DayZ creator Dean Hall and his studio RocketWerkz have unveiled Gruntz, a top-down multiplayer survival game inspired by Space Station 13. A free playable prototype is available for Windows and Linux through the Ahwoo launcher, allowing PC players to try the game’s cooperative survival mechanics before its full release.
The announcement was made on October 27, 2026, alongside a reveal trailer and gameplay overview. Developed using BRUTAL, an open-source C# game development framework created by Ahwoo and RocketWerkz, Gruntz combines horde-based combat, colony management, specialized character roles and destructible environments.
Unlike traditional survival shooters, Gruntz emphasizes cooperation between players performing different jobs. Participants join multiplayer servers as soldiers or colonists, with available roles including surgeons, engineers, chefs and janitors. Teams must construct defenses, manage supplies and coordinate their actions to survive increasingly dangerous encounters.
Each player has only one life per round, making survival and teamwork particularly important. Soldiers provide combat support, engineers repair and reinforce barricades, and surgeons manufacture medical supplies and treat injured teammates. Friendly fire introduces an additional risk during battles.
The playable prototype includes three distinct survival modes. Zombie Survival challenges players to fortify a colony against waves of undead enemies and remain alive until extraction. Xeno Survival introduces an alien hive that attacks survivors at night, requiring teams to locate and destroy its core. Anomaly instead pits players against an unkillable entity, shifting the challenge toward surviving a threat that cannot be defeated through conventional combat.
Gruntz also features a detailed injury system in which damage affects individual body parts. Leg injuries can cause characters to limp, broken bones require treatment, and untreated wounds continue bleeding until bandaged. These mechanics give medical roles a practical purpose beyond simply restoring health.
Environmental destruction adds another layer of complexity. Fire can help eliminate large groups of enemies, but flames can spread through buildings, ignite ammunition supplies and cause floors to collapse. Defensive tactics can therefore create additional hazards for the entire team.
RocketWerkz says individual rounds are designed to last approximately an hour, although players can join servers where a session is already underway. The prototype is expected to receive frequent updates as development continues.
Gruntz is the latest survival-focused project associated with Hall, who created DayZ and founded RocketWerkz, the studio behind Icarus and Stationeers. Its inspiration from Space Station 13 is particularly evident in the emphasis on specialized occupations, shared responsibilities and unpredictable interactions between players.
The prototype is distributed exclusively through Ahwoo rather than Steam. Players interested in trying Gruntz can obtain the Ahwoo launcher and access the free game on supported Windows or Linux systems. The Linux version runs natively rather than relying on Windows compatibility software.
RocketWerkz has not announced a release date for the completed version of Gruntz. For now, the free prototype provides access to its multiplayer survival modes while the developers continue refining the experience.
