Getting Started with Entropy

Entropy throws you into a theatre performance in Draenog that collapses into a demonic raid within minutes. This getting started guide covers what the game is, how to install the free demo, what the Early Access date means, and the first decisions that keep your mercenary company alive after the scripted chaos.

What you are playing

Entropy is a post-apocalyptic tactical RPG with an overworld, explorable towns, and turn-based battles inspired by classic JRPGs. Lovely Hellplace—the studio behind Dread Delusion—builds a retro 3D look; DreadXP publishes. You command up to six characters, hire replacements when fighters fall, and push toward an expedition meant to halt a demonic incursion. There is Single-player only: plan for a single-player campaign on Steam PC.

Install and wishlist checklist

1. Open the Steam page for Entropy and the separate Entropy Demo entry.
2. Install the demo if you want hands-on practice before August 18, 2026.
3. Wishlist the full Early Access build so price and launch alerts reach you.
4. Skim System Requirements if you are on an older laptop or Steam Deck.
5. Join community channels listed on Official Links for patch chatter.

First hour priorities

Treat the opening as a systems tutorial disguised as theatre. Learn how front and back rows work, notice that heavy skills delay turn order, and accept that early companions can die for good. When the dust settles, go to an inn, open the recruitment board, and rebuild with a mix of melee frontliners and ranged or magic rear support. Read Combat Basics before experimenting with every shiny weapon.

Gold is already a survival resource. Active party members take a larger cut of battle payouts than reserves, but both cost you. Do not hire six expensive mercenaries on hour one. A lean four-person core with two carefully chosen specialists often learns the forest routes faster. Pair this advice with How to Recruit Mercenaries and the Party Planner.

Navigation after the prologue

• Story and map flow: Demo Walkthrough
• Ghost puzzle materials: Soul Moss & Soul Garden
• Wipe recovery: Survive Permadeath
• Gear theory: Weapons Tier List
• Input friction: Controls

Demo power spikes

The demo deliberately unlocks stronger weapons and magic earlier than the retail opening. Enjoy the toys, then calibrate expectations with Demo vs Early Access so Act 1 difficulty on the Gloaming Isles does not feel like a bait-and-switch.

Mindset for Early Access

Act 1 ships as a vertical slice of a three-act structure. Systems will change. Keep notes on formations that feel fair, report bugs through official channels, and re-check this wiki’s Updates Hub after major patches. For a tone check before you invest evenings, skim the Demo Review.

You now have enough context to stop dying to the same armored brute. Open Party Formation next, then fight with intent.

Common first-hour mistakes

Rushing out of Draenog with three mismatched melee hires and no Pierce is the fastest way to hate the demo. Equally common: ignoring the inn because a story companion “should be enough,” then soft-locking your confidence after a wipe. A third mistake is burning gold on novelty weapons before you can explain what Blunt and Pierce do.

Checklist you can screenshot

• Demo installed and full game wishlisted
• Camera rebound to something comfortable
• At least one stun and one Pierce in the active party
• Gold buffer equal to two emergency hires
• Shrine save before the first foggy route
• Bookmark this wiki’s Combat Basics and Party Planner

Why theatre framing matters

Entropy teaches stats through hangover-line recollection and combat through a failed performance. Lean into that tone: you are not a chosen knight with infinite plot armor. You are a troubadour running a bloody company. That framing makes recruitment and permadeath feel authored instead of punitive, which is why the demo hooks so hard for some players and repels others.