Is Tears of Metal Worth Buying?

Short answer: yes for co-op roguelite fans who accept Early Access. Here's the full breakdown.

Last updated: Aug 22, 2026 · based on launch-month reviews

What it is

Tears of Metal is a 1–4 player co-op roguelite from Paper Cult — the studio behind the stylish action game Bloodroots — released into Early Access on July 22, 2026 at around $18.50 (HK$145). You fight through campaign Acts alongside your Scottish battalion, stacking upgrades each run while an invader carves into the island's Mother Stone.

What players love

Combat depth that reveals itself slowly — armor-breaking combos, parries, Rage bars, and army commands make the melee far deeper than it first looks.
Real co-op design — squad commands and shared coins make 2–4 player runs feel like a proper battalion, not just parallel single-player.
Distinct theme — Scottish Highlands fantasy is a fresh setting for the genre.
Healthy price for EA — $18.50 with a full campaign already in place.
Active developers — launch-month patches already added quality-of-life changes (armor-break icons).

What players complain about

Early Access — content is still arriving; balance and achievements are in flux.
Systems are under-explained — armor-breaking and army bonuses aren't highlighted in-game; most players learn them from guides (like ours).
Solo is harder — the game is tuned around co-op; single-player runs punish mistakes harder.
Performance expectations — the GTX 1070 minimum is high for a stylized indie.

Who should buy it — and who shouldn't

Buy it if:

You have 1–3 friends who play co-op roguelites (think Gunfire Reborn, Roboquest).
You like melee combat with parry/armor systems worth learning.
You're fine with Early Access and a living meta.

Skip it (for now) if:

You only play solo.
You want a finished, balanced product — wishlist and revisit at 1.0.
Your GPU is below a GTX 1070.

Verdict

Buy it — with a group. Tears of Metal is one of the better co-op roguelite debuts of 2026, and its combat systems reward players who dig in. If you're solo or EA-averse, wishlist it and wait for 1.0.

FAQ

Is Tears of Metal finished?

No — it's in Early Access with a full campaign already playable.

How many players in co-op?

Up to 4.

Is it like Bloodroots?

Same studio, different genre — Bloodroots was a stylish single-player action game; this is a co-op roguelite.

How much does it cost?

~$18.50 (HK$145) in Early Access. Check the Steam page for your region.