Deadhaus Sonata Co-Op Gameplay Revealed Ahead of Early Access Launch

Apocalypse Studios dropped new co-op gameplay footage today for Deadhaus Sonata, their upcoming dark-fantasy action RPG where you play as the undead fighting the living. The game is heading into Early Access on Steam, and if the pedigree behind it means anything, this one is worth paying attention to.

Denis Dyack is directing. If that name rings a bell, it should. He’s the creator of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, two games that are still brought up in conversations about the best horror and dark fantasy experiences ever made. Legacy of Kain in particular is one of those franchises that people have been begging for a revival of for over two decades. Deadhaus Sonata isn’t Legacy of Kain, but it’s clearly drinking from the same well. You play as the undead. You fight the living. You grow in power. The tone is dark, gothic, and narrative-driven.

The co-op footage shows off the game’s 6-player cooperative mode, which is the headline feature. You combine abilities, coordinate attacks, and overwhelm enemies as a group. The gameplay emphasizes teamwork, positioning, and timing over button mashing. And yes, you can also play solo if that’s your preference (as it usually is mine). Check out the trailer below.

The setting is Malorum, a world shattered by divine war and corruption. Haunted fortresses, forgotten kingdoms, and ruins shaped by ancient history. The game launches with the Vampire as the playable undead class, with more forms planned as the game evolves. You feed on the living to grow stronger, unlock supernatural abilities, and progress through a system built around dominance and mastery.

The skill system is built around tarot cards, which is a cool hook. Each card represents arcane power tied to Malorum’s history, and you build your loadout around different playstyles: precision, raw power, mobility, tanking, or supernatural control. Gear, artifacts, legendary items, and tarot cards all tie into the world’s lore. The studio describes it as “playing is crafting,” where your history as a character becomes a resource that influences your future progression.

On the narrative side, Deadhaus Sonata features over 15 hours of professionally voiced narration with a story-driven structure where choices affect your character and the world. Sentient gear, persistent events, and outcomes shaped by your actions are all part of the package.

Early Access will cost $19.99, which includes premium credits for in-game cosmetics like cloaks, emblems, and gear variants. No Early Access date has been locked down yet, but the studio says more details are coming soon.

The Legacy of Kain and Eternal Darkness connection alone makes this worth a wishlist. Both of those games were ahead of their time, and a new project from that creative mind with 6-player co-op and a tarot-based skill system has potential. Whether Deadhaus Sonata lives up to that potential will depend on execution, but the foundation looks solid.

Deadhaus Sonata is available to wishlist on Steam now. Hopefully it can eventually come to console, assuming it’s any good (which it should be).

Interested in checking it out? Drop a comment below or come talk about it in the Vortex Effect forums.