While a press release shared by Inven Global frames the trial as a limited-time showcase running through the end of Steam Next Fest, storefront records show the demo actually went live earlier on October 8, 2026, coinciding with the game's appearance at the Triple-i Initiative showcase. More importantly for Windows users, this is not a Steam-exclusive promotion. The demo is available right now across Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Microsoft's Xbox PC ecosystem.
Before you clear drive space or invite three friends over to test it out, it helps to separate the marketing bullet points from the actual storefront specifications—because what is inside this demo differs significantly from what is promised for December.
Where to Play and the Handheld Catch
According to the publisher's announcement reported by Inven Global and Gamers Heroes, the PC demo is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Xbox PC App. Microsoft's official Xbox Store listing confirms that the Hela: Of Mice & Magic Demo is a free download published by Knights Peak and developed by Windup, carrying an official release date of October 8, 2026.
For portable PC gaming enthusiasts, there is an interesting split in how the storefronts classify the build:
- Xbox Store: Microsoft's listing explicitly marks the demo as "Handheld Optimized" and lists both PC and Handheld under supported devices, alongside 4K Ultra HD capability and support for 10 languages.
- Steam Deck: The press release sent to Inven Global claims the demo features "full Steam Deck support". However, Valve's official Steam store page has not yet posted a verified compatibility badge for the title, leaving official Steam Deck status unconfirmed on the storefront itself.
Similarly, while the publisher's press release describes the demo as a limited-time offer lasting through the end of Steam Next Fest, neither the Xbox Store nor the Steam and Epic Games Store listings display a specific expiration date or countdown timer. Still, if you want to test how the engine handles on your Windows machine or Windows-based handheld, grabbing it sooner rather than later is the safest bet.
A Bespoke Slice: What You Actually Do in the Demo
Rather than dropping players into the opening chapter of the main campaign and cutting to black after an hour, Windup Games built a self-contained story specifically for this demo. According to the publisher's release via Inven Global, a playthrough takes roughly 30 to 60 minutes depending on how thoroughly you poke around the environment.
The premise scales everyday nature up to towering proportions. You play as a tiny mouse familiar trying to help an ailing, kind-hearted witch care for a forest inspired by the wilderness of northern Sweden. On the Xbox Store page, the demo's objective is laid out clearly: you must restore the witch's protective warding magic in a small corner of the forest, gather enough "Glimmer," and chart a path back to her cottage.
To get around, the witch outfits your mouse with a magical companion called the Froggy backpack. Think of it as an all-in-one traversal and puzzle tool: you use Froggy to glide through the air, gather items, manipulate realistic physics objects, and solve environmental puzzles.
What if you don't have a co-op partner sitting next to you on the couch? That is where the Shade System comes in. Because the puzzles are designed around multi-mouse cooperation, solo players can summon magical copies—or "Shades"—of their mouse to hold down mechanisms, interact with physics gizmos, and clear obstacles that a single rodent couldn't manage alone.
Demo vs. Full Game: Mind the Co-Op Gap
One of the easiest traps in pre-release gaming coverage is assuming a demo contains all the core systems of the retail build. If you download the Hela demo expecting to jump into an online lobby with three friends across the country, you are going to hit a wall.
Both the official Xbox Store listing and the IGN Fall Fan Fest demo trailer notes explicitly draw a line between what is playable today and what is held back for the December 1 launch:
| Feature / Mode | Playable PC Demo | Full Game (Dec. 1, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| World Scope | Self-contained forest slice built specifically for the demo | Larger 3D open world with rugged mountain trails, lakes, and wetlands |
| Single-Player | Supported (includes Shade System for solo puzzle-solving) | Supported (includes Shade System) |
| Local Co-Op | 2-player shared/split-screen co-op | 2-player shared/split-screen co-op |
| Online Co-Op | Not included | Up to 4 players online |
| Brewing & Remedies | Not included | Gathering ingredients and brewing potions for new world interactions |
That distinction is critical for PC players planning a group session. The demo supports single-player and two-player local split-screen only. Online multiplayer for up to four players—along with the potion-brewing and remedy-crafting mechanics—is strictly reserved for the full game.
Furthermore, Steam's storefront listing reveals an important technical detail for when online co-op does arrive in December: Hela: of Mice & Magic uses Epic Online Services (EOS) for its online multiplayer features, which requires a third-party account (with support for linking to your Steam account) and agreement to a third-party EULA.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 System Requirements
Because Hela relies heavily on interactive physics and supports local split-screen rendering on a single machine, hardware overhead is a real consideration. While the storefronts do not publish a separate hardware table exclusively for the demo, the official Steam page details the minimum and recommended PC specifications for the full game, including specific framerate and resolution targets for split-screen play:
- Minimum Specs (Targets 1080p at 30 FPS on Low preset in Split-Screen):
- OS: Windows 10 x64 (64-bit processor and OS required)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8 GB)
- Storage: 15 GB available space
- Recommended Specs (Targets 1440p at 40 FPS in Single-Player, or 1440p at 30 FPS in Split-Screen on High preset):
- OS: Windows 11 x64
- Processor: Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Storage: 15 GB available space
Notice the CPU and GPU jump on the recommended tier—an i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with an RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT just to target 1440p at 40 FPS on High settings in single-player (and 30 FPS in split-screen). That is a surprisingly stout hardware ask for a cozy adventure about woodland mice, which makes a free demo all the more valuable as a benchmark tool for your specific Windows 10 or Windows 11 setup before you spend a dime.
December Release Plans and Editions
When Hela: of Mice & Magic officially launches on December 1, 2026, it is slated to hit PC (via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox on PC), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. While Knights Peak Interactive handles primary publishing duties, the Steam listing also credits Boltray Games (China) and Shochiku as publishers.
According to the publisher's press release reported by Inven Global, the game is also planned as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release, though Microsoft's current Xbox Store demo page does not yet display a Game Pass badge. The press release additionally notes that a limited physical "Harmony Edition" distributed through Microids is planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2, while PC and Xbox Series S versions will remain strictly digital.
For now, Windows gamers don't need to rely on trailers or spec sheets alone. Whether you launch it through the Xbox PC app, Steam, or Epic, the demo gives you a hands-on look at how Windup Games' physics puzzles and split-screen performance actually hold up on your desktop or handheld.