Publisher and developer Justdan International has announced that a playable demo for its internally developed Action RPG Roguelike, Dinghai: The Ocean Pillar, will officially launch on PC via Steam today. The full game is slated for release in 2026.
The demo arrives alongside newly revealed character and weapon details, offering players their first glimpse into a mythological adventure inspired by the Chinese novel “Classic of Mountains and Seas” (Shan Hai Jing) and the legend of Yu the Great taming the floods.
Demo Content
The demo offers approximately two hours of gameplay, featuring two major stages—”Huxiu” and “Buzhou Mountain”—along with hidden elements waiting to be discovered.
At the end of each challenge, players acquire randomized abilities known as “Relics.” These are divided into four main categories: Offense, Survival, Trickery, and Element. Relics provide various enhancements, such as stacking personal stats, adding new weapon attack derivations, or weakening enemies.
Dual-Weapon Combat
During your journey, you can equip any two weapons simultaneously, allowing fluid switching between melee and ranged attacks based on shifting battlefield conditions. Each weapon possesses distinct characteristics, enabling highly personalized combat styles through different combinations.
Melee Weapon: Frostmoon Sword
A one-handed sword excelling in turning water into ice, characterized by its “Frost Ring” attacks. In addition to dealing standard damage, it lowers enemy attack power and movement speed, making it a perfectly balanced weapon for both offense and crowd control.
By utilizing Relics obtained during runs, its crowd-control capabilities can be further enhanced—such as triggering enemy stuns or increasing the hit count and damage of the Frost Ring.
Ranged Weapon: Blackwood Bow
A ranged weapon specializing in wide-area combat. Unleashing its weapon skill generates a deadly “Poison Miasma,” causing enemies within its radius to continuously lose health and suffer from poison status.
When paired with specific Relics, the poison mist can evolve to auto-track enemies, or summon “Venomous Beetles” that chase foes and detonate for AoE damage. Combined with the bow’s inherent mobility, players can easily maintain distance, making it a highly maneuverable weapon perfect for clearing out groups of enemies.
A Soul That Refused to Stay Dead
The game follows the Abyssal Dragon, once a highly trusted general under Emperor Yan who was granted the emperor’s own name. Suddenly exiled and stripped of his granted name, the Abyssal Dragon fell in battle and sank into centuries of slumber, his indignation and regret never dissipating.
Ultimately, at Buzhou Mountain, he invoked a forbidden curse to seize a body. Yi, the godson of Yu the Great, suffered a fatal injury at Buzhou Mountain and lingered on the brink of death. The Abyssal Dragon seized Yi’s body, awakening with overwhelming power to return to the mortal world.
However, the naturally cold-hearted Abyssal Dragon felt a fleeting moment of compassion during the possession. He saved Yi, who was destined to have his soul shattered, transforming him into a hatchling of the ancient mythical bird, “Yujia.” Now, the legendary general who once dominated the world has obtained a new body. Accompanied by his avian companion, he embarks on an epic fantasy adventure to reverse his destiny and resolve the regrets of his past life.
Try out the demo for Dinghai: The Ocean Pillar on Steam.
