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Tears of Metal is a hack and slash action roguelike for PC from Paper Cult, available on Steam.
You fight solo or with up to 3 friends to reclaim a Scottish island from invaders carving into the Mother Dragon Stone. Every run throws new enemy waves and upgrade combinations at you across more than 45 handcrafted battlefields.
The run-to-run progression is what keeps campaigns feeling different. You combine artifacts and upgrades into unique builds during a run, then bring your soldiers home to gain permanent skills between campaigns. A weak early run can still leave your battalion stronger for the next attempt.
Tears of Metal launched on July 22, 2026, on Windows 11/10 (Early Access at the time of this writing). It plays solo or in online co-op with up to 4 players total.
Already fighting for your island? Tell us how your battalion is holding up in the comments. Got questions before buying? Reach out to us directly.
What You Need to Know
- Tears of Metal is $24.99 on Steam.
- You can play solo or team up with up to 3 friends for 4-player co-op.
- The game currently covers the full campaign loop, with more heroes, emblems, and charms planned in future updates.
Quick Facts
Quick Facts
| Price | $24.99 |
| Released | July 22, 2026 (Early Access) |
| Developer | Paper Cult |
| Publisher | Paper Cult |
| Genre | Action Roguelike, Hack and Slash |
| Players | Solo or online co-op, up to 4 players |
| Storage | 10 GB |
How to Download Tears of Metal on PC
Tears of Metal is sold on Steam. You will need a Steam account to buy and launch it, and since the game supports 4-player co-op, it helps to have friends on Steam ready if you plan to fight together.
- Step 1. Go to the Tears of Metal Steam page and click Add to Cart.
- Step 2. Sign in to your Steam account, or create one for free if you don’t have one yet.
- Step 3. Complete the purchase, then let Steam download and install the game automatically.
- Step 4. Check your free disk space first. The install needs 10GB.
- Step 5. Make sure you have a stable internet connection if you plan to play co-op, since online play requires it.
- Step 6. If you’re playing with friends, invite them through Steam’s built-in friends list before starting your campaign.
What Is Tears of Metal?
Tears of Metal is a hack and slash action roguelike from Paper Cult, a small independent studio. You lead a Scottish battalion fighting to reclaim your home island after a meteor known as the Mother Dragon Stone crashed and drew in an invading force hunting its power. Each campaign sends you across handcrafted battlefields where you carve through enemy hordes and pick up upgrades as you go.
Builds are where each run gets interesting. You choose from multiple playable heroes and combine upgrades with over a hundred artifacts to create different attack combinations from one run to the next. No two campaigns play out quite the same way.
Progress carries over between runs. Soldiers you recruit gain permanent skills over time, and expanding your settlement between campaigns unlocks new shops, permanent upgrades, and tougher optional challenges for better rewards. You can fight solo or split the battalion with up to 3 friends in co-op.
Official Tears of Metal Trailer
Watch the official Tears of Metal trailer to see the island battlefields, hero builds, and co-op combat in action.
Key Features
Over 45 Handcrafted Battlefields
Fight across a wide range of island environments, each built for different scenarios and objectives rather than reused arenas.
Over 100 Artifacts to Combine
Mix upgrades and artifacts into distinctive builds, so the same hero can play very differently from one run to the next.
Permanent Soldier Progression
Recruit and upgrade soldiers who keep their skills between campaigns, so a rough run still leaves you stronger for the next one.
Expandable Settlement
Grow your base between runs to unlock new shops, permanent upgrades, and harder optional challenges for better rewards.
Solo or Co-op Up to 4 Players
Fight alone or team up with up to 3 friends online to reclaim the island together and share the loot.
89 Steam Achievements
A full achievement list gives long-term goals to chase, from combat milestones to settlement growth and hero unlocks.
Is This Game for You?
You Will Love It If:
- ✅ You like hack and slash combat with real build variety
- ✅ You enjoy roguelike runs backed by permanent progression
- ✅ You want a game that works solo or scales up with a small group
- ✅ You like combining upgrades and artifacts into unique builds
- ✅ You enjoy a challenge, this game leans difficult by design
You Might Not If:
- ❌ You want a fully polished, bug-free experience right away
- ❌ You prefer a relaxed difficulty over a genuinely tough fight
- ❌ You want a large group experience, co-op tops out at 4 players total
- ❌ You want deep story and voice acting, both are still being expanded
- ❌ You want an easy mode, there isn’t one
🎮 Our Take
Tears of Metal has landed with Very Positive reviews, and the reception makes sense once you see how much the build variety carries each run. Combining artifacts into a full battalion of upgraded soldiers gives the game a strategic layer most hack and slash roguelikes skip, since your choices outlast a single run instead of resetting every time. It leans difficult by design, and Paper Cult has been upfront that voice acting, balancing, and performance are still being actively worked on.
If you enjoy tough action roguelikes and want a co-op game to grind through with friends, this is worth grabbing now. If you’d rather wait for more content and a fully balanced difficulty curve, keep it wishlisted and check back later.
System Requirements
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Dual Core 2.4GHz
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1070 or equivalent
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 10 GB
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Quad Core 3GHz
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 20-series
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 10 GB
- Network: Broadband internet connection
Tips for Getting Started
Don’t chase every artifact, chase ones that fit your build
Grabbing artifacts at random can leave you with a messy loadout that does nothing well. Pick a direction early and prioritize artifacts that reinforce it.
Recruit soldiers even on runs you expect to lose
Soldiers keep their permanent skills between campaigns, so recruiting during a losing run still pays off later instead of being wasted effort.
Reinvest settlement upgrades before pushing harder challenges
Unlocking permanent upgrades between campaigns makes future runs noticeably easier. Build up your settlement before jumping into the toughest optional fights.
Coordinate builds with your co-op group before a run
Four players stacking the same build can leave gaps in coverage. Splitting build directions across your group tends to handle enemy waves better.
Check for updates before a session
Paper Cult ships regular updates during development. A quick check before you play can save confusion if something changed since your last session.
Tears of Metal Screenshots
Browse the gallery below to see Tears of Metal in action, including battlefield combat and hero builds.
Tears of Metal FAQ
Can I play Tears of Metal solo, or do I need a group?
What do you actually do in Tears of Metal?
Can I change the difficulty if the game feels too hard?
What are the system requirements for Tears of Metal on PC?
Do my soldiers carry over between runs?
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