The English release of Ankh: Heart of Osiris is still a month away, but it's now time for some early fun in the sun and sand, as UK publisher Xider has released a playable demo for its upcoming comic adventure.

A sequel to the original Ankh from Deck 13, Heart of Osiris once again takes players back to a cartoony, highly-stylized ancient Egypt. Many familiar faces return, including Assil, Thara, and the Pharaoh, all of whom are playable characters in the new game. This time around, our heroes will need to overcome an odd (what else!) assortment of obstacles to prevent Osiris from reclaiming his heart and returning to the land of the living.

The demo is taken from the second chapter of the game, putting players in the shoes of Thara, who must sneak into the Pharoah's palace to retrieve a valuable trophy. The download is just over 200 MB, and can be found at sites like GamersHell and FileFront. Note that the demo requires an email address to activate.