Twins of Olus Demo Preview

Twins of Olus on paper sounds like anything else. An action adventure game set in a fantasy world could be any number of games out on the market, especially in the ever-growing indie space. But Team Verdant’s offering had unique mechanics, concepts, and vibes that left me wanting more after my brief time with the demo. Team Verdant? More like “Team VerDamn, That Was a Fun Time.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WK3L_p-8E

The crux of the game’s mechanics, as well as its thematic storytelling, is Lions and Creo, two entities quite literally tied together for reasons not immediately made known. Lions is a mortal beetle, wielding armor and two swords “bigger than its torso” to steal a line from the Lions’ own mouth. Creo is a floating apparition, invisible to the eyes of the enemies and the world around them, but very much capable of interacting with it. 

Control of Lions and Creo can be swapped between at any time, with each one offering abilities that are required for combat as well as traversal. I got strong Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons vibes from this, and I say that as a form of praise. The game played like a single-player co-op experience, but with couch co-op (that I did not experience) also available. Lions’ combat is more standard Souls-like combat, with a light and heavy attack and a dodge that has a cooldown attached to it. Creo provides the ability to heal after defeating enemies, the ability to possess enemies for a passive Damage of Time effect, or the ability to just wail on enemies with long-range energy blasts. Outside of combat, Lions can interact with physical things such as levels and doors, while Creo can be used as a grappling hook or as a transport to carry Lions over deadly terrain. 

Controlling one character puts the other one on a sort of auto pilot, which I found to be the worst part of the combat. Controlling Creo meant my Lions would just walk into damage almost instantly. And since the game ends when Lions die, and Creo is immaterial, you can see why that might not be ideal! I would love to see some more love given to Lions’ AI when not in direct control. Playing Creo is fun (and necessary!) so it’s a shame that it is also so detrimental. 

One thing that stuck out to me during my demo of Twins of Olus was just how jam-packed they managed to fill this area with secrets and things to discover by going off the beaten path. I came across a locked door with three bells that had to be rung by flinging Creo at them in proper order. Nothing mind-blowing, but when paired with the charming world around it, it became quite memorable. Tons of traps and hazards litter the areas you explore, but safe haven can be found in the form of Observatories. Unlock one, and you know the drill - a place to heal up, a place to respawn, a place to change your loadout. 

Speaking of loadout, you encounter creatures called Vilas that can be hired to provide passive buffs. Five can be equipped at a time, allowing you to presumably customize your playstyle as you see fit. My favorite Vila buff in the demo was the one that halved the cooldown on Lions’ dodge. Incredibly useful. 

The world is visually impressive with chill music playing throughout. It gives off a weirdly cozy atmosphere despite the steadily ramping difficulty as you progress. The monster designs are more cutesy than terrifying, with crabs, snails, beetles, and blobs making up the bulk of what you initially encounter. While the movement feels fluid, aiming with Creo can be a bit wonky, especially when timing is tight and you have enemies closing in on you. 

All in all, Twins of Olus feels very polished for a demo of a game with no release date yet. If you enjoy a top-down isometric hack and slash Dark Souls lite experience with one-person co-op mechanics, you should definitely give it a shot!

Big thank you to Finn for writing this preview for the Six One Indie Showcase on May 21st, 2026. Follow Finn on Bluesky and YouTube.