UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS – October 19, 2026 – Independent development studio Renegade Games has rolled out a major feature update for the playable demo of Castle Away, their hand-drawn roguelite autobattler where players build and optimize a flying fortress to challenge the Archdemon, just in time for Steam Next Fest! The update brings a number of quality of life improvements and exciting new functionalities that will certainly give players new ways of approaching their castle building ventures. The update, which is live right now, introduces asynchronous multiplayer mechanics, new strategic layers in the form of Relics, unlockable customization options for the avatar and speed controls.
Available now on Steam, the Next Fest demo update brings the following major additions to the game:
Rivals (asynchronous multiplayer)
Encounter another player's castle instead of demon bosses. Get ready for some of your toughest battles. It will make the Archdemon look like a mid-boss.
Relics
We're adding a new layer of strategy with Relics. Fishy will now offer you a Relic at the start of your run that will switch up ideas for builds. How nice of Fishy! More Relics can be gathered by igniting Beacons (there's one in the demo), making finding your objective even more rewarding.
Styling
Unlock new styling options for your avatar through in-game challenges, that'll reflect on your portrait and your avatar in the overworld! Command your castle in style!
Speed Controls
Building your castle, but in a hurry? Not to worry! We've added speed controls so you can move through combat scenarios quicker and get back to building before you know it.
Castle Away is a strategic roguelite autobattler where players construct, manage, and optimize their own flying fortress and fight the demonic forces. Featuring vibrant, 100% hand-drawn 2D graphics with zero AI used in production, the title brings a colorful, highly readable, and approachable aesthetic to deep, synergistic autobattler mechanics.
The fully updated Castle Away demo is available to download and play for free right now on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest. The game is scheduled for a 1.0 PC launch in Q1 2027.
Facts and links
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Release Date: Q1 2027
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Platform: PC
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Price: T.B.D.
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Languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Traditional Chinese & Simplified Chinese
Media Contact: Tom Schoen, press@renegade.games
About the team: Castle Away is created by three independent creators: René Slump (Gladiator Manager) designs the deep mechanisms and programs the game. Sim Kaart (Rift Riff, Gladiator Manager) creates art and designs a coherent experience. Matthijs Koster (Rift Riff) crafts sounds and creates music. Alongside them, Tom Schoen (Utomik, PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions) works on everything marketing, partnerships, and business.