Getting Started in Stonewards

Stonewards is a first-person roguelite defense game from Banana Tiger Studio where you protect a King inside a bastion, mine procedural caves between monster waves, and forge the ammunition and upgrades needed to survive the next assault. Early Access launches August 11, 2026 on Steam at $9.99 USD and supports solo play or online co-op for up to four players. The public demo ran through July 11, 2026 and is now offline—new players start on the Early Access build. This page is the fastest path from installing the game to completing your first full loop without wondering what to do next.

Install and Launch

Find Stonewards on Steam using app ID 4502710. Install the Early Access version (or wishlist until unlock), verify your preferred input device, and skim Controls so movement, mining, building repair, and weapon swaps feel natural before the first wave. Audio cues matter: surface alarms often signal wave starts faster than UI alone. Co-op groups must run the same game version for matchmaking—auto-update Steam before inviting friends.

If you plan to play co-op, decide voice chat outside the game client. Stonewards punishes silent teams when one player stays underground too long while friends face a full wave short-handed.

Stonewards gameplay overview — dig, forge, and defend

Understand the Run Goal

Every run revolves around one non-negotiable rule: if the King dies, the run ends. Walls, traps, and player respawns may exist depending on build state, but the monarch is the fail condition. Your job is to keep damage off the King during waves while still gathering enough ore in caves to craft ammo and repairs for the next cycle.

Runs are not endless tower defense sessions in one spot. They are rhythmic alternation between surface defense and underground economy, with a Bonus Card vote after successful waves and station work at the Blacksmith, crafting camp, wall repair, recycling, chest opener, and campfire. Misbalancing that rhythm—mining too greedily or over-investing in walls while starving ammo—causes most early failures.

Your First Five Minutes

When a run begins, look for three landmarks: the King position, damaged wall segments, and the mine entrance. Before the first wave:

1. Identify the approach lanes monsters use toward the King.
2. Note which wall pieces are lowest so you know where to spend first repair resources.
3. Agree on a mining window if playing co-op: who stays surface for wave one versus who dives immediately after cleanup.

Do not chase perfect cave depth on run one. Shallow ore that lets you return before the next wave timer is worth more than deep nodes that leave the bastion understaffed.

The Dig–Forge–Defend Loop

After each wave (or during scheduled lulls, depending on mission rules), vote Bonus Cards if offered, then enter procedural caves to break ore nodes. Ore feeds stations where you craft ammunition, repair bastion segments, pick rings at the Blacksmith, heal or revive at the campfire, and sometimes roll randomized upgrades that reshape your run.

On the surface, waves escalate pressure. Enemies test weak walls and rush the King if openings appear. Successful teams treat forging as part of defense: empty ammo stocks during a spike are as dangerous as unrepaired breaches.

For a deeper breakdown of timing and economy, read How to Play Stonewards after your first run. For efficiency habits, see Tips and Tricks. For Miner vs Warrior starters, see Characters.

Solo vs Co-op First Runs

Solo: You perform every role. Mine during safe windows, return early, and keep a loaded weapon before wave audio ramps. Solo is unforgiving about late returns from the mine—there is no teammate to cover your delay.

Co-op (2–4 players): Split roles loosely into miners, surface defenders, and a flexible runner who ferries ore or finishes repairs. You do not need rigid classes, but you do need callouts when someone commits to a deep tunnel. See How to Co-op in Stonewards once you have finished one group run.

Hub vs In-Run

Between runs you return to a hub area with characters, missions, and a shop. Hub progression persists; in-run forge choices mostly do not. New players sometimes ignore the hub and repeat naked runs—visit How to Use the Hub after two or three attempts when mission rewards and shop stock start to matter.

Common First-Run Mistakes

• Over-mining one cave branch instead of securing ore near the exit path.
• Repairing cosmetic wall sections while a primary lane toward the King stays broken.
• Crafting upgrades before baseline ammo needed for the next wave tier.
• Skipping Bonus Card votes or campfire revive windows in co-op.
• Assuming King invulnerability because earlier waves felt easy—later packs focus fire.

Where to Go Next

After one complete run (win or lose), choose the guide that matches your failure point:

• Died on the surface? How to Defend the King
• Returned late from caves? How to Mine Fast
• Team collapsed during waves? How to Co-op in Stonewards
• Unsure how systems connect? How to Play Stonewards
• Need station spend order? Camps and Stations

Long term, pair guides with Builds for upgrade paths and Combat for enemy priorities. Map notes help you read cave branches and bastion angles. Tools host planners; Updates track patch milestones.

Demo Offline and Early Access Notes

The public Steam demo ended July 11, 2026. Early Access at $9.99 is the playable branch from August 11, 2026. Features, balance, and hub inventory may still change patch to patch during the planned nine-to-twelve month Early Access window. Treat this guide as a mental model of the loop rather than a frozen checklist of every recipe value. Compare scopes in Demo vs Early Access.