- The first project from Italian indie developer Keya Labs… European gaming media also taking notice.
- A unique system to fuse souls to grow an undead army… Scheduled for Early Access within the year
Italian indie developer Keya Labs from Bologna and publisher Tambù Digital have unveiled the action roguelite ‘Soul Merger’ .
The game is characterized by the incorporation of strategic legion development, a unique merge system, and real-time action combat into the auto-battler genre. The development team is accelerating development with the goal of releasing the game on Steam Early Access within the year.
The player becomes a powerful necromancer who fuses the souls of fallen heroes to grow them into mighty warriors, and leads this evolved undead army to fight against the enemies that have encroached upon the world.
Along with the announcement, the first gameplay trailer was also unveiled. The released video showcases the core fun of ‘Soul Merger,’ centering on combat that combines fast-paced action with strategic decision-making, and the ability to pioneer new combinations and growth paths in every playthrough.
A Necromancer who roams the battlefield personally, fusing souls to evolve the legion
Unlike existing auto-battlers, ‘Soul Merger’ allows players to directly participate in combat. While summoned souls automatically engage enemies, players control a Necromancer to freely move across the battlefield, cast powerful spells, and activate special abilities.
It provides immersive gameplay where action and tactics harmonize in every battle, requiring quick judgment and strategic movements such as dodging enemy attacks and securing optimal positions.
The core system of the game is Soul Merging. By collecting the souls of warriors acquired during expeditions and merging identical units, they evolve into a more powerful form, activating new abilities and combat roles.
In addition, a risky ‘Cursed Merger’ is also prepared. Although the outcome is difficult to predict, if successful, you could acquire an ally powerful enough to instantly turn the tide of the battle.
All the appearing souls are modeled after legendary warriors from history and mythology. Each possesses unique abilities and random traits, allowing even the same unit to perform different roles in each playthrough.
A soul that was a defensive unit one time might act as an aggressive damage dealer in the next expedition. Players must find new combinations and synergies to match these changing characteristics.
After completing the expedition, you can return to the camp, humanity’s last stronghold, to construct buildings, train units, and activate various upgrades; in this process, you will meet survivors and deepen the world’s lore.
A necromantic world completed with pixel art and a cheerful atmosphere
‘Soul Merger’ presents a lighthearted take on the world of necromancers and the undead, which could otherwise be nothing but dark, by featuring colorful, vibrant pixel art and witty humor. A key feature of the game is that it highlights strategic depth and the fun of character progression even within this bright atmosphere.
The game is set to enhance the fun of replayability through over 30 types of collectible souls, more than 100 regions consisting of various biomes, various enemy encounter events, and an endlessly challenging survival mode.
One-person development studio partnering with a board game company
Keya Labs is a fledgling independent game studio that opened in Italy in 2025. Operating primarily on a one-person development system, the studio holds the core value of bringing original gameplay ideas to life in distinctive titles. ‘Soul Merger,’ unveiled this time, is the studio’s first project.
Tambù Digital, the publisher, is the game division of the Italian company Tambù, established in 2018. The parent company has been active in the fields of board games and gamification, and Tambù Digital focuses on showcasing unique indie games that combine strategy and storytelling.
European media takes notice just one day after release… Early access scheduled for later this year
‘Soul Merger’ garnered attention within just one day of its release, being featured in various European gaming media outlets, including the Italian gaming publication Gamezilla and the German-language publication YouGame. The developer is expanding its community by consistently sharing the development process through official channels such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok.
In addition, we plan to continuously improve the game’s quality by actively incorporating user feedback during the Early Access period to expand the worldview and add new content.
With ‘Soul Merger’ combining a unique system of fusing souls to grow a legion with action that involves traversing the battlefield directly, the attention of various media outlets and industry insiders is focused on whether it can translate the interest it generated at the time of its reveal into actual success following its Steam Early Access release later this year.
Information regarding ‘Soul Merger’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Keya Labs (Bologna, Italy, established in 2025) |
| Publisher | Tambù Digital |
| Genre | Action Roguelite / Merged Autobattler |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) |
| Scheduled for Early Access release | By 2026 (undetermined) |
| Release date | August 3, 2026 |
| Content scale | Over 30 types of collectible souls, over 100 territories |
| mode | Story Expedition Mode, Endless Survival Mode |
| Steam rating | Pre-counting (public stage) |
| Official Channel | X, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
