Norwegian game studio Games People Play has expanded the public demo for The Devil’s Due, its upcoming poker-inspired roguelite, with new areas, enemies, cheats and relics. The Steam Next Fest update gives players a broader look at the game’s unusual combination of poker strategy, rule-breaking mechanics and battles against monsters inspired by the seven deadly sins.
The expanded demo adds the Pride and Wrath layers of Hell to the previously available Lust and Gluttony areas, bringing the playable total to four layers. Players can also encounter additional monsters and experiment with new ways to manipulate poker matches as they attempt to escape Hell.
The Devil’s Due Demo Expands for Steam Next Fest
At the center of The Devil’s Due is a poker-based combat system where conventional card strategy is combined with deliberate cheating.
The premise begins after the player gambles away their soul during a poker match with the Devil. Escaping Hell requires defeating an assortment of demonic opponents by building poker hands, bluffing and using underhanded tactics without drawing too much suspicion.
The strength of a player’s poker hand determines attack damage, while the combined values of the cards provide defense. However, players are not expected to rely exclusively on the cards they are dealt.
Cheating Becomes a Core Combat Mechanic
Players can use special tricks to conceal or swap cards during battles, increase card values and sabotage an opponent’s hand. These actions provide tactical advantages but also increase an enemy’s suspicion meter.
Using too many cheats can provoke a powerful counterattack, forcing players to balance the potential benefits of breaking the rules against the consequences of being caught.
“The goal was to make poker feel like poker,” says designer Jack Kristoffersen. “Not an abstract optimization puzzle. It’s about chaos, bluffing, desperation, and figuring out how to cheat just enough to survive without getting caught.”
That approach makes deception a fundamental part of the game’s strategy rather than an optional mechanic.
Four Layers of Hell Now Available in Demo
The Steam Next Fest update expands the environments players can explore by introducing Pride and Wrath alongside Lust and Gluttony.
Each layer presents monsters influenced by themes associated with the seven deadly sins. Players must work through encounters while collecting additional cheats, relics and upgrades that can change their approach to future battles.
At the beginning of each layer, the Devil presents tarot cards that determine a path through various encounters. Those routes can include regular monsters, boss battles, shops, healing shrines and minigames.
Players can also encounter opportunities outside combat to manipulate the rules. Shops can potentially be scammed, while minigames and other interactions may contain opportunities for players willing to take additional risks.
Roguelite Progression Rewards Repeated Runs
Death sends players back to the beginning, following the familiar structure of the roguelite genre. However, progression between attempts can unlock permanent upgrades, additional cheat cards, relics and new strategic possibilities.
Those unlocks are intended to give players more options when returning to deeper sections of Hell.
The game also uses Monty Python-inspired animation and a tactile user interface, giving its dark supernatural setting a deliberately comedic presentation.
Poker Battles Mix Strategy With Risk and Deception
Combat takes place through one-on-one poker duels against demonic creatures with different abilities. Players must consider the strength of their hand, defensive card values and how aggressively they want to manipulate the match.
The suspicion system adds another strategic layer. A powerful cheat might turn a weak hand into a winning one, but repeated manipulation can cause an opponent to retaliate.
As a result, success depends not only on assembling strong poker hands but also on determining when cheating is worth the risk.
Games People Play Continues Development of The Devil’s Due
Games People Play was founded in Norway by longtime friends Jack Kristoffersen and Joachim Barrum, who have been making games together for more than 30 years. The studio previously released SpreadCheat on Steam.
The expanded The Devil’s Due demo offers Steam Next Fest players an early look at how the studio is combining poker, roguelite progression and unconventional cheating mechanics.
With four layers of Hell now available to explore and additional enemies, relics and rule-breaking tools included in the update, the demo provides a larger preview of the systems players can expect when the full game launches.
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