Mythawake is a roguelite first-person shooter developed by a solo indie creator and set for Early Access release. Players control one of four Guardians drawn from distinct mythologies, battling through procedurally influenced runs where abilities combine in unpredictable ways. The core loop centers on short expeditions that reward experimentation with stacked blessings and permanent upgrades between attempts.
Gameplay
Each Guardian brings a distinct combat style to every run. Phoenix wields a Golden Rifle that spreads fire across groups of foes. Tempest channels lightning that arcs between targets. Shade relies on daggers paired with shadow decoys for hit-and-run tactics. Xochi summons swarms of hummingbirds to harass enemies from a distance. These tools interact with environmental effects and enemy types to create escalating chaos as a run progresses.
Blessings from gods across four mythologies appear after each encounter and can stack or synergize across multiple picks. Memories further alter how attacks function, turning a single ability into something entirely new by the later stages of an expedition. The result is a chain-reaction system where fire spreads from kill to kill, lightning jumps to fresh targets, bleeding effects propagate, and blooming elements trigger additional damage. Successful runs often end with entire rooms erupting in overlapping effects.
Between expeditions, players return to the Nexus hub. Here, permanent upgrades improve the Guardians themselves, unlocking new options for future attempts. Four difficulty levels become available after initial victories, scaling enemy density and rewards accordingly.
Game Modes
The primary experience is an Expedition that takes players through four distinct realms: the Forgotten Festival, the Sands of Ra, Fimbulvetr, and Xibalba. Each realm features its own boss encounter before the group pushes toward the Shattered Nexus. Runs support one to four players in online co-op, where teammates combine their Guardian abilities, provide cover, and revive fallen allies before Oblivion claims them.
Solo play includes save-and-resume functionality so a single-player run can be paused and continued later. Nexus Trials serve as an optional extra-challenge mode layered on top of the standard expeditions. All modes emphasize replayability through different Guardian selections, blessing combinations, and path choices within each realm.
Progression and Builds
Permanent progression happens exclusively in the Nexus. Upgrades there carry forward across all future runs, allowing players to strengthen Guardians and expand available options without resetting progress. During an expedition, temporary power comes from the blessings and Memories collected along the way. These systems encourage trying new combinations rather than repeating the same loadout.
The four Guardians remain the only playable characters at launch, each tied to a specific weapon and playstyle. Difficulty scaling and realm order add structure while the random blessing distribution keeps individual runs distinct. Co-op sessions reward coordination, as overlapping effects from different Guardians can accelerate the chain-reaction payoff.
Is It Worth Playing?
Mythawake enters Early Access with a complete core loop already in place: four Guardians, four realms, online co-op up to four players, solo save functionality, Nexus-based permanent upgrades, and Nexus Trials. The solo developer has outlined plans for additional Guardians, realms, blessings, Memories, bosses, and enemy variety based on community feedback during the Early Access period, which is expected to last six to twelve months.
Players who enjoy roguelite shooters with strong co-op elements and buildcrafting will find the most immediate appeal. The chain-reaction combat and mythology-flavored abilities provide a clear identity, while the permanent progression offers long-term goals without requiring constant restarts. Those seeking a polished single-player campaign or extensive post-launch content at launch may prefer to wait until more updates arrive. The game supports English and Spanish text and runs on modest hardware with an internet connection required for co-op.