Pigeons Must Die! Is a Subway Roguelite Where Your Weapons Fire Themselves and Some Pigeons Smoke, With a Free Steam Demo

Pigeons Must Die! is a wave-based arena roguelite set in a subway station overrun by hostile pigeons. Your weapons fire on their own while you keep moving, roll out of danger and pick a path through the flock, then you spend the Feathers you earn building a bigger arsenal between waves. It's made by solo developer Dylan of Decaf Bagel Games, it's coming to PC on Steam with no release date yet, and a free demo is out now.

This is an Indie Spotlight, not a review: we haven't played it. Here's what the developer has shown and told us.

Pigeons Must Die! at a glance

What is Pigeons Must Die?

The Steam page sums it up: the pigeons have taken over the subway, they're loud and filthy, and they outnumber you, so it's a good thing your weapons do the attacking. A run is 20 escalating waves. You steer and dodge while your loadout fires automatically, the same hands-off shooting that games like Vampire Survivors made popular, and the store description warns that some of the pigeons smoke.

How do you build a loadout?

Between waves you spend Feathers in a shop of weapons, support runes and trinkets. You can reroll for new offers, lock an item you want to keep, or combine matching weapons to make a favourite stronger. Dylan describes it as fusing duplicates into stronger ones.

• Up to six weapon slots to fill.
• Support runes socket into a weapon and change how it fights. Stronger weapons hold more supports.
• Trinkets add effects that shape your whole run.

What are Wave Contracts?

Before a wave you can spend Feathers on a Wave Contract. Each one pairs a benefit with a hazard, so you either take a trade that helps your build or save the Feathers for the shop. Dylan's pitch puts it simply: contracts raise the stakes.

What are the bosses like?

Boss pigeons change the rhythm of a run. Decaf Bagel says you read their tells, deal with arena mechanics and adapt as new phases reshape the fight, and Dylan's email adds that bosses change how the arena itself works. One boss shown on Steam is the Dumpster Bully, who guards three bins and shouts "Don't touch my junk!"

Is there a Pigeons Must Die demo?

Yes. The free demo has been on Steam since 6 October 2026, and you can download it from the game's Steam page.

When is the Pigeons Must Die release date?

It hasn't been announced. Steam lists the game as coming soon, with no price yet. Wishlist it on Steam to get a notification when it launches.

What are the Pigeons Must Die PC requirements?

It's light. The minimum listing asks for a 64-bit processor and operating system, 4 GB of RAM and 3 GB of storage, and it's on Windows and Linux. Steam lists keyboard-only and mouse-only options, adjustable text size, camera comfort settings, custom volume controls, Steam Cloud saves and achievements, and says it's playable without timed input.

Does Pigeons Must Die use AI?

The Steam page has no AI-generated content disclosure, which developers must add if they use generative AI in their game or its store page.

Watch the Pigeons Must Die trailer

The official gameplay trailer is on the Pigeons Must Die! YouTube channel. Decaf Bagel also posts on X.

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