Minos: Everything We Know

How often do you get to play the monster instead of fighting it? Minos might be that rare chance. This upcoming maze-building game from Devolver Digital and Artificer, puts you in control of the legendary Minotaur at the heart of the labyrinth. Your job is to design deadly traps and mazes to stop any adventurers who dare enter. With a 2026 release planned on PC and even a playable demo already available, excitement is brewing in the gaming community. What kind of story twists does Minos hide? How will its gameplay work, and on what platforms can we expect it? Let’s dive into everything we know so far about Minos.

What is Minos?

Minos is a maze-building roguelite where you take the role of the Minotaur, not as a mindless beast, but as a strategist pulling the strings from within. Instead of hacking through enemies like most roguelites, you create the battlefield itself. You’ll shape twisting layouts, decide where the corridors bend, and place traps that punish anyone foolish enough to enter. It’s less about fast reflexes and more about crafting clever setups that turn adventurers into your prey.

The hook lies in its roguelite loop. Every attempt gives new challenges your way: different adventurers, unique trap combinations, and fresh opportunities to experiment. No two runs play out the same, and success depends on how inventive you are with the tools at hand. Think of it as a strategic puzzle where you outwit heroes by designing the perfect chain of chaos. So, it’s a refreshing take on the genre, one that rewards creativity over brute force.

Story

The story in Minos seems inspired by the famous Greek myth but retold from a new angle. In the original tale, King Minos of Crete ordered a massive labyrinth to be built so no one could escape it. The inventor behind this structure was Daedalus, a genius craftsman. At the heart of the maze lived the Minotaur, a creature that was half-man, half-bull. Eventually, a hero named Theseus entered the labyrinth to defeat the beast.

In the game, you take on the role of the Minotaur itself. Instead of being the mindless monster waiting for death, you’re the one shaping the labyrinth and fighting back against those intruding heroes. As you play, the game hints that you’ll slowly uncover more about how the Minotaur came to be, why the labyrinth exists, and what role Daedalus played in this dark history. When Theseus eventually arrives, the game suggests you’ll decide how the legend ends – who survives and who doesn’t.

Gameplay

Although Minos draws from ancient myth, its gameplay is all about creative strategy and carnage. From what we know, it will play out from a top-down perspective, much like a tower defense game in how you set up the challenges. Each level (or night in the labyrinth) lets you design and redesign the maze layout before the heroes arrive. You can drag walls, gates, and corridors to shape your maze however you like – whether it’s one long, winding death trap or a confusing network of shifting passages. The freedom to craft the labyrinth means you can funnel intruders exactly where you want them… and into whatever nasty surprises you’ve prepared.

Speaking of surprises, Minos gives you an arsenal of brutal traps to play with. Spikes, blades, boulders, fire vents – you name it. Even better, you can link these hazards together into devious chain reactions. For example, you might lure a band of heroes into a corridor and trigger a pressure plate that sets off a gauntlet of spikes and rolling boulders, wiping them out in one satisfying swoop.

Developers have also shared that no two attempts will play out exactly the same, as each run introduces new enemy types, new trap components, and random twists to keep you on your toes. Roguelite elements mean you’ll gain upgrades over multiple runs, gradually mastering the maze and unlocking even nastier contraptions. Interestingly, Minos isn’t purely a hands-off strategy affair – you are the Minotaur, after all. That means once your traps are set and the adventurers start delving in, you don’t just sit back and watch. You can actually move through the labyrinth as the Minotaur during the action. And between hunts or stages, you’ll earn rewards to upgrade your defenses. For fans of games that scratch the “evil genius” itch, this is one to watch.

Development

Minos is being developed by Artificer, a Warsaw-based indie studio, and it’s clear this project is something special for them. Artificer previously released titles like Showgunners (a tactical RPG from 2023) and Sumerian Six (a 2024 strategy game), both praised for their strong tactical gameplay and distinctive style. With Minos, the team is doubling down on their niche of blending strategy with action. Publisher Devolver Digital came on board to announce the game during the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, which instantly put this game on many players’ radars.

The developers have expressed immense enthusiasm about finally revealing this idea. In their own words: “This is a concept that’s been brewing in our heads for years, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring it to life with Devolver.” They’ve always aimed to make “thinky” games that aren’t pure action or pure strategy, but a mix of both — and “Minos is our wildest take on that yet, and also the closest to our hearts.”

Trailer

In the trailer, we see the Minotaur’s maze in action. Adventurers step into a twisting labyrinth filled with brutal traps. They move cautiously, only to trigger elaborate mechanisms and chain reactions. It teases the thrill of setting the perfect trap and watching it unfold. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the embedded video above!

Release Date, Platforms and Editions

Minos is set to launch in 2026, though no exact date has been announced. The confirmed platform is PC via Steam. There’s no word on console versions yet. If you don’t want to wait, a free demo is already live on Steam. As for editions, nothing special has been revealed. We can expect a standard Steam release, with more details likely closer to launch.