Styx: Shards of Darkness gets a demo on Steam

Styx: Shards of Darkness is a very good stealth game shackled to a very irritating protagonist. How much you’ll be able to enjoy the former very much depends on your ability to stomach the latter. It’s a prime candidate for a demo, then, and luckily Cyanide and Focus have just put one up on Steam.

The demo contains only the tutorial level, but don’t let that put you off. It’s only vaguely a tutorial and is as expansive and open as the rest of the game. You’ll be able to muck around with several different gross Goblin abilities, like vomiting up a clone of Styx to distract guards or draw them into an ambush, and there’s plenty of loot to steal and throats to slit.

During or after the demo, you’ll be able to upgrade to the full game, which is on sale, retaining your progress. You can pick it up for £20.99/$23.99.

Here’s what Jon had to say about the game in his Styx review: A mean-spirited character leads a big-hearted game; you’re unlikely to dwell on its lore but its features combine well to create a satisfying stealth experience.”

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.