DayZ creators RocketWerkz reveal Gruntz, a multiplayer survival game inspired

28 Oct 2026 at 11:58 am UTC | Last updated: 28 Oct 2026 at 11:59 am UTC
By Liam Squires-Hand

DayZ creator Dean Hall of RocketWerkz just announced Gruntz, a top-down multiplayer horde survival game inspired by Space Station 13. It's being built with BRUTAL, their recently announced C# game development framework that's also used for the new RimWorld upgrade.

They've released a free playable prototype for GRUNTZ, which is available via the Ahwoo Launcher (also founded by Hall) with both Native Linux and Windows support. This is their second ongoing prototype, along with Kitten Space Agency.

See the first trailer below:

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From the press release:

"Inspired by Space Station 13, GRUNTZ has multiplayer groups band together on a server to survive waves of enemies. Enter the action as a soldier ready to dish out damage, or as a colonist with roles like surgeon, chef, or janitor. Build barricades to slow the horde’s advance, keep teammates supplied, and fight like hell to stay alive because you only have one life.

GRUNTZ features three game modes: Zombie Survival, where teams fortify their colony and fend off waves of zombies before extraction; Xeno Survival, where a hive of aliens stalks survivors each night and won’t stop until the core is destroyed; and Anomaly, where teams face off against an unkillable entity."

Key Features

• Detailed Health System: Damage affects specific body parts – leg injuries cause limping, broken bones need to be set, and open wounds bleed until they’re bandaged.
• Chaotic Destruction: Fire can be a great way to thin enemy hordes, but spreading flames can ignite ammo stores, rip through buildings, and cause floors to give out.
• Cooperative Survival: Each player has an important role. Surgeons can craft medicine and treat injuries, Engineers can fortify barricades mid-fight, and Soldiers can launch grenades to turn the tide of battle – just be mindful of friendly fire!

To get it to actually run on Fedora, I had to install both the aspnetcore-runtime-10.0 and vulkan-loader-devel.

Platform: 🐧 Native LinuxRelease Date: 📅 27th October 2026Devs:RocketWerkzOfficial links:Official Website Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com. Tags: Native Linux, Alpha, Indie Game, Survival, Top-down shooter | Apps: Gruntz 4 Likes Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:Pick up more games in the Cozy After Dark Showcase Humble BundleLinux kernel 7.3 is out with some nice improvements for gamingSteam Survey for September 2026 shows a drop in Linux with Simplified Chinese risingSteam Autumn Sale 2026 is live now with lots of discounts All posts need to follow our rules. Please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Readers can also email us for any issues or concerns.