either at a boss room or when you abandon the expedition. Combat plays out on a highlighted floor grid with a turn order strip along the top of the screen, health and shield bars above each fighter, and an explicit End Turn button handing control over to the enemy phase.
Encounters carry labels on the map before you commit to them, so route planning is part of the run rather than a surprise. Node types include Combat, Event, Resting Site, Signal Station, and Boss Room, with some nodes marked Sealed.
The Abandon Expedition option sits alongside the run interface, which means backing out early is treated as a real decision rather than a failure state.
The three revealed characters
Squad members are pre-written characters with fixed classes and personalities, not generated recruits. Three appear on the selection screen, each with a title and a one-line description.
| Character | Title | Signature detail |
|---|---|---|
| Elias | Cursed Marksman | Handmade Pistol, Gunsmith Pig |
| Kellen | The Anvil | Electric hammer slam |
| Hush | The Voiceless Assassin | Gains Concealed on kills |
Elias is a pale, sharp-featured man in red and black, summed up with the line that the gods cursed his blood but blessed his moustache. His kit revolves around a Handmade Pistol and an ability called Gunsmith Pig that produces ammunition rounds.
Kellen is a muscular, tattooed woman with a topknot and an oversized mechanical hammer, described as unable to feel pain and very able to inflict it. Her showcased attack is a heavy electric slam used against a large monster.
Hush is a masked figure in a purple coat with glowing purple hands, introduced with the note that he does not have much to say about himself. His equipment leans on stealth, including a status called Concealed.
Managing the hub city between runs
Between expeditions you work from a city map tracking a day counter and a currency called Litra. The hub is laid out as a set of named facilities you navigate directly, and it sits by a Dockyard, matching the waterlogged city shown in the opening shots.
- Barracks
- Infirmary
- Blacksmith
- Storage
- Lighthouse
- Archives
- Antique Shop
Exploring Ravelle: Events and dialogue choices
Expedition maps are regional. One is called The Necropolis, drawn as connected nodes with your inventory visible alongside the route. Inventory entries carry deliberately strange names, among them Symmetry Glass, Bone Chain, What Remains, Mask of the Melting Sand, Yellow Lantern, and Chain of the Family.
Event nodes open into written scenarios with choices. One, titled The Unnamed Tablet, explains that kings in the region were buried with their names carved on their chests so the underworld would know who to admit, and tasks you with identifying a body whose name was scratched away.
Dialogue encounters work the same way. A character named Marwan the Gatekeeper asks what you kneel to, and the replies on offer split between protecting a family name, accepting an uncomfortable truth, and simply threatening him. Choices like these sit in the run itself, not in a separate story mode.
Curios, trinkets, and relics that rewrite abilities
Rewards are picked from a shortlist under the prompt asking which history you would like to hold on to. Each item is tagged either to a specific character or as Generic, and many of them alter an existing ability rather than adding flat stats.
| Item | Restriction | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Cloak | Hush only | Handmade Pistol kills grant Concealed |
| Resonant Charm | Generic | 10% chance of +1 AP for adjacent allies |
| Fusing Elixir | Elias only | 10% chance of a Nuclear Round |
The reward screen also offers a Skip option next to Proceed, so declining an item is a supported choice. Character-locked pieces state plainly which ability they modify, such as Alters Gunsmith Pig on the Fusing Elixir.
Bosses and combat statuses
Fights run through rounds and arenas, with a prompt asking who will descend before a descent begins. Basic combat verbs are direct, covering Attack, Block, and Stun, and enemies include a type called the Shock Surgeon encountered in a laboratory setting.
Boss rooms are treated as set pieces. One is a winged, skeletal figure carrying a scythe that descends to meet the party in a cinematic before the fight begins.
Wane Steam demo and release plans
The game closes its reveal with a wishlist prompt and a Steam logo, alongside a demo planned for 2027. No specific demo date, no full launch date, and no platform list beyond Steam has been confirmed.
A 2027 demo window is a long runway, so expect systems shown here, including item effects and hub facilities, to shift before anyone plays it.
What is clear right now is the shape of the thing. Wane is building a rogue-lite where the run is the story, the hub absorbs what you bring home, and the loot rewrites how your three adventurers actually fight rather than just making their numbers bigger.
