The next game from State of Decay studio Undead Labs will hit Steam this week.

Moonrise, a “real-time tactical creature battler” will launch on Steam Early Access on May 28 for US$15-20.

According to Undead Labs, the game – which has been in closed beta since last March – combines the depth of a collectible card game with the speed and challenge of a head-to-head fighting game.

The result is a rewarding blend of strategic decision-making and fast-paced action, it said.

In Moonrise, players battle NPCs and other players with a handpicked team of creatures called Solari.

There are hundreds of unique skills for players to choose, and each Solari can be leveled-up and evolved along several different progression tracks. This variety allows players to experiment with a huge variety of team and creature builds to find the best fit for their preferred style of play.

Undead Labs said it will use player feedback gained through Early Access to fine-tune the combat balancing in the single-player campaign and PvP, as well as to polish all core game systems.

“Early Access has become an invaluable part of the development process and we’re incredibly excited to let the Steam community come in and kick the tires on Moonrise,” said studio founder Jeff Strain.

“When you need honest feedback from dedicated gamers, there’s no better community than Steam and I look forward to hearing what they have to say.”