Begraved Turns Dungeon Crawls Into a Tax-Time Heist From Three Valheim Devs

The dungeon crawler where the scariest enemy is… the Taxman

This caught my attention because the trio behind it-Valheim’s creative director Robin Eyre, studio ops lead Emilia Oscarsson, and designer/QA manager Andreas Tomasson-know how to make co-op feel punchy and purposeful. Their new project, Begraved, is a co-op dungeon crawler built by their side studio Grip Jaw, and its central pressure isn’t a dragon, a lich, or a god. It’s the Taxman. Every five in-game days, he shows up with his hand out. Fail to pay, and you face the gallows. That’s a deliciously blunt timer on greed, risk, and progress-right in the middle of a loot game.

• Co-op dungeon crawler for up to five players, with solo an option.
• Limited inventory forces harsh tradeoffs between tools and treasure.
• Every five days the Taxman demands payment; consequences are unknown (yet).
• Customize a hideout, unlock pets, and sell/buy gear between runs.
• Playtest sign-ups are live on Steam; early access is planned but not this year.

Breaking down the announcement

Begraved casts you as a Gravebound heister looting cursed tombs beneath a shadowy city. Think classic dungeon-crawl hazards—traps, puzzles, and monsters—but with a hard cap on what you can carry. That small inventory is the spine of the design. Do you pack the tools you need to disarm traps and survive a deep run, or gamble on more slots for loot and risk getting wrecked by the first poison dart you can’t defuse? It’s the kind of friction that makes every door feel like a decision instead of a hallway to sprint through.

Between runs you hawk valuables to a Shopkeeper, buy gear, and kit out a hideout you’ll slowly turn from crypt-basement to trophy room. Pets add a touch of levity to the gloom—yeah, we’re all a little weak for a good dungeon dog—but they also signal a hub loop with room for progression and personality, not just raw stat ladders. The five-player cap is an interesting choice, slotting between the classic four-player sweet spot and Valheim’s larger group chaos. If Grip Jaw nails enemy density and objective design, five could be the magic number for class variety without the voice-comms soup that big lobbies become.

Why the Taxman mechanic matters

On paper, the Taxman is more than a cute theme. It’s a structural weight on the economy. Roguelites and extraction-likes live and die by how they pressure you to spend versus hoard. Dark and Darker uses extraction risk; Hades pushes forward momentum with escalating boons; Deep Rock Galactic leans on mission payouts and upkeep. Begraved’s “pay every five days or else” puts a metagame clock on your stash. The team hasn’t said what the gallows penalty is—wipe? debt? debuff?—but the mere threat should keep runs tense and force planning beyond “sell everything, buy bigger numbers.” If it’s tuned right, it could curb save-scumming and encourage daring heists before tax day.

The risk is obvious: if the Taxman hits too hard or too often, it becomes a chore loop—grind, pay, repeat. If it’s too soft, it’s a meme mechanic you ignore. The sweet spot is turning tax day into a team goal: “We’re 60 coin short, one quick run, no funny business.” That aligns with what Valheim did well—creating social friction that’s fun, not punitive.

A side project from Valheim leads—promising, but watch the scope

Grip Jaw isn’t Iron Gate; this is a “little evening project,” according to Eyre. That’s unusual but not unheard of—side projects have birthed bangers (Vampire Survivors says hi), and early access is a natural fit for tight, systems-first games. The upside: a focused loop, frequent iteration with playtesters, and devs who already have co-op instincts. The caution: side projects can drift if scope balloons or cadence slips. Begraved doesn’t need 100 weapons and eight biomes at launch. It needs a couple of tomb styles, tools that enable creative problem-solving, and a Taxman economy that’s ruthless but fair.

The devs say early access won’t happen this year, but it’s “not too far off.” Translation: get in on the playtest if you’re curious, then expect at least one more test cycle before an EA drop. The Steam playtest being open now is smart—it’ll surface the two questions that make or break co-op crawlers fast: server stability and party scaling. Five players means aggro logic, trap pacing, and loot distribution need to adapt without turning solo into misery.

Questions I want answered in the playtest

• What happens if you miss the Taxman’s payment? Full wipe, temporary debuff, or a climbable debt system?
• How does difficulty scale from solo to five players? Are traps and puzzles cooperative by design or just HP sponges on enemies?
• How meaningful is the hideout? Cosmetic flex, functional buffs, or both—and can pets help in runs?
• How long is an average run, and does the five-day clock push you into short “bread-and-butter” raids vs. epic dives?
• Economy balance: are tools expensive enough to force hard choices, or does the meta settle into one optimal kit?

What this changes for dungeon-crawl fans

If you’ve bounced off loot crawlers because they devolve into comfortable farming, Begraved’s tax clock could be the antidote. It gives the midgame a reason to exist and keeps your stash from turning into dead weight. If you love co-op chaos, five-player parties and limited inventories sound like delicious argument fuel: “Who’s bringing the lockpicks? No, you cannot bring three idols and no antidotes, Kevin.” And if you’re wary of side projects, fair—keep expectations in check and let the playtest prove the loop.

There’s not enough info yet to judge monetization or progression depth. The pitch reads premium indie with early access support, which is fine. Just keep an eye on whether the Taxman becomes a justification for grindy payout tuning. If the balance lands, Begraved could carve out a neat niche: a grimy, co-op heist crawler where your greatest fear isn’t a mimic chest—it’s your accountant.

TL;DR

Begraved is a five-player co-op dungeon crawler from a trio of Valheim devs where a looming Taxman shapes your loot-and-tool economy. The loop looks smart—tight inventory, social coordination, and a ticking metagame clock. Playtest sign-ups are open now on Steam, with early access coming after this year if all goes to plan.