At The Game Awards, Capcom revealed a release date for Pragmata. The sci-fi action game will arrive on April 26th, 2026. In the meantime, Capcom also dropped a demo for the intriguing game. You can check it out now on Steam. The Sketchbook Demo will also arrive on consoles at a later date.
And while the demo isn’t too long, it’s surprisingly intricate. On my first playthrough, it took me a bit to grasp all of the mechanics. This is because Pragmata has two primary gameplay modes: shooting and hacking. Each one has their nuances. And what’s more, the demo encourages repeat playthroughs with more unlockables. So if you’re curious how Pragmata plays or what this Sketchbook Demo has in store, we’ve got you covered.
Practical Pragmata Adjustments
Like many games, Pragmata has you first adjust its brightness. Interestingly, the game doesn’t default to what it thinks it should be, instead starting on the most extreme option for you to slide through. This is to say, button mashers be warned. However, the game provides the appearance of an actual location, helpful for judging if you’ve toggled it right.
Pragmata provides accessibility options for visuals, audio, and motion sickness. Oddly, it asks for my age and says that while it won’t affect gameplay it cannot be changed later. I don’t know if the full game will use something with this, but it doesn’t come up again in the demo.
The game offers two difficulties, casual and standard. I’m guessing a harder mode may unlock upon completion. I played on standard a few times and never died. But the demo seems to start towards the beginning of the game, and ramps up in complexity even during its short run. It’s also worth mentioning that the demo rewards certain parameters which are themselves fairly difficult, so there is another element of challenge for those seeking it.
A Hack-and-Shoot Trip to the Top
As the demo kicks off, we find Hugh and Diana in the middle of a fight with robots. The two protagonists seem to have already met and bonded to some extent. Hence my guess that the demo takes place towards the beginning of the game.
The demo does give a tutorial on shooting, which is about what you’d expect. And it provides a tutorial on hacking, the real spice of life in this game. A mini game appears in which I guide a block through a grid to a green goal. This lets Hugh do some real damage. I can even guide the block through select blue boxes on the way to the green one for even more damage. It’s not difficult at all, but the game will ramp up this mechanic over time. Later in the demo, red blocks appear for me to avoid.
After a brief battle, the game catches me up with a screen telling me what’s going on. During an investigation of abnormalities at the Cradle, a space station, Hugh has become isolated. He has met a young android named Diana and together they venture to the base’s top floor to call Earth for help.
But the top floor isn’t just a staircase or two away. For starters, we’ve got robots to contend with here. Shooting does little damage, so I’ve got to use Diana’s hack to weaken these enemies. The robots drop Lunafilament, glowing cubes that may be used for upgrades in the Shelter, a location we won’t visit on this demo.
But a location we will visit? This top floor. Hugh and Diana have to restore power though, because that’s a thing that must happen in every game set in a space station. Space stations, man. Always running out of power.
Gadgets and Gizmos
Thankfully, scanning the environment shows the way. The door we need to open is locked. But Diana can lock-pick it—or lock-hack it, rather. This hacking mini game is different from the one in combat. It’s simpler, requiring me to press buttons corresponding to the order of rings around the goal.
But if that’s too simple, shortly after this I find a Hacking Node, a device that lets me hack even harder. For this node, a “Decode,” passing through a yellow box on a hacking grid will temporarily increase damage dealt. It essentially serves as a stronger version of the blue boxes, but in limited form. I could only carry a few at a time, so I imagine this may be an upgradable resource in the full release.
I also find a Shockwave Gun, which fires powerful close-range shots that make enemies easier to stagger. It’s a better weapon that my standard issue Grip Gun, but it’s worse at long distances and lacks unlimited ammo. However, when enemies suddenly appear in my personal space, it certainly packs a punch.
On the way to the top floor I fight some more enemies. I find some documents that feed me a bit more context about this lunar base and its robot rebellion. And Hugh and Diana banter. Hugh reminds me of a goofy dad, and I find that dad-type refreshing next to the stoic dad characters we’ve seen in games lately.
