This overlooked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles roguelike is even better on PC than it was on Nintendo Switch—and there's a free demo available now
TMNT: Splintered Fate is basically Hades with co-op and pizza.
Back in August, I found myself very pleasantly surprised by a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles roguelike on Nintendo Switch—and happy to discover a PC port was also on the way. Now it's got a free demo on Steam, and a quick play confirms it's definitely the better version of a great game.
Basically, imagine Hades, but with four turtles instead of one goth teenager. Wacky powers allow you to create all sorts of fun builds over the course of a run, throwing together elemental types including "ooze", "ninja", and "utrom" into brilliantly chaotic combinations. There's co-op, too, which is a cool addition to the formula—though equally my solo playthrough didn't feel lacking, so it's far from mandatory.
In the demo, the PC version looks sharper than it did on Switch, the crisp colours bringing its comic book-inspired art-style to life a little more. From what I've played so far, it's also sanded down the rough edges I experienced on Switch, with certain minor bugs—such as environmental objects not breaking when they should—seemingly fixed.
I'm not sure how far you can play in the demo, but it seems like a substantial offering—I've already beaten the first boss (of four) and progressed into the second area, and both online and local co-op are included. Developer Super Evil Megacorp has also confirmed that progress in the demo will carry over to the full game.
Give it a go for yourself—I think it's much cooler than you'd expect from a licensed game, especially one that was originally made for mobile. I'd particularly recommend it if you're looking for something to play on Steam Deck. It was great fun to play on the go on Switch, and it's Steam Deck verified already so it should be ready to go.
If you like what you find in the demo, you can wishlist the game on Steam now—the full release is due November 6.
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Formerly the editor of PC Gamer magazine (and the dearly departed GamesMaster), Robin combines years of experience in games journalism with a lifelong love of PC gaming. First hypnotised by the light of the monitor as he muddled through Simon the Sorcerer on his uncle’s machine, he’s been a devotee ever since, devouring any RPG or strategy game to stumble into his path. Now he's channelling that devotion into filling this lovely website with features, news, reviews, and all of his hottest takes.
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