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The first public beta demo for Hollow is now available.

Hollow is a dark fantasy action RPG inspired by classic dungeon crawlers, set in the cursed town of Gravesend Hollow and the dungeon buried beneath it: The Black Reliquary.

The current beta demo includes the first five dungeon levels, which can be replayed as many times as you like. Create a character, gather loot, test different builds, fight undead and cursed creatures, use vendors in town, and push deeper into the dungeon.

This is an active beta, so gameplay, visuals, balance, UI, audio, performance, and content may change as development continues.

I’m especially looking for serious feedback on:

• Combat feel and difficulty
• Loot drops and item progression
• Abilities, stats, and build variety
• Dungeon pacing and atmosphere
• Inventory, shops, and UI clarity
• Bugs, crashes, performance issues, or anything that feels broken
• Anything that feels too slow, too easy, too punishing, or unclear

The goal is to find out what works, what needs improvement, and what would make players want to keep descending deeper into Gravesend Hollow.

Donations are completely optional, but they help support continued development beyond this early demo. More than anything, I appreciate players taking the time to test the game and leave useful feedback.

Thank you for playing and helping shape Hollow.

Trailer / Download:

Hollow Beta Demo Updated — Cleaner Download, Better Combat, Better Loot, and New Town Content

The Hollow beta demo has been updated.

This is not the first beta release, but it is an improved build with several fixes, balance changes, item updates, and new town content. The biggest change is that the demo is now being delivered through itch.io’s Butler service, which replaces the old split download setup.

The previous 3-part RAR download was confusing and frustrating. That has been fixed.

Players should now have a much cleaner download and install experience.

Download Update

The demo has been re-uploaded using Butler.

This means the old split archive setup has been removed and replaced with a cleaner Windows build. If you tried to download Hollow before and were put off by the multi-part RAR files, please try again.

The goal is simple: download the demo, launch the game, and play.

Combat and Enemy Balance

Several enemy and combat issues were adjusted in this build.

Some enemies, including ogres and ripper dogs, were not feeling as dangerous as intended. This build includes work to correct enemy strength and make certain creatures behave more like they should.

Poison enemies were also improved. Insects now properly show poison behavior, and poison damage has been adjusted so it can vary instead of always dealing the exact same amount. Stronger enemies can now apply more dangerous poison damage, which should make enemy difficulty feel more consistent as the game progresses.

These changes should make combat feel more balanced and make dangerous enemies stand out more clearly.

Loot and Item Pickup Fixes

Dropped items now behave better when they fall to the ground.

Before this update, items could sometimes be interacted with too early while they were still dropping or landing. That has been fixed.

Items dropped by enemies, chests, or the player now only become collectible after they have landed. Their pickup labels also follow this rule, so the item should not act like it is ready before it actually is.

This should make looting feel cleaner and prevent strange pickup behavior.

Shop and Inventory Improvements

Several shop and inventory interaction issues were fixed.

When buying or selling items, item inspection windows should now close properly. This prevents item tooltips from staying open after the item has already been bought, sold, or removed from the slot.

This should make shopping, selling, and inventory management feel cleaner and less confusing.

Item Tooltip and Description Fixes

Item descriptions have been improved.

Several items now explain what they do more clearly, especially consumables and scrolls. This should make it easier for players to understand how to use items without guessing.

Updated item descriptions include:

• Identify scrolls
• Recall scrolls
• Health potions
• Mana potions
• Stamina potions
• Rejuvenation potions

The identify scroll now explains that the player should right-click the scroll, then click unidentified gear. The recall scroll now explains that it opens a portal back to town and only works while inside the dungeon.

A formatting issue in the small mana potion description was also fixed.

Ring Equipment Fix

Rings have been fixed so they can properly equip into either ring slot.

Both ring slots should now accept valid rings, making ring equipment behave the way players expect.

New Town NPC: Mother Veyra

Mother Veyra has been added as a new town character.

She is a witch-like old-faith vendor who deals in charms, remedies, scrolls, potions, and magical jewelry. She brings new dialogue, rumors, and lore tied to Gravesend Hollow, the old signs, curses, spirits, poison, the missing children, the mines, the broken seal, Seraphel, and the deeper mystery beneath the town.

