Man, I love it when the industry just trends in a certain direction, and believe me when I say over the next few years real-time strategy hybrids of varying genre types, or "PIKMIN-likes, are Ma href="https://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3637427" target="_blankl">going to be a thing. The Unliving is one such example of this new-ish direction, and while it won't enter Steam Early Access until 2022, developer RocketBrush and publisher Team17 have dropped a demo you can play right now.

Here's a page torn from The Unliving's necromancy spell book:

The Unliving demo is live now on Steam and will grant players a sneak peek at one of the levels, a boss challenge involving escorting an engorged undead ally towards an objective, and 40 abilities and undead upgrades to try out including blood wave, which hurls a wave of bones at enemies, damaging them while also pushing them back, and blood tide, which turns spilled blood into chimeras that crawl to enemy forces and explode.

The Unliving Key Features:

• Turn enemies into obedient undead minions: Reincarnate fallen foes into loyal soldiers that obey every command
  
• Sacrifice the undead: The Necromancer can sacrifice members of his undead legions to release powerful spells that can change the course of the battle
  
• Enjoy hand-drawn levels: The world of The Unliving is procedurally generated from a selection of meticulously crafted and highly detailed pixel art
  
• Death is only the beginning: Through each permadeath players will be resurrected, keeping their progression and unlocks, each attempt better equipping the Necromancer to take on the challenges that lurk in the shadows
  
• Overcome gruelling bosses: Powerful creatures prowl the wilderness, waiting for their chance to take down the Necromancer, each boasts its own fighting style and abilities, requiring strategic gameplay to overcome
  
• Unlock the secrets of necromancy: Cryptic notes, coerced information, and ancient artifacts will be instrumental in piecing together the truth behind the necromancer’s immortality, and the unnatural abilities he wields.

You can Wishlist the game now on the link above, and watch a trailer for The Unliving embedded below.