There is something particularly dangerous about fighting monsters when you cannot be sure the person standing beside you is actually on your side. That is the idea behind Among Shadows, an asymmetric PvP social-deduction game from TMXN Games that combines fast-paced Soulslike combat with hidden traitors, investigation and resource management. The game is scheduled to launch on PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2026 for $10.99.
Players take on the role of Envoys of the Order of the Secret Fire, tasked with stopping a mysterious infection that is spreading throughout a plague-ridden kingdom. The group has just three days to investigate the outbreak, gather resources, craft and upgrade equipment, and ultimately bring the infection under control before the situation becomes even more dangerous.
Each day provides opportunities to prepare for what is coming, with workbenches allowing players to improve their gear and create useful tools before heading into battle. There are also 10 different jobs to choose from, with classes inspired by a variety of cultures. Players can take up the sword as a Japanese Samurai, deliver devastating holy attacks as a medieval Paladin, or harness supernatural abilities as a shamanistic Wind Whistler.
The combat itself leans into hack-and-slash Soulslike action, with players facing corrupted bosses and hordes of grotesque creatures. Defeating three bosses or keeping the Infection Score below its required threshold can secure victory for the Envoys within the three-day limit. If the infection reaches the danger zone, however, the Blood Moon rises on the final day, bringing an undead threat with it.
Combat is only part of the danger, though. Some members of the party are secretly Underworld Apostles, hidden traitors whose goal is to spread corruption and bring down the Envoys from within. Purifying infected wells requires multiple players to vote in favor of the process, giving the Apostles an opportunity to secretly sabotage the effort by contaminating wells and increasing the Infection Score.
The traitors can also attempt to blend in by helping with purification, making it harder for the rest of the group to determine who can actually be trusted. Once night falls, the group holds a Judgment, with players voting on who they believe may be an Apostle. Eliminating the wrong person could give the real traitors another opportunity to strike.
The opposing sides also have different ways of approaching the battlefield. Envoys can work together to defend a Convoy from waves of enemies, while an Apostle can attempt to assassinate the Lord and secure victory through a more direct and bloody approach.
Players will have an early opportunity to see how these systems come together during the Among Shadows Steam Next Fest demo, which will be available from October 19 through October 26. The full game is planned for Steam Early Access in Q4 2026 and will support English, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
Among Shadows is shaping up as an unusual combination of monster-slaying action and paranoia, where surviving the plague is only half the battle. The bigger question may be whether the people fighting alongside you are actually trying to save the kingdom at all.