Shroom and Gloom Sets September 10 Early Access Launch Date

Johannesburg-based studio Team Lazerbeam has announced that its fungal roguelike deckbuilder Shroom and Gloom will enter Early Access on Steam on September 10, 2026. The date was revealed on the studio's social channels alongside a new developer diary introducing characters and mechanics, as the team begins its final push toward release. The news marks a milestone for a South African indie project that has built steady momentum on Steam over the past year.

At launch, players can choose from five characters: Lunchlady, Paperboy, Concerned Parent, Janitor and Activist. More characters are planned during Early Access. The game combines first-person exploration with roguelike deckbuilding, using two distinct decks, one for exploration and one for combat. Players move through hand-drawn, fungal-infested environments and assemble stronger card combinations to defeat the creatures inside.

The article's central data is the game's wishlist trajectory. In September 2025, TikTok and Instagram content generated more than nine million views in 30 days, helping the game pass 100,000 Steam wishlists. By February 2026 it had passed 150,000, and the studio set a target of 205,000 by launch. That goal was effectively met by June, when wishlists reached 206,233. Team Lazerbeam is now aiming for 250,000 wishlists by launch and is asking its community to "spread the spores" by engaging with and sharing its social posts.

The studio's path to Early Access has also included a publishing partnership with Devolver Digital, a Steam demo that continues to be developed, and growing visibility driven largely by short-form social media. The coverage positions the project as a notable example of African indie development using community-driven marketing to build pre-launch audience demand.