Prepare for a descent into delightful disorder as Devolver Digital unveils Mycopunk, a co-op first-person shooter that throws players into a fungal-infested future armed with quirky robots, an upgrade system that encourages delightful absurdity, and a combat mechanic that gets right to the point – dismemberment. Developed by Pigeons at Play, this isn’t your typical clean-cut sci-fi adventure; it’s a messy, hilarious, and action-packed romp built for tearing through hordes of bizarre enemies with friends.
Mycopunk drops players into the boots of the New Atlas Hazard Crew, a motley band of robotic rejects given a second chance by the monolithic SAXON corporation. Their mission? Head to a distant moon and eradicate a rapidly spreading, malevolent fungal infestation that’s twisting the local fauna and forgotten machinery into grotesque, weaponized abominations. It’s a setup that immediately signals the game’s offbeat sense of humor, a hallmark of Devolver Digital’s publishing style.
The heart of Mycopunk beats with its four-player co-op experience. You and your crew will tackle mission-based objectives across expansive, alien landscapes. The developers clearly built this game with friends in mind. While you can go it alone, the real fun and strategic depth emerge when coordinating with teammates. Imagine this: one player, perhaps the high-flying Glider with their rocket-boosting wingsuit, provides aerial support while a ground-focused Bruiser, armed with a powerful shield, pushes back a wave of fungal horrors. Meanwhile, a Scrapper deploys a grapple pole allowing the team to quickly reposition or reach tactical vantage points, and a Wrangler lassos a particularly nasty enemy into the open. The synergy between the distinct robot abilities creates opportunities for genuinely chaotic and effective team play. There are no character restrictions either, so if your squad wants to run four Bruisers and just smash everything, the game says, “Go for it!”
But it’s not just about character abilities; the weapon and upgrade systems are where Mycopunk truly starts to embrace its silly side. Forget standard stat boosts; Mycopunk features a unique, grid-based upgrade system that feels like slotting together bizarre biological or technological components. Each upgrade is shaped like a chemical compound, and you need to fit them into a limited hexagonal grid on your weapon or ability. This isn’t just about making numbers go up; these upgrades fundamentally change how your gear functions.
Picture turning your standard rifle into one that throws volatile magazines on reload, causing explosions, or equipping an SMG upgrade that grants infinite ammo but starts to burn you if you hold the trigger down too long. These aren’t sensible, balanced upgrades; they’re designed to create outlandish builds that can, in the developers’ own words, “break the game in a good way.” Finding rare and exotic upgrades, with their larger, more complex shapes on the grid, becomes a mini-puzzle in itself, forcing you to strategically arrange your mods to maximize their wild effects. This system promises a staggering amount of build variety and encourages experimentation, leading to laugh-out-loud moments as you discover devastatingly silly weapon combinations.
Now, about the dismemberment. Mycopunk doesn’t shy away from the messy reality of fighting mutated fungal creatures. Enemies in Mycopunk are often shambling masses of fungal growth and scavenged machine parts. To truly defeat them, you need to target and destroy their vulnerable core, usually hidden beneath layers of armor and weaponized limbs. This means strategically shooting off individual body parts – arms, legs, weapon attachments – to expose their weak spot. It adds a tactical layer to the combat, forcing you to prioritize targets and aim for specific areas.
However, here’s where the chaos ramps up: those dismembered limbs don’t just disappear. Other enemies can pick them up and use them! A creature you just stripped of its laser arm might suddenly become even more dangerous if another enemy grabs that arm and turns it against you. It’s a dynamic that keeps you on your toes and transforms the battlefield into a constantly shifting landscape of potential weapons and threats. And in a touch that perfectly encapsulates the game’s blend of absurdity and co-op focus, reviving a downed teammate involves literally grabbing the two halves of their broken robot body and putting them back together. It’s goofy, it’s memorable, and it reinforces the idea that you’re a ragtag crew of robots held together by duct tape and sheer determination.
Between missions, the chaos subsides slightly in the “Roach Motel,” your orbital dropship hub. This serves as a place to manage your upgrades, prepare for the next mission, and generally goof around with your teammates. It’s a small touch, but having a space to decompress and interact with your fellow robots adds to the game’s charm and personality. You’ll even get your mission briefings from a sentient cockroach named Roachard Cox, which tells you everything you need to know about the game’s commitment to the delightfully bizarre.
Mycopunk is heading to Steam Early Access in 2025, with a demo available now for those eager to jump into the fungal fray. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, prioritizing fun and player expression through its chaotic co-op, outrageous upgrades, and wonderfully messy combat. If you’re looking for a co-op shooter that encourages silly builds, offers satisfyingly messy combat, and lets you reassemble your friends, keep a close eye on Mycopunk. It promises a unique and memorable trip to a fungal future.
