The official website for Sword of the Stars - The Pit now offers downloads of a playable alpha demo for Kerberos Productions' roguelike set in their sci-fi Sword of the Stars universe. If the demo appeals, there is an Indiegogo campaign to support the production which concludes in five days. Here's word on the demo:

The Alpha Demo includes the Engineer, one of the game’s three playable Characters, a brief Tutorial, and five playable levels to explore, which include a good cross section of monsters, traps, and items. The full game, which will release with 30 playable levels, is considerably larger in scope.

“This Alpha Demo offers only about 10% of the game’s total content,” says Lead Designer Martin Cirulis. “But it should give players a good feel for the Roguelike gameplay, with the retro art style and the skill-based RPG aspects. While The Pit keeps getting bigger as you go deeper, and you will encounter more and more threats, weapons, and devices from the SotSverse, the first 5 floors - even at this alpha stage - will be an excellent way for gamers to tell if The Pit is for them. And it's just plain fun!”