Replaced, the debut game from Sad Cat Studios, releases on March 12, 2026. This, in itself, is a triumph. Development began in 2018, the game was formally announced at E3 2021, and then an illegal invasion of Ukraine forced the entire studio to relocate to Cyprus. There were long periods of silence punctuated with occasional updates, then a 2022 release date that came and went, before we finally arrived to where we are now. You can go and play a demo of Replaced on PC via Steam right now. And you really should.
I have been keeping a close eye on the project since 2021, when its initial trailer dropped my jaw. The voxel artwork, the animation, and the Blade Runner aesthetic all gave an air of confidence you don’t always see with debut projects. Replaced was swinging big from the jump, and I was hooked. So began a waiting period, a hoping period, and, finally, an acceptance period that it would be just another bold project that never came to fruition. But today I played it. And so far, it seems worth the wait.
R.E.A.C.H. for the Skies
The demo picks up sometime after the main start of the game. You play as R.E.A.C.H., an AI shoved into the human body of a man named Warren, as both are attempting to separate from each other. R.E.A.C.H. is kind enough to give a brief sit-rep from the jump: There was a murder, an explosion, and now you are on the run from the ruling force of Phoenix City. Little further information is given by the demo. How R.E.A.C.H. came into Warren’s body, what R.E.A.C.H. was before being shoved into a meatsuit, and what the state of Phoenix City is are all left for players to discover in the full game. But the crumbs are intriguing, especially by the end of the demo. R.E.A.C.H. meets a friendly face, and introduces itself simply as “Reach.” The new ally asks if they mean Richard or R.E.A.C.H., the bloodsucking machine. Reach replies with a mere “Um.” Color me curious.
Besides the small story beats, the demo spends much of its hour run-time allowing players to get lost in the visual splendor that is Replaced. The game looks incredible, with stunning animations on top of gorgeous backgrounds. In particular, the lighting work in Replaced is some of the best I have seen. From dusty light beams filtering through broken windows to garish orange spotlights sweeping from side to side, the lighting effects are jaw-dropping. The grungy world of Replaced comes to life under these lights, and multiple times I found myself stopping to take everything in. It was the artwork that first caught my attention with Replaced, and I am happy to report that so far, it holds up tremendously.
Blademan: Arkham Runner
Gameplay in Replaced breaks down into four main styles during the demo: exploration, combat, stealth, and a chase sequence. All take place on a 2D plane in a 3D environment, with Reach restricted to just that plane. The movement itself is reminiscent of Playdead’s Limbo, but with some neat camera tricks to help keep the action moving. Replaced’s exploration sequences are shot more like a movie than a game, with bold angles and use of shadow. Players complete simple platforming puzzles involving climbing or block-pushing during exploration: nothing groundbreaking, but functional and enhanced by the camerawork. Stealth is similar, moving from cover to cover while avoiding a murderous spotlight. Again, simple but effective. But it is in the combat sections where Replaced really shines.
With clear inspiration from the Arkham series, Replaced brings the idea of enemy group management to its 2D environment. Reach has three basic actions in combat: a basic attack, a counter, and a dodge. Enemies are HEALTHY, taking many hits to go down. Therefore, combat becomes an intricate ballet, managing who is low-health and ready to be defeated versus healthier foes who need to be dodged and dealt with later. Successful hits and dodges charge a finisher meter that instantly executes an enemy (in a series of very flashy animations that I never tired of). I found myself using the execution early, taking out well-off enemies before they could really get rolling.
Another clever change Replaced adds to this familiar formula is tweaking how counters work. Counterattacks in Replaced don’t do overwhelming damage to enemies. Instead, they stun enemies for a few seconds, giving players time to deal with other members of the crowd. It’s a smart change and useful tool in managing where attacks are coming from. Counters become even more important once enemies with ranged attacks are added, as their attacks can’t be countered at all and do large amounts of damage. Combat became about taking them out first; I would stun melee enemies first before moving on to ranged enemies and focusing all attacks in their direction. I found combat kinetic and engaging, and honestly a ton of fun.
A Feast for all Senses
My excitement for Replaced has reached (hehe) dizzying heights after my hour with the available demo. From the beautiful world in motion to some really fun combat, Replaced seems set to be the next great indie debut. I can’t wait to fully dig into Phoenix City on March 12.
Replaced, developed by Sad Cat Studios and published by Thunderful Publishing, releases on March 12, 2026, for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. A Steam demo is available now.
Gary is a jack-of-all-trades video game enthusiast based in Boston, MA. A semi-professional fighting game player, even less professional Apex Legends player, and even less professional adult, he spends most of his time poking at strange indie gems and reading about the need for more diverse voices in gaming criticism. He invites anyone to recommend anything he's missed in the gaming world via Twitter or BlueSky, where he can found under the username @grtnpwrfl. When he isn't spending his time playing games, Gary is an avid New England Patriots fan and frequent hiker.
