Newcore Games has announced 7 Trials, a top-down hack-and-slash action roguelite based on Korean afterlife mythology. The game is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Stove. A PC demo is slated for mid-2026, Steam Early Access for late 2026, and a full release in Q2 2027.
7 Trials is set inside Seocheon Academy, an elite exam-prep school that is pulled into a space between life and death after a white flash. The school becomes Seocheon 49, a changed version of the campus where classrooms, halls, and school routines are mixed with the rules of the afterlife. Players take the role of Yeoubi, a temporary Reaper working under the underworld company Yeomra Solutions. Over a 49-day judgment period, Yeoubi has to make it through seven trials, investigate the Karma Proliferation Reactors hidden around the school, and free the souls that remain trapped there. The setup gives the game a modern school setting while pulling its larger structure from Korean afterlife traditions.
Combat is revolves around the game’s Trinity system, which separates a build into Spells, Offerings, and Fate cards. Spells are the active skills used in battle, covering moves such as combo attacks and ultimates. Offerings can changes the Spells, altering their effects and properties. Fate cards add passive bonuses and synergies that affect the run. The three systems are meant to let players change their combat style between attempts. The game supports single-player and online co-op for up to four players. In co-op, each player can bring a different Reaper build into the same trial, allowing team combinations built around separate Spell, Offering, and Fate card setups. Runs also include changing corridors and boss encounters at the end of each area.
Newcore Games is the South Korean studio behind The Devil Within: SATGAT. The studio’s official site describes 7 Trials as a modern reimagining of the Korean afterlife, with players guiding forsaken souls through seven trials across 49 days. The game is also being developed with support from the Korea Creative Content Agency’s Game Production Support Program.
7 Trials is available to wishlist now on Steam.