Upcoming co-op FPS Shelf Heroes just got a brand new trailer, and if you ever wanted to see what it looked like if the cast of Toy Story were all trying to kill each other, you have your answer. Or, if you're a bit older, its like the video game adaptation of Small Soldiers that you never knew you needed.
Basically, it's about toys and action figures all trying to kill each other, and if you've a slightly twisted sense of humor like me, that could be exactly your sort of bag. The gameplay trailer, which debuted as part of the Future Games Show Spring Showcase powered by HyperX, is about a minute of near-contextless carnage in which we all the contents of a kid's bedroom turning on each other.
- Wishlist Shelf Heroes on Steam now
Shelf Heroes is specifically being billed as a roguelike FPS for between one and three co-op players, in which the gimmick is that the action figures you're piloting are all modular, so you can swap out and build your hero from pieces of various toys as you proceed! You want a Lego head, a Barbie's legs, and the hands of a GI Joe, to ensure that kung-fu grip? Play it your way! I said that the game was reminiscent of Toy Story, but I realise now it's specifically Sid's room from the first film, with all the heroes being patchwork ensembles frankensteined from various pieces.
But hey - what works, works, and considering the finale of the trailer is a plastic T-rex bearing down on the players, you'll need all the Nerf firepower you can probably get your hands on, no matter who those hands are supposed to belong to.
Shelf Heroes has no official release date at time of writing, but is planned for Steam release in the near future, with a free demo planned for some point in 2026.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
