Casualties: Unknown is a 2D cave-survival simulator from solo developer Orsoniks (publisher Oro Interactive) that launched on Steam on November 9, 2026 for $22.99, with a 15% launch discount that brought it to $19.54 when we checked. It is single-player, Windows-only on the store page, and your limbs, blood and heart are all simulated, so your first hours are mostly about learning not to bleed out. This guide covers what the game is, what the full release adds over the demo, and a first-run order of play. The tips are ours, built from the developer’s patch notes and Steam page, not from playing it.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: Casualties: Unknown at a glance
- Released: November 9, 2026 on Steam (the developer’s “out now” post went up at 13:55 UTC). The demo launched in April and stays up.
- Price: $22.99, or $19.54 during the introductory offer, which the Steam page says ends November 23 (checked 10:39 UTC, Nov 10). The developer’s launch post also mentions bundles with Rain World, Palworld, Barotrauma and Abiotic Factor.
- Multiplayer: none listed. The Steam page’s feature list shows Single-player and Family Sharing only, and neither developer post mentions co-op.
- Size of the game: 11 layers, 3 playable characters, 300 items, multiple endings and 40 achievements, per the store page and the developer’s posts.
- Reception so far: “Overwhelmingly Positive” on Steam, 97% of 1,169 user reviews positive when we checked.
- Best first move: do the in-game tutorial courses, then start a run with gentler run settings (details below).
What is Casualties: Unknown?
You play an “experiment”, one of thousands of test subjects sent down into the caves of a foreign planet to retrieve lost cargo, according to the Steam store page. Each layer is a new set of hazards, and the point is to descend as deep as you can while managing food, water, injuries and your own state of mind.
What separates it from other survival games is the body model. The Steam page describes a fully simulated limb and cardiovascular system: you bandage wounds, fight infection and stabilize blood loss before you pass out, and mood matters too, because “too much doom and gloom will make your life harder”. Plants in the caves supply materials for patching yourself up, and you craft tools to travel the layers more efficiently. Earlier expeditions left loot behind, but the store page warns that even helpful things can kill you.
The game has been around longer than its Steam launch. Orsoniks’ April reveal post says the Itch.io version, first released on December 31, 2024, had passed 300,000 downloads, and the October launch press release (via Games Press) says over 500,000 people had tried the Steam demo. The developer calls the project three years of work.
The health panel tracks wounds, blood and heart rate; a store-page screenshot from a beta build. Image: Orsoniks / Oro Interactive
Price, system requirements and multiplayer
| Question | Answer from the sources |
|---|---|
| Price | $22.99 list; $19.54 with the 15% introductory offer until November 23 (Steam, checked 10:39 UTC Nov 10) |
| Platform | Windows (Steam). Minimum requirements list Windows 10 and a 64-bit processor |
| Minimum PC | Intel Core i3-8130U at 2.20 GHz, 500 MB of storage; 16:9, 16:10 and ultrawide screens supported |
| Players | Single-player only on the store page |
| Soundtrack | Sold separately as its own Steam item and in a bundle; the developer’s October post says it runs over 3 hours with more than 50 tracks |
| Rating notice | Mature content notice, see the content note below |
The Steam page’s minimum spec is low, which suits a 2D pixel game. The store page did not give a recommended spec we could quote, so we are leaving it out.
What does the full game add over the demo?
The demo covered 5 of the 11 layers. In its “out now” post the developer says the full game has twice as many layers as the demo, 40 achievements, multiple characters and endings, and a large amount of quality-of-life changes and bug fixes. The demo is not being updated, apart from a small text fix. The Release 1.0 patch notes, which the developer says are incomplete, list these additions:
| Addition in 1.0 | What the notes say |
|---|---|
| Layers 6-11 | Added, along with endings |
| Characters | 2 new playable characters |
| Endless mode | Added |
| Prosthetics | Added; the September dev update says there are 3 tiers, the top one a direct upgrade over a normal limb |
| Item customization | Colors and labeling, explained in the crafting tutorial |
| Run settings | More options, plus more console commands (using some of them outside the sandbox disables achievements) |
| Traps and items | New traps, new items, more plushies |
The developer’s September progress post also says the full game should be “a little bit easier as a whole” than the demo: some traps are more clearly telegraphed, certain injuries are less debilitating and combat is less finicky. If the demo was too punishing for you, that is worth knowing. The same post describes 10 main layers, a shorter 11th layer and an optional bonus ending sequence.
Casualties: Unknown beginner tips for your first run
These are our suggestions, assembled from the developer’s notes and the Steam page. Treat them as a starting plan; we have not played the game.
1. Do the tutorial courses before your first descent
The April 6.0 demo notes describe a reworked tutorial with several courses and a simple sandbox. A later 6.1 demo note says the two advanced courses unlock as you progress: First Aid after reaching layer 2 and Crafting after layer 3, so new players do not spend an hour on tutorials up front. That setup was in the demo; the release may differ, but the logic holds. Do the basics first, then come back for First Aid once you have felt the bleeding system for yourself.
2. Lower the danger in your run settings
The Steam page lists “adjustable loot and danger values” on the main menu, and the 7.0 demo notes describe a reworked run-settings menu with multiple presets and many more options. The 1.0 notes add more settings, and mention an infection-chance setting. A gentler first run is a sensible way to learn the systems: more loot and fewer hazards while you work out the health panel. Save the harsh presets for when you know what a bleed looks like.
