Even though I grew up on classic beat ’em ups, the kind where you punch your way through waves of enemies while following some loose story, I haven’t really been blown away by recent entries in the genre. Sure, there have been some great titles, but none of them truly knocked me off my feet the way they did for other players. And that’s fine, tastes differ. Still, every now and then, a game grabs me visually first, then by name, and once I actually try it, it completely floors me. One of those titles is Dead as Disco, a game that just launched on Steam, developed by Brain Jar Games. In short, this is the most addictive, stylish, and fluid 3D beat ’em up I’ve played in years.
You play as Charlie Disco, who rises from the dead ten years after his death to take revenge on his former bandmates from the once-beloved group Dead As Disco. Personally, I’d say they were more than just bandmates, they were friends too, especially considering the wide range of music they used to cover together. In any case, Charlie sells his soul to the devil for one final night, the very night meant to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death. But Charlie has other plans. He’s determined to crash the event in spectacular fashion, mostly because his former friends completely sold out. And when I say that, I mean they abandoned their original sound and identity just to chase mainstream fame. It worked, of course, now the world knows them as “Idols.” But Charlie hates everything about it. How can someone be that fake? That much of a poser? And how could they betray him after he died? Honestly, I get it. How many bands we once loved ended up selling out for commercial success? Because of that, even though the story isn’t the game’s central focus, I genuinely enjoyed the setup. It gives you a solid reason to slap absolutely everyone in sight, and eventually, your former bandmates too.
The structure of the game reflects that idea. There’s no traditional linear progression where you beat one level to unlock the next. From the start, you can choose which former friend you want to confront. In the full story there are six, but in this Early Access version you can take on four. That might sound like a small number, but it absolutely isn’t, the replay value here is insane.
The four musicians available in Early Access couldn’t be more different. After Charlie’s death, each of them chose their own path, and arguably betrayed it just as much as they betrayed him. There’s Dex, the metalhead who sacrificed nearly every part of his body in pursuit of fame. Prophet, the hip-hop artist who constantly insists that Charlie himself is to blame for the band’s downfall. Hemlock, the punk whose intro track is “Maniac” by Michael Sembello from Flashdance, which is hilariously perfect. No matter how little it fits the punk aesthetic, mowing down enemies while “She’s a maniac, maniac on the floor!” blasts in the background is pure genius. And then there’s Arora, who transformed herself into an AI and now produces chart-topping hits generated by algorithms. She’s dominating the music scene. How could Charlie not despise all of that? He’s an artist with a pure soul, well, a soul currently owned by Vex, the floating skull he made a deal with for his one night of revenge.
Once you choose which ex-bandmate to confront, you dive into their level, and that’s when the action truly begins. It’s important to point out that while this game heavily leans on music and rhythm, your success doesn’t depend on hitting every button perfectly on beat like in Hi-Fi Rush. It’s far more relaxed. Your attacks create the beat that enhances the music, so in a way, the soundtrack follows you rather than the other way around.
The sound of your strikes blends seamlessly with the background track. Your tempo matters most, your rhythm complements the music, and the music complements you. There are prompts for counters and dodges that amplify the beat when timed correctly, but even if you hit dash instead of counter, the resulting sound effect still fits perfectly into the song. It genuinely feels like a mutual exchange: you enrich the music with your combat rhythm, and the music enhances your on-screen action. And it all feels, and sounds, absolutely phenomenal.
Mechanically, the game is incredibly polished. Many melee-focused beat ’em ups that experiment with musical or stylistic twists often lack the natural combat flow needed to make everything look and feel smooth. That is absolutely not the case here. Dead as Disco is so well-animated and fluid that every move you pull off feels satisfying, no matter how many times you’ve seen it before.
At its core, you have light attacks, heavy attacks (with charge options), dodge, counter, special combos, finishers, and a handful of additional moves. It’s up to you to use them effectively to tear through waves of enemies, devoted fans of your former bandmates, until you finally reach the level’s main boss: Dex, Prophet, Arora, or Hemlock. The best part of the gameplay is the sheer impact behind every hit. There’s this distinct “oomph” to each strike, paired with a sound effect that almost resembles exaggerated slaps. It adds a comedic edge while still delivering that deeply satisfying punch.
Even better, the animations chain together beautifully. No matter what move you transition into, countering an attack, sliding to launch someone into the air, or unleashing a special slap combo, everything flows seamlessly. Sure, there are moments when enemies interrupt your combo, but even those transitions are handled smoothly. The true beauty, and addictiveness, of this game lies in that fluid animation system. Whatever happens on screen, whatever button you press, it just works.
On each level, you start by facing weaker enemies, and there are plenty of them. As you beat down wave after wave, the game moves you through different arenas until you finally reach the boss fight. And that’s where everything you’ve learned up to that point truly gets tested. I have to admit, the boss battles are anything but trivial, and they’re definitely not short. Each one can last through several full music tracks, with transitions between different environments that look absolutely stunning. The tricky part about this game is that it all seems simple at first glance, and in essence, it is, but the longer you play, the more you realize there are hidden systems and mechanics beneath the surface. Over time, you begin mastering them, which helps you achieve higher ranks on each map.
Your performance, how stylishly and efficiently you slap around enemies and bosses, earns you fans. And those fans serve as currency for upgrading Charlie. This isn’t an RPG-style progression system, though. Instead, you get a compact skill tree where you unlock new moves, improved combos, extra health, or more Fever, which allows you to unleash powerful special attacks. On top of that, fans can be used to renovate your old band’s hangout spot, The Encore club. It’s fallen into serious disrepair over the ten years since your death, but the bartender, loyal as ever, has stayed behind even as everything crumbled around him. Renovating the club becomes part of the gameplay loop, fight, earn fans, upgrade Charlie, restore The Encore, and it’s surprisingly satisfying.
Visually and stylistically, the game absolutely nails it. The opening sequence, selling your soul to the devil, Charlie’s design, the neon-drenched aesthetic, the wild blend of colors and styles, strongly reminded me of the works of SWERY and Suda51. Not quite as unhinged as their games, but definitely carrying that same chaotic creative spark. At times, it genuinely feels like you’re playing inside a music visualizer, and that’s a huge compliment. The set pieces are fantastic, and each level contains multiple sequences that look completely different from one another. The music also changes depending on which boss you’re facing, and during those moments, the soundtrack slightly dictates the tempo. Faster tracks push Charlie to move and fight more aggressively, while slower songs give you a bit more breathing room to adapt to enemies and the rhythm of combat.
There’s a ton of music in the game. From what I can tell, most of it comes from lesser-known artists, at least to me, along with covers of older songs reimagined to fit the Dead as Disco atmosphere. But one of the best features is that you can import your own music and beat enemies to the rhythm of your favorite tracks. Even better, no matter which mode you play, whether it’s a story level, Encore mode, Endless mode, or your custom soundtrack sessions, you’ll always earn fans to fuel your upgrades and renovations. And I have to say, even though I wasn’t familiar with many of the artists featured here, every single track is insanely catchy, yes, even the K-pop ones, and they’ll stay stuck in your head long after you stop playing.
Even though Early Access has only just begun and we currently have “just” four bosses, effectively four full levels plus Encore and Endless modes, this is a game you can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into without getting bored. There’s always either your own playlist or the game’s soundtrack pushing you forward. Combined with near-perfect gameplay, if I had to score it right now, I’d give it a strong 9 out of 10 and call it one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. If you haven’t already, try the demo, and then jump into the full game. Dead as Disco is Steam Deck Verified and runs beautifully not only on the Deck but also on ROG Ally handheld PCs, meaning you can take both your music and your revenge wherever you go.
