Diablo veterans let players wreck worlds early in unfiltered Darkhaven demo

Fantasy themed artwork featuring a female character in armor with magic effects, set against a dark skull backdrop, with the title 'DARKHAVEN' prominently displayed.

Want to dig through dungeon walls, redirect lava flows, or drain lakes just to see what happens? That’s exactly what Moon Beast Productions is letting players do in the unfiltered pre-alpha demo of their next-gen ARPG, Darkhaven. The Kickstarter for the game is live, and the studio isn’t holding anything back.

Founded by Diablo veterans Philip Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, Moon Beast has released a demo that’s closer to a raw sandbox than a polished teaser. Players can dive into several hours of open-ended ARPG gameplay, leveling the Witch class to 8 and experimenting across skill trees focused on mobility, positioning, and resource management.

“This is about proving potential… the ambitious, chaotic ideas that can push the ARPG genre forward,” said Schaefer. The demo preserves classic Diablo-style progression, itemization, and build synergies while deliberately breaking conventions in world evolution, replayability, and player agency.

Darkhaven is set in a dark fantasy world after civilization has collapsed. Ancient empires lie in ruins, reclaimed by monsters and supernatural predators. Players inherit the last hope of the dying world, fighting eldritch evil in a procedurally generated, fully dynamic, and persistent sandbox where every action leaves a mark.

You can build, deform, or destroy terrain and structures, reshape battlefields, and experience seasons and world events that permanently alter your environment.

The game supports solo play, co-op adventures, and high-stakes PvP-enabled realms. Since its reveal, Darkhaven has racked up an impressive 140,000 wishlists, proving fans are hungry for its mix of chaos, strategy, and player freedom.

“This demo is a love letter to our fans,” said Shenk. “It’s an invitation to see what Darkhaven could become and help bring it to life through our Kickstarter campaign.”

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like the ultimate architect of apocalypse, Darkhaven is handing you the tools—and the sandbox—to do it.