GRAVHOUNDS is a co-op action builder game set in a sci-fi world where players control bio-engineered canine workers. The core experience centers on dropping into hostile alien planets to gather resources, construct infrastructure, and extract before an escalating swarm overwhelms the team. Developed by Octopus Panic as their debut title, it blends building, combat, and physics-based tools in sessions that support one to four players on PC.
Gameplay
Players take on planetary jobs that involve landing on varied worlds, mining materials, and setting up operations under time pressure from incoming enemies. The Grav Beam serves as the central tool for flinging objects or foes across the battlefield, while a boost system enables quick repositioning in any direction or hovering for better angles during fights. Base construction focuses on practical elements like generators for power, refineries for processing, turrets for defense, and pipelines that stretch across terrain to connect facilities and secure escape routes.
Each Gravhound brings distinct traits that influence speed, durability, or special functions, allowing teams to mix abilities for different approaches. Mid-mission upgrades appear as choices that stack bonuses and alter loadouts on the fly, with weapons varying in damage output, fire rate, and capacity. The alien swarm intensifies the longer a crew remains on site, turning extended stays into higher-risk opportunities for greater hauls. Physics interactions add unpredictability when moving volatile items or using terrain creatively against threats.
Game Modes
The primary format revolves around co-operative planetary operations where one to four players coordinate to complete extractions. Solo play remains fully supported, letting a single Gravhound handle jobs independently while still managing building and combat. Sessions emphasize risk versus reward, as teams decide whether to push deeper for premium materials or extract early to avoid heavier swarm pressure. No separate competitive or versus modes exist in the confirmed structure, keeping focus on shared survival and improvisation within the co-op framework.
Key Mechanics and Progression
Terraforming options before deployment help tilt initial conditions, and pipelines become critical for sustaining power across expanding sites. Unique Gravhounds unlock over time alongside new weapons and upgrade paths, with the swarm adapting based on prior choices to create varied threats in subsequent shifts. Mobility tools like directional boosts and jump jets support vertical play and rapid responses to teammate needs or material grabs. The loop rewards planning defenses while adapting to physics chaos and escalating enemy numbers.
Is It Worth Playing?
GRAVHOUNDS suits players who enjoy co-operative building combined with action and extraction tension. The Early Access version launching November 2, 2026, includes the full core loop of job selection, world exploration, infrastructure setup, enemy defense, and safe return, with plans for additional Gravhounds, jobs, worlds, enemies, weapons, and upgrades during the roughly six-month period. It will also appear on Xbox Game Pass from day one. Those drawn to physics-driven co-op sessions with upgrade choices and swarm escalation will find the most direct appeal, while those preferring polished single-player campaigns or established multiplayer modes may prefer to monitor progress after launch.
