Roll the dice, and the house answers. Invokyr, a multiplayer horror adventure from French studio Ludogram, launched in Steam Early Access on October 8 with Japan’s Shochiku Games co-publishing. Its demo, released worldwide in June, crossed 1 million downloads and became a talking point among horror fans. To mark the launch, Shochiku Games is running a 25% discount through October 22 and has released a new official trailer steeped in the eerie mood of a cursed board game.
The game is set in a dark mansion that evokes the board games of the 1970s. Rather than chasing photorealism, it builds tension through stylized 3D environments and spatial sound.
Trapped on the Board With the Game Master
Invokyr is a co-op horror game in which you and your friends are trapped inside a supernatural board game and must survive an ever-shifting nightmare.
Play begins on a board brought to life by the mysterious Game Master who rules the mansion. Every roll of the dice brings new dangers and unpredictable events, and only by reaching the finish can you attempt an escape.
The Game Master is voiced by Amelia Tyler, known for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hades II. According to the Steam page, up to six players can play together online, and single-player is also supported. Voice acting is in English.
Stylized 3D and Directional Sound
The game uses first-person 3D. UK outlet Screen Hype noted that the character models are fairly simple but found the gloomy environments and the clearly distinct themes of each board impressive.
The jungle board has vines creeping up the walls, while the ancient Egyptian-themed board brings drifting sand and quicksand pits. Screen Hype also praised the clean interface and modest system requirements.
Sound is central to the tension. Screen Hype said the creaks and collapses of the building and the ambient noise are especially effective on headphones.
Directional audio helps players guess where threats patrolling the corridors are. Doppelgängers disguised as players can mimic teammates’ voices, and picking up an idol that shrinks your body raises the pitch of your voice too. Rather than relying on jump scares, the game layers unease through environment and sound.
The overall tone sits between straight horror and black comedy, and the Steam tags list psychological horror, dark, atmospheric, and dark comedy side by side. Screen Hype added that the premise recalls the 1995 film Jumanji throughout, including a mechanic in which players must shout the game’s name to finish a board.
Four Themes, 15+ Monsters, a Dozen Dice
The Early Access version includes four themes: a haunted mansion, a jungle, an icy mountain, and a desert. Each brings different environments and challenges, and players must push past a range of supernatural threats to reach the final stage, the Master Board.
There are more than 15 monsters and over 20 events, and because rules and situations change randomly, each session unfolds differently. Players can use around ten types of dice with different effects, along with cursed idols that grant special abilities. Powerful effects, however, come with matching risks.
A French Studio Partnered With Shochiku
Ludogram is a French indie studio co-founded by four game enthusiasts. Based in Lille, it now employs around 20 people. It creates games built on original stories, with a focus on storytelling and choice-driven play. On Steam, Ludogram and Shochiku are listed as co-publishers.
The development team called the Early Access launch a deeply meaningful moment for Ludogram, and said it is looking forward to seeing friends take on the Game Master together and uncover the secrets hidden in the cursed boards.
Player and Press Reception
As of October 13, the game holds a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, with 94% of 494 user reviews positive. Players compare it to co-op horror titles such as Phasmophobia, Lethal Company, and R.E.P.O., and praise the tension of not knowing what will happen next when playing with friends.
One player recommended it after about 15 hours across the demo and closed beta, and another summed it up as a cross between R.E.P.O. and Jumanji. A few players found some voiced lines hard to follow and asked for improved subtitles.
Press reaction has been largely positive. Screen Hype scored it 8.5 out of 10, saying it played without major problems despite being in Early Access and has a strong “just one more round” pull.
On the downside, Screen Hype noted that some deaths can feel unfair and that difficulty spikes sharply with fewer players. Single-player in particular can be harsh, since one mistake can end an entire round, while larger groups gain breathing room through revives and other mechanics that make co-op more fun.
Roadmap and Pricing
The game costs $12.99, with a launch price of $9.74 through October 22. The team plans to raise the price in stages as content and features are added.
Early Access is expected to last about a year, with new themes, monsters, events, items, and features added regularly.
For the full release, the developer plans to greatly expand boards, themes, monsters, events, dice, cursed rules, items, and upgrades, and to expand the story surrounding Invokyr and the Game Master. The developer notes that the schedule may change depending on progress and player feedback.
Who This Is For
Strong fit for: friend groups who enjoy Phasmophobia, Lethal Company, or R.E.P.O.; players who like horror with a streak of black comedy; board game fans who enjoy dice-driven randomness; anyone who wants an affordable co-op game with a clear Early Access roadmap.
Cautious fit for: solo players, since press and player feedback suggest single-player is much harder; players who rely heavily on subtitles, as some users have asked for improvements; anyone who prefers to wait for complete content, given about a year of planned Early Access.
Less ideal for: those seeking a polished, story-complete single-player horror experience, or realistic visuals.
The Takeaway
Invokyr has a premise that sells itself: Jumanji as a co-op horror game, with a Game Master voiced by Amelia Tyler and a mansion that rewrites its rules every time you roll. A million demo downloads, a 94% positive Steam rating, and an 8.5 from Screen Hype show the hook is landing. Its biggest weakness is how punishing it gets with fewer players, which makes it a game best played with a full table. At $9.74 through October 22, and with prices set to rise as content arrives, Early Access is the cheapest it will be.
Steam Early Access: available now. Launch discount: 25% off through October 22.
Information regarding ‘Invokyr: The Devil’s Dice’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Ludogram (France) |
| Publisher | Ludogram, Shochiku Games |
| Genre | Multiplayer Horror Adventure, Cooperative Survival Horror |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | October 8, 2026 (Early Access) |
| language | 13 languages including Korean interface support (English audio and subtitles) |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Steam ‘Very Positive’ (94% of 494), Screen Hype 8.5/10, Demo downloads surpassed 1 million |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
