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Hela: of Mice & Magic has a limited-time PC demo for Steam Next Fest. The 30–60-minute preview is available through Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Xbox PC App, offering solo play and local split-screen co-op before the full game’s planned December 1, 2026 release.
How to play the Hela Steam Next Fest demo
Windup Games and Knights Peak Interactive released the demo on October 14, 2026. It remains available through the end of Steam Next Fest, giving PC players a temporary slice of the game rather than a permanent prologue.
- Platforms: Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox PC App
- Play modes: Solo and local split-screen co-op
- Estimated length: About 30–60 minutes, depending on exploration
- Setting: A bespoke map inspired by northern Sweden
The demo is intended to show Hela’s exploration, traversal and environmental-puzzle systems. Because access is tied to the festival, availability can end when Steam Next Fest closes.
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How long is the Hela demo?
Expect roughly 30 to 60 minutes. The shorter estimate suits players who follow the critical path, while the longer estimate allows time to explore the map and experiment with its interactions. The figure is an estimate reported by Inven Global, not a guaranteed completion time or a measure of the full game’s length.
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What kind of game is Hela: of Mice & Magic?
Hela is a 3D open-world adventure about a small mouse familiar helping an ill witch and restoring harmony to the surrounding land. Its tone is gentle and character-focused, but the player still has a substantial set of systems to learn: gathering ingredients, brewing magical remedies, solving environmental puzzles and assisting animals and local communities.
Exploration and the Froggy backpack
The mouse’s Froggy backpack is the main traversal and interaction tool. It supports leaping, swinging and gliding, as well as collecting resources and manipulating objects in the environment. These abilities make movement part of the puzzle design rather than simply a way to travel between objectives.
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A world built around helping others
Progress is framed around care and restoration. Players collect what characters need, prepare remedies and use the environment to resolve problems. The result is an exploration-led adventure in which optional discoveries and interactions matter alongside the main objectives.
Is Hela co-op?
Yes. The full game supports solo play, local split-screen for two players and online co-op for up to four players.
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Solo play and the Shade System
Solo players are not limited to a reduced version of the multiplayer design. The Shade System creates magical copies of the mouse that can assist with puzzles and environmental interactions, allowing one player to perform tasks that might otherwise require several characters.
Multiplayer limits
| Mode | Players |
|---|---|
| Solo | 1 |
| Local split-screen | 1–2 |
| Online co-op | 1–4 |
The Steam Next Fest demo specifically offers solo and local split-screen co-op. The online four-player mode is listed for the full release.
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Hela release date and platforms
Steam and Shochiku Games list December 1, 2026 as the planned release date. The announced platforms are:
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| Platform | Release plan |
|---|---|
| PC | Digital release |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Release planned |
| PlayStation 5 | Release planned |
| Xbox Series X|S | Release planned |
Windup Games is the developer. The listed publishers are Knights Peak, Boltray Games (China) and Shochiku.
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Will there be a Hela Harmony Edition physical copy?
A planned Hela: of Mice & Magic Harmony Edition is intended for console collectors on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Inven Global reports that orders are planned through Microids, although stock, regions and ordering details can change.
The reported release plan describes the PC version as digital-only, so a physical PC edition should not be assumed. Console availability and retailer listings may vary by territory when pre-orders open.
Who should try the demo?
The preview is most useful if you want to judge whether Hela’s pace and traversal suit you before launch. It gives a compact look at:
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- Movement based on jumping, swinging and gliding
- Ingredient gathering and remedy brewing
- Environmental puzzles and character-helping quests
- Solo play and couch co-op for two people
Players primarily looking for online four-player sessions will need to wait for the full game, since that mode is announced for the finished release rather than the festival demo.
What the demo does—and does not—confirm
The preview establishes Hela’s core concept, setting and local multiplayer format, but it is not a statement about the final game’s total map size, campaign length or online performance. No independent sales, review-average or player-count figures have been published for the game.
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