Mother Veyra has a large set of dialogue topics that can change as the player progresses deeper into the dungeon. She is meant to feel unsettling, practical, and knowledgeable about things the other townspeople either fear or misunderstand.

Her shop includes items such as:

• Identify scrolls
• Recall scrolls
• Health potions
• Mana potions
• Rejuvenation potions
• Magical jewelry

More town dialogue and lore work will continue as development moves forward.

Town and Content Work

This build also includes recent work connected to the town and Mother Veyra’s place in it.

Some town-related content, prefabs, and scene work have been updated as part of bringing her into the game. This is part of the larger goal of making Gravesend Hollow feel more alive, useful, and tied to the dungeon below.

Utility, UI, and Visual Work

Several recent project updates also touched supporting systems, UI helpers, dungeon tools, minimap-related assets, visual assets, materials, shaders, and environment pieces.

These are not all major player-facing features yet, but they support the continued development and polish of the demo.

Build Status

The updated build has been tested and currently builds successfully with 0 errors.

There are still some warnings from older code and third-party assets, mostly related to Unity API changes, but they do not currently prevent the game from building.

Feedback Wanted

This is still a beta demo, and feedback is the main reason it is available.

If you play the updated build, I am especially looking for feedback on:

• Combat feel
• Enemy difficulty
• Poison and status effects
• Loot drops
• Item descriptions
• Shop and inventory usability
• Ring equipment behavior
• Dungeon pacing
• Town NPCs and dialogue
• Bugs, crashes, or anything that feels broken
• Performance issues
• Anything confusing, frustrating, too easy, or too punishing

Even short feedback helps.

Thank you to everyone who checks out Hollow, reports issues, or gives the demo another try after the old download setup. This update should make the game easier to access and smoother to play.

Hollow - Major Demo Update & New Trailer Arriving June 24

Hello everyone,

On June 24th I'll be releasing a major update for the Hollow demo along with a brand new trailer.

This update represents a significant step forward for the project. While Hollow is still in beta, the game is already dramatically improved compared to the previous public build and much closer to the dark, old-school ARPG experience I've been working toward.

Some of the improvements include:

Expanded ability system with 45 abilities

Major combat balancing and AI improvements

New enemies and creature variety

Additional dungeon content and progression

Expanded town area and NPC interactions

UI improvements throughout the game

Improved itemization and character progression

Numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements

Hollow is heavily inspired by classic dungeon-crawling ARPGs, with an emphasis on atmosphere, exploration, meaningful loot, and build customization rather than fast-paced screen-clearing combat.

The upcoming demo will continue to feature the first portion of the game while showcasing many of the systems that will form the foundation of the full release.

If you've already played the previous demo, I encourage you to give the new version a try. The difference between the current build and the upcoming release is substantial.

As always, I'm looking for constructive feedback on:

Combat feel

Character progression

Difficulty balance

Loot and itemization

Dungeon atmosphere

UI and usability

Overall enjoyment

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to play, comment, and help shape Hollow's development.

See you on June 24th. The darkness beneath Gravesend Hollow is growing deeper.

https://ded-hed-studios.itch.io/hollow/devlog/1563193/the-beta-demo-is-here-a-ma...

Hollow Demo Patch — Small Update Today

I’ve pushed another small update for the Hollow demo today.

This patch focuses on cleaning up a few issues that were found right from the start of the game. Some early bugs slipped through in the previous build, so I wanted to get those corrected quickly instead of letting them sit until the next larger update.

I also added difficulty buttons, giving players more control over how they want to experience the demo. Hollow is still being balanced, and this should help players choose a pace that feels better for them while I continue tuning combat, enemies, and progression.

Loot also received another pass. Drops should feel better overall, with more attention given to how items appear, how often rewards show up, and how the early game feels when gearing your character.

This is not a huge content update, but it is an important polish patch. Hollow is still in beta, and every pass like this brings it closer to the old-school action RPG feel I’m aiming for.

