While Action games aren’t usually up my alley, rhythm games are absolutely my jam — Dead as Disco combines the two in a rhythm-fighting hybrid where every punch and kick lands on the beat.
It’s a fun mash-up, and I can see exactly what developers Brain Jar Games are going for, but right now it feels like the routine needs a bit more choreography before it really hits its stride.
Once Upon A Time, There Was Disco
You play as Charlie Disco, freshly back from the dead and trying to piece together the mystery of your own murder. Four boss battles are available from the start, each tied to a former bandmate that you’ll recruit and host back at your club, The Encore. Once defeated, they hang around your hub looking… less than thrilled about it.
For a game built around music, Dead as Disco’s track list was pretty unfamiliar. I recognised about three songs, which were all covers. Being an indie game, I was probably being a bit too optimistic when hoping for some Bee Gees or ABBA — licensing is expensive — but it was still a bit of a letdown when music is the main event.
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Beautiful Blinding Lights
Visually, Dead as Disco absolutely commits to the bit: neon everywhere, bold stylisation, and boss arenas that feel like interactive music videos. At times, there’s even K-pop/anime-inspired flairs that work surprisingly well with the game’s rhythm-focused combat.
It’s the kind of game that benefits from a bigger screen; playing on the Steam Deck didn’t quite do it justice as it felt like I was squinting to make out some details.
Combat itself is a mix of timed button presses and freeform hits, all synced to the beat. When it clicks, it feels great, landing hits in time with the music is inherently satisfying. The problem is that it doesn’t evolve enough, enemy patterns are easy to read and quickly become all too familiar, and it didn’t take long for me to feel like I’d seen all of what the game had to offer.
To be fair, this is Early Access, so there’s plenty of room for tweaks, growth, and added variety.
Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Direction
Dead as Disco’s Story Mode left much to be desired. After recruiting all my bandmates and filling out the hub, I hit a wall. It wasn’t clear what I was working towards, how to progress, or why certain items were locked. I assumed upgrading the club would push things forward, but it didn’t.
Eventually, I realised progression was tied to finding hidden items within boss levels, but this wasn’t made clear at all. It also meant replaying the same fights over and over, and not in a fun ‘one more run‘ kind of way, but more ‘do I really have to do this again!?‘.
It doesn’t help that these items can be hard to spot amidst all the neon chaos. Between the visual noise and the lack of direction, it can quickly become more frustrating than engaging.
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I don’t need games to hold my hand, but I do need them to give me a reason to keep going. Right now, Dead as Disco feels like it’s still figuring that part out.
The Headline Act: Free Play
The game also includes a “Challenge Mode” with structured objectives, but the real standout here is “Free Play”. This mode lets you upload your own music to fight to the beat of your favourite songs. It’s easily the best way to play.
There’s a recommendation to stick to tracks above 120 beats per minute (BPM) to keep things engaging, as well as an advanced editor that lets you fine-tune the sync of your uploaded track.
It also led me to a slightly more existential problem… I don’t actually own music anymore. Thanks to streaming, my library lives entirely on Spotify. So getting tracks into the game involved a brief and mildly cursed trip back to sourcing MP3s like it was 2005.
Once it’s all set up, though, Free Play is where Dead as Disco shines.
Encore, Do You Want More?
It feels like Dead as Disco is a funky fusion aimed at rhythm fans that are curious about fighting games. The game’s core idea is interesting and its visuals are compelling, but it struggles to keep the momentum going. Story Mode lacks direction, combat can get repetitive, and the soundtrack doesn’t quite carry the weight it needs to.
There’s a solid foundation here, and Early Access gives Brain Jar Games time to build on it. If you’re just looking to punch and kick to your favourite songs in Free Play, there’s plenty of fun to be had, but its other modes probably won’t keep you on the dance floor for long.
Dead as Disco is available in Early Access on PC via Steam.
Early Access to Dead as Disco was supplied to Quest Daily for this review.