3. Learn the health panel first
Almost everything dangerous happens inside your body. The store page lists bleeding, infected wounds and blood loss as the core threats, and the developer’s notes mention blood pressure, heart fibrillation, defibrillators, adrenaline, radiation sickness and venom, several of which show up in the health panel. When something goes wrong, open it before you do anything else. The developer’s 1.0 notes also say hunger and thirst indicators (moodles) now appear earlier.
The inventory wheel and an item tooltip, from a beta build. Image: Orsoniks / Oro Interactive
4. Stop the bleeding before you do anything else
A bleed is the first thing that ends a new character. Per the Steam page, you have to stabilize blood loss before you lose consciousness. One official screenshot shows the bandage minigame’s on-screen prompt: click and drag the dressing around the limb, and you do not have to use the whole bandage. The 1.0 notes also say the amputation minigame is less punishing and can now be done on non-infected limbs, and that you can now have both legs amputated. Together with the prostheses added for 1.0, that points to losing a limb being something to manage rather than an automatic end to the run.
The bandage minigame asks you to drag the dressing around the limb. Image: Orsoniks / Oro Interactive
5. Dig for the three starter crafts
Destructoid’s best crafting recipes guide (published November 9) names the Foliage Bag, the Canteen and the Flimsy Knife as the three most important things to make early, because they make the dig easier to manage. It lists the materials to collect first as plastic and rubber chunks, plants (glowplant fruit and foliage), wood (wood scraps) and scrap metal from trash and broken traps.
6. Hold Left Control to find loot, and read E-PDAs
The 7.0 demo notes say holding Left Control shows item labels for everything nearby, which makes pickups easier, and the 1.0 notes raise the maximum number of labels shown at once. The same 7.0 notes say reading an E-PDA gives 35 Intelligence experience and blueprints give 25. Those numbers have been adjusted between demo versions (6.1 listed different values), so read them as a sign that notes and blueprints are worth picking up, not as exact figures. The Steam page lists Intelligence, Strength and Resilience as the traits you raise during a run.
7. Watch your mood and keep supplies flowing
The developer says your character reacts to what happens to them, and the store page says low mood makes survival harder. Keep eating and drinking, and use heat: the 1.0 notes say campfires warm you more and the torch now counts as a fire starter.
8. Mind how you enter a new layer
Two 1.0 changes help here: there is now a liquid-safe area around you when you enter a new layer, and drill pods reduce your stats less. The September update also says drill pods are placed around the world and are easier to use because runs can get long.
Starter recipes from Destructoid’s guide
These are the recipes Destructoid highlights. Quantities are as published there on November 9; the game may change them in patches.
| Item | Why Destructoid picks it |
|---|---|
| Canvas, Rope, Bio-chem Fluid | Basic materials needed in many other recipes |
| Makeshift Digging Tool | Lets you dig more resources as you go deeper |
| Canteen | Carries or scoops up fluids |
| Foliage Bag | Holds more garbage and saves space in the canteen |
| Flimsy Knife | Not a weapon, but helps with crafting; needs a Wood Cube |
| Bread | 1 Rye Flour and 150 ml of Clean Water |
| Nutrient Bar | 1 Rye Flour, 25 ml of Fat and any 1 Produce |
| Foliage Meal | 1 Produce and 3 Foliage |
The 1.0 notes say the bio-chem fluid can now be made by boiling down lumalgae, and that the drill repair kit recipe was simplified. If you want more survival-crafting context from other games, our Abiotic Factor soup recipes guide and Flotsam beginner tips cover similar food-and-water planning.
Characters, layers and endings
The September dev update says you start as the experiment and can pick two other species once you have unlocked them by finishing a run with the previous character. Each has its own stats and gimmicks. The store page lists 11 layers, and the press release says the descent has 10 main layers, a shorter 11th and an optional bonus ending; how it ends depends on how far down you go. For another game built on resource pressure, though a very different one, see our Oxygen Not Included tips for beginners post.
Content note
The Steam page carries a mature content notice from the developer. It describes a “hardcore survival simulation” that touches on depression, violence, dismemberment, drug use and self harm, and says player discretion is advised. The 1.0 notes mention a “censor pain” option that makes the exit sequence less intense. If those subjects are difficult for you, check the Steam page before buying.
Casualties: Unknown FAQ
Does Casualties: Unknown have multiplayer or co-op?
Not according to the Steam page, which lists Single-player. Neither the launch announcement nor the release notes mention co-op.
How much does Casualties: Unknown cost?
$22.99 on Steam, or $19.54 during the introductory offer that the store page says ends on November 23 (checked 10:39 UTC, November 10). Regional pricing applies, per the developer’s October post. If you are watching for bigger discounts, see what Valve has said about the Steam Black Friday sale.
Is the demo still available?
Yes. The developer says it stays up but will not be updated beyond a small text fix, and it covers 5 of the 11 layers.
Is the full game easier than the demo?
The developer’s September update says it should be a little easier as a whole, with clearer traps, less debilitating injuries and less finicky combat. It is still described as an unforgiving survival simulator.
Sources: Casualties: Unknown on Steam (checked 10:39 UTC, Nov 10); the developer’s Steam news page (launch, 1.0 patch notes, September progress, 7.0 and 6.x demo notes; checked 10:40 UTC); Destructoid (checked 10:40 UTC); Games Press release (Oct 15; checked 10:40 UTC).
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Featured image: Orsoniks / Oro Interactive