Along the way I come across an Escape Hatch. These serve as checkpoints. They’ll also allow players to return to the aforementioned Shelter to recover and upgrade gear. I also come across another weapon. This one, the Stasis Net, immobilizes enemies. This comes in handy when fighting multiple robots, as I can freeze one to focus on the others.
Battling the Boss Bot
Having kitted out my arsenal, I’m almost at the boss. But first, Hugh says he longs for home. And Diana says he can’t get there yet, because “this is just the demo.” It is at this point I know two things. This little android is cool. And I will be very sad if anything bad happens to her.
But nothing bad is going to happen here. Not on my watch. Unlike our preview from Summer Game Fest, we get to fight the boss here. And this boss is a weapon to equal Metal Gear, if it doesn’t surpass it. There’s a bit of a resemblance.
The boss has a range of attacks, from charging across the stage to firing missiles. I can jump and dodge to avoid them, so long as I keep an eye on my stamina. But I also have a range of attacks. I alternate between hacking and shooting while switching between weapons as well for maximum effect. Two new attacks present themselves. I can unleash a Critical Shot when the boss is staggered. And Diana can enter Overdrive Protocol after several successful hacks. We make short work of the boss and restore power. The demo ends. But not without reason to return.
Replaying the Pragmata Sketchbook Demo
After the roughly 25 minutes it takes me to complete the demo on the first run, I unlock a number of rewards. Are these for the full game? No. Interestingly, they’re still for the demo.
Finishing the Pragmata Sketchbook Demo unlocks the new outfit Scribble Suit, a new ability that slows time when dodging just before an attack, the new weapon Charge Piercer and the new node Multihack.
In replaying the demo, I find these various unlockables naturally throughout the playthrough. After finding the first couple weapons, I pick up the aptly named Charge Piercer. This gun pierces armor, with damage increased when charged. The demo forces me to drop another gun to equip it, but I see a fourth weapon slot that I’m pretty sure will become unlockable in the full game. I’m guessing players can unlock the fourth weapon slot at the Shelter.
The new hacking node, Multihack, means that passing through a yellow box on a hacking grid will affect multiple nearby enemies. It adds a new layer of strategy to the demo. I can now think about waiting until enemies group together before hacking, for maximum hack-ibility.
As for the last-minute dodging maneuver, I find it doesn’t come up too much. Mostly because I want to ensure I’ve dodged well in advance to maximize my hacking. But as a passive ability, it’s nice to have for when you move at the last minute.
Last and definitely not least, the Scribble Suit is adorable. It covers Hugh’s space suit in Diana’s scribbles, complete with a derpy drawn-on smiley face. I typically play games with the default outfits for immersion, but I made an exception for this. And hey, who’s to say Hugh doesn’t let Diana go to town with her crayons?
Pragmata Sketchbook Demo Impressions
If Pragmata piqued my interest with its promise of dual shooting and hacking gameplay, this demo held it. It’s one thing to watch a gameplay trailer in which someone navigates disparate mechanics flawlessly. But in playing through, I can say that bouncing between a 3D shooter and a 2D hacking game is just as fun as it looks.
The Sketchbook Demo alleviated initial concerns I had. I worried a bit about getting crowded while hacking, and thankfully Hugh can jump, dodge, and even hover to allow Diana to do her thing. Diana can unlock different sketches at the end of the demo through parameters met, such as by speed running or avoiding damage. This adds an extra layer of challenge for this who want it.
As such, I’ve replayed the demo a few times now. And as I get better and better even with just the few hacks and weapons the demo provides, I get more excited for the release of the full title. Pragmata has quickly gone from being a curiosity to one of my most anticipated titles of 2026. Who knew multitasking could be this fun?
Pragmata will arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 26th, 2026. In the meantime, you can check out the demo on PC here.
