Malignus
In Malignus, you play the villain: a Boss monster, their minions, and the creatures of the caves, in a 2D dungeon colony sim.
In many fantasy games, the hero breaks into the dungeon. In Malignus, the dungeon is yours. Dig out your lair, keep your grumbling minions fed and in line, fill your halls with traps, and raid the world above for treasure, while adventurers fight to take it all back.
Malignus is a 2D dungeon colony sim and emergent story generator. Play as a boss monster and their underling minions and creatures, expanding your underground dominion, building traps, and defending your prisoners and treasures from invading adventurers.
In many fantasy games, the hero breaks into the dungeon. In Malignus, the dungeon is yours.
You play a Boss monster and the minions who serve them: goblins, kobolds, orcs, gnolls, bugbears, and ogres. Carve rooms out of solid rock, build workshops, beds, thrones, and altars, and keep a crew of very different personalities fed, rested, and in line. Wire deadly traps to pressure plates and tripwires, tame the creatures that live in the caves, and master the dark arts.
Then send your minions to raid the world above, and bring the treasure home. Adventurer invasions grow larger and deadlier over time, and every one of them wants your hoard back. Malignus plays alone or in 2–4 player co-op on one shared dungeon. It launches in Early Access on November 13, 2026, with about a year of monthly updates planned before the full release. A free demo, which is also the beta test, is on Steam now.
Malignus is a 2D dungeon colony sim and emergent story generator, and you play the villain. You are a Boss monster. Your minions, your traps, and your hoard answer to you, and the wild things that lurk in the caves are yours to tame or hunt.
Your minions dig through solid rock, shape rooms, and fill your growing domain with workshops, beds, thrones, altars, and more. Six monster races (goblins, kobolds, orcs, gnolls, bugbears, and ogres) each bring their own strengths and habits. Every minion has traits, grumbles, and social ties, and a dungeon full of personalities does not always behave. Feed them, give them somewhere to sleep, craft their gear, and keep order when tempers, disasters, and dungeon life get in the way.
Adventurers want your hoard back. Invasions grow larger and deadlier over time, with six races, ten classes, and more than 40 traits between you and your treasure. Turn your halls into a deathtrap with dart throwers, spinning blades, flamethrowers, gas traps, electric coils, and webs, all wired to pressure plates, tripwires, sensors, levers, and timers. Capture the survivors, chain them up, and interrogate them for secrets. Your minions expect a proper dungeon to have prisoners.
Choose one of four Boss monsters, each with abilities that grow stronger with your treasure hoard. Master Pyromancy, Electromancy, Necromancy, and Shadowmancy, perform rituals, and bargain with dark gods for boons. More than 30 wild creatures lurk in the caves: tame some as pets, build them one of nine lair types, or hunt them when the pantry runs low.
When the dungeon is ready, look up. Send your minions across the overworld to raid settlements, command every raid in real time, and deal with a world that remembers what you did. Play alone, or rule one shared dungeon with 2–4 players in co-op.
Malignus launches in Early Access on Steam on November 13, 2026. About one year of monthly updates is planned on a steady schedule, and Steam Workshop support comes during Early Access. The free demo, which is also the beta test, is on Steam now.
A free demo is on Steam now. It is also the game's beta test, and it holds everything in the current game: nothing is locked because it is a demo.
Malignus launches in Early Access on Steam on November 13, 2026, for $19.99. After launch, the plan is about one year of monthly updates on a steady schedule, which leads to the full 1.0 release at $29.99. Steam Workshop support comes during Early Access, so players can share their own content.
- Carve out your dungeon. Dig through solid rock, shape rooms, and fill your growing domain with workshops, beds, thrones, altars, traps, and more.
- Command six monster races. Goblins, kobolds, orcs, gnolls, bugbears, and ogres each bring their own strengths to your dungeon.
- Manage a dungeon full of personalities. Dozens of traits, grumbles, social interactions, and breakdowns mean your minions will not always behave.
- Turn your halls into a deathtrap. Build dart throwers, spinning blades, flamethrowers, gas traps, electric coils, webs, and more, and wire them to pressure plates, tripwires, sensors, levers, and timers.
- Choose your Boss. Rule as one of four Boss monsters, each with unique abilities that grow stronger with your treasure hoard.
- Defend what you stole. Adventurer invasions grow larger and deadlier over time, with six races, ten classes, and more than 40 traits.
- Keep prisoners. Capture surviving adventurers, chain them up, and interrogate them for valuable secrets.
- Tame what lurks underground. More than 30 wild creatures live in the caves. Build one of nine lair types, tame creatures as pets, or hunt them for food.
- Practice the dark arts. Cast Pyromancy, Electromancy, Necromancy, and Shadowmancy spells, perform rituals, and bargain with dark gods for powerful boons.
- Raid the world above. Send your minions across the overworld to attack settlements, and command every raid in real time.
- Keep the dungeon running. Feed your minions, give them beds, craft their gear, and keep order through disasters and tempers.
- Rule together. Build and manage one shared dungeon in 2–4 player co-op.
- Make it your own. Steam Workshop support comes during Early Access.