Onward! Autobattles Demo

First Impressions: Onward! Autobattles Demo

If you're looking for a fresh way to scratch that autobattler itch, you've gotta try the Onward! Autobattles demo. It blends roguelike progression with tactical positioning to create a loop that's surprisingly addictive for a preview.

Gameplay

You're diving into a roguelike twist on the autobattler formula here. Instead of just fighting for a spot in a lobby, you're building a lineup, hunting for artifacts, and obsessing over your formation. The core loop is all about winning battles to unlock more unique units, which makes the progression feel like a climb rather than a random gamble. If you've spent hours in TFT, the synergy hunting will feel familiar, but the roguelike elements change the pace entirely.

Positioning is where the game actually lives or dies. You'll spend most of your time tweaking your line-up to ensure your synergies hit hard. It's satisfying when a plan comes together, but because it's a demo, you'll notice some rough edges. It's a bit lean on content right now and doesn't have the massive depth you'd find in a full release. You aren't getting a 40-hour campaign here; it's a tight, focused taste of the mechanics.

Since it's free to play, there's zero risk in trying it. It executes the basics of the MOBA and roguelike playbooks well, even if it isn't reinventing the wheel. You'll find it's a great palette cleanser to play between your main games, provided you don't mind the current lack of deep end-game systems.

Key Features

• Roguelike unit unlocking
• Position-heavy combat formations
• Synergy-based unit lineups
• Artifact hunting for power

Screenshots

First Impressions

This is a solid 7/10 experience that proves the core concept works. You should definitely grab it since it's free, especially if you love synergy-building, but wait for the full release if you need deep content and a long campaign. I'm hoping the final version adds more unit variety to flesh out the strategy.

* Price at time of publication (checked 18.07.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.