Windup’s Hela demo is available now on Steam. Here are the details that matter before you download it.
Download the demo from Hela’s official Steam page.
1. The demo tells a small story of its own
Windup built the demo as a self-contained journey with its own map, rather than lifting a section from the full game. Players explore a corner of Hela’s Northern Sweden-inspired world, restore a witch’s protective magic, gather enough Glimmer to find the way back, and solve environmental puzzles with the Froggy backpack.
That makes the demo a focused introduction to the game’s exploration and puzzle design—not a preview of the full world or a promise that progress carries over. Windup’s Official Steam announcement describes the sample’s scope and story.
2. The demo’s co-op is local, with a solo assist
The demo can be played alone or in two-player local split-screen. Online co-op is not included in this build. Windup has described online play for up to four players as a feature of the full game, which is a separate promise from the demo’s current options.
The Shade System helps solo players with puzzles that need more than one set of paws: it lets the mouse create magical copies to assist with those challenges. That is a practical way for the demo to make cooperative-style puzzle interactions workable alone, not an online multiplayer feature.
3. Steam Deck compatibility
Windup confirms that the demo is playable on the handheld. The October 2026 Steam Next Fest runs from October 19 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 26 at 10 a.m. PDT, according to Steam’s official event schedule.
The full game is currently listed for December 1, 2026 on Steam. For another example of how a demo can set expectations for a later release, see GoldCrit’s coverage of the Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter demo.
