Moon Beast Productions, the studio started by former Diablo developers, has just launched a Kickstarter and put a public demo for Darkhaven. This move comes after the game received 140,000 wishlists since it was first revealed.

Darkhaven pitches a dark world after a great collapse, and mixes solo play, multiplayer raids, and PvP on servers where the land itself can be altered. Terrain can be dug through, lakes drained, lava redirected, and buildings rebuilt. Seasons and weather change how fights play out, and world events leave lasting marks on the map. The goal is to create an environments that remembers what players do.

In the demo, players get several hours inside a persistent sandbox where the Witch class can be taken to level 8 and tested across 3 skill trees that focus on mobility, positioning, and resource management. This should give a clear taste of systems and shows how builds might come together later on.

Erich Schaefer, co-founder and chief creative officer, described the demo as experimental and messy in places while still true to the core ARPG loop of progression and item synergy. He said this release is a way to let players experience what the team is trying to do before the game is finished.

The studio also invited feedback through its Kickstarter campaign. Philip Shenk, co-founder and CEO, called the demo a love letter to fans and an ask for help shaping the project. Peter Hu remains part of the founding team behind the effort.

The demo is a work in progress, but as revealed by the developers, it offers a clear sense of what they are trying to build and how it might change as more people get involved.

You can try out the demo on Steam and join Kickstarter if you like what you see.