Octopus Panic invites players to jump in to seven planets, four playable Gravhounds and New Mod Deck Builder
Seattle, WA, USA – October 12, 2026 – Independent developer and publisher Octopus Panic announced that GRAVHOUNDS, a new 1-4 player co-op action builder, is dropping a demo on Steam today, running through to October 18.
See the GRAVHOUNDS announce trailer here:
The demo features seven planets across two solar systems, with players able to choose from four playable Gravhounds: Selene, Zane, Dozer and Finn. Expeditions can be tackled solo or with up to four players in co-op, giving players the freedom to build their own squad and take on the game’s hostile alien environments together.
The biggest addition to the demo is the new Mod Deck Builder, created directly in response to player feedback from the open playtest. The new system gives players greater control over the possibilities they’ll encounter during an expedition while retaining the unpredictability that makes each run unique. Players can change their deck between expeditions, allowing them to experience different strategies as their Mod library grows.
“The support from our playtesters has been pretty overwhelming”, said Josh Holmes, Co-Founder of Octopus Panic. “We’re a small team, and having so many people take the time to play, report bugs, and share ideas has been a huge help.”
The demo also includes numerous additional fixes and improvements to planets, resources, objectives, saves, crashes, animation, audio, effects and multiplayer reliability and is playable today on Steam.
GRAVHOUNDS features:
- 1-4 Player Co-Op – Intense alone, chaotic with a crew. Combine each Gravhound’s unique strengths and improvise to beat back the swarm. Go lone wolf to expand the operation or stick with the pack to stand your ground.
- Bend Gravity to Your Will – Use the powerful Grav Beam to fling objects across the battlefield or send enemies flying. Disclaimer: transporting volatile materials may result in unforeseen loss of Gravhounds.
- Build to Survive – Deploy turrets, generators, and fabricators to expand your operation. Extend pipelines across hostile terrain to power your base, move critical resources, and keep your eventual escape route alive.
- No Two Shifts Play the Same – Unlock powerful new abilities and upgrades mid-shift. Stack bonuses and reshape your loadout to adapt to a swarm that grows deadlier by the second – but so do you.
- Move Fast, Die Last – High-speed mobility allows players to boost in any direction, hover, and reposition under heavy fire to race to a teammate’s aid or make a last-second dash for materials.
- High-Risk Extraction – Seek out treacherous planets for the best materials. Stay longer and push harder to increase your rewards, but beware: every extra second escalates the swarm, turning each shift into a high-stakes bet on what your pack can handle.
GRAVHOUNDS is developed by Octopus Panic, founded by veterans of 343 Industries and DICE, with development led by Halo 4 Creative Director and former Halo Studios Head, Josh Holmes.
Players can now wishlist GRAVHOUNDS on Steam and Xbox.
About Octopus Panic
Octopus Panic is a small independent game studio that creates games with enough freedom for players to surprise us. Its close-knit team of industry veterans builds cooperative adventures around experimentation, improvisation, and memorable stories shared between players. Its first game, GRAVHOUNDS, is a 1-4 player co-op action-builder about blue collar dogs stranded on the far side of the galaxy.