Thanks again to everyone who has tried the demo, watched the trailer, or given feedback. Even the small reports help a lot.

Patch Notes

• Fixed several bugs found near the start of the game
• Added difficulty selection buttons
• Adjusted loot drops again for a better early-game reward flow
• Continued polish and balance improvements

More updates are coming as Hollow continues to take shape.

Hollow is Now on Steam!

After months of building systems, expanding content, and polishing the demo, I'm excited to announce that Hollow now has its official Steam page!

If you've been following development here on itch.io, this is a huge milestone for the project.

Please take a moment to visit the Steam page and add Hollow to your Wishlist. Every wishlist helps the game reach more players and makes a real difference for an indie developer.

The itch.io demo will continue to receive updates as development progresses, and your feedback has already helped shape many improvements, including:

• Expanded ability system with 45 unique skills
• New Recipe Synergy crafting system
• Improved combat pacing and responsiveness
• More enemy types and dungeon content
• Expanded town and NPC interactions
• Numerous balance changes, bug fixes, and UI improvements

There's still plenty more to come, including additional dungeon levels, more monsters, unique items, boss encounters, achievements, Steam integration, and two-player co-op.

Thank you to everyone who has downloaded the demo, reported bugs, and shared feedback. Every comment has helped move Hollow closer to the classic dark ARPG experience I've always wanted to create.

If you're looking forward to the full release, please Wishlist Hollow on Steam and continue following development here on itch.io.

The journey into the darkness has only just begun.

Hollow on Steam

Hollow Development is Moving to Steam

Just wanted to let everyone know that Hollow's primary development is moving over to Steam.

The Steam page is now live, and future announcements, demos, screenshots, patch notes, and community discussions will take place there.

An updated demo and brand-new trailer are planned for July 23. At that time, the current itch.io demo will be retired in favor of the Steam demo.

To everyone who's downloaded the game, left feedback, or followed development here on itch.io—thank you. Your support has meant a great deal and has helped shape Hollow into what it is today.

I hope you'll join us on Steam as development continues!

— Ded Hed Lead
Ded-Hed Studios

Steam Demo Submitted!

Just a quick update!

The Hollow Steam Demo has officially been uploaded and submitted to Valve for review.

Everything is now in Valve's hands while the review process takes place.

It's exciting to finally reach this milestone after months of development and polishing. I can't wait for everyone to explore Gravesend Hollow and experience the first portion of the game.

As soon as the demo is approved, I'll post another update with the announcement.

Thanks for sticking with me throughout development. Your support truly means a lot.

Hollow Demo — Major Patch Now Live!

The Hollow demo has received a major update, and the new build is live!

Since releasing the demo, I've been reading player feedback, watching people play, and making a list of the things that needed attention. This patch is the result.

The goal wasn't to change what Hollow is. It's still an old-school ARPG heavily inspired by games like Diablo—but there were places where some of that old-school design needed better modern controls and quality-of-life features.

Some of the major changes include:

• Hold Left Mouse Button to move
• Optional WASD movement
• Left-click basic attacks and Shift hold-ground attacks
• Right-click active skill system
• New active skill picker
• Improved minimap and map functionality
• Major resolution and ultrawide UI fixes
• Redesigned Skill Tree
• Improved weapon attack speeds
• Staff mana regeneration
• New Mana Regeneration item affix
• Reworked death system
• Witch item-affix upgrades replacing the old Synergy system
• Right-click items to equip
• Clickable ground-item labels
• Improved barrel interactions for melee and ranged weapons
• Fixes for enemies occasionally freezing or attacking while not visibly present
• Numerous smaller fixes and quality-of-life improvements

A lot of this patch exists because people took the time to play the demo and tell me what worked and what didn't.

If you played an earlier version of Hollow, I'd really appreciate you giving the new build another run. I'm especially interested in hearing how the new movement, combat controls, UI and progression feel compared with the previous version.

And if this is your first time playing Hollow, jump in and tell me what you think.

The updated demo is available now.

Thanks to everyone who's played, reported bugs, offered suggestions, or simply followed the project. There's still work ahead, but Hollow is getting better with every build.