Dead as Disco

When the timing is right, Dead as Disco can be a joy to play, with an accessible and addictive combat system, a bright and imaginative art-style and perhaps more importantly, the music chops to match that artistic vision. There’s still a lot of work to be done of course, but with the add-your-own-music feature bringing potentially limitless content to enjoy, Brain Jar Games are potentially on their way to a number one smash hit. [Early Access Score = 70]

Dead as Disco has a distinct vision for what it wants to be and ultimately, it’s a wildly entertaining first step. Early Access is the perfect opportunity for Brain Jar Games to release its rhythm-based beat ’em up into the wild and work with players while they take this concept to its current limits. As engaging as most of its Idol fights are right now, the true gem of Dead as Disco is going to be its custom mode where players fight to the beat of their own music. Ripe for content, I think this one may turn out to be a hit.

Dead as Disco doesn’t just flirt with the beat-em-up formula; it remixes it into something effortlessly stylish and easy to pick up, even in its early-access state. Its blend of music-driven combat, eccentric boss fights, and pick-up-and-play accessibility makes it a standout for both casual players and genre fans alike. While it’s still finding its footing in areas like depth and progression, what’s already here is bursting with personality and promise. If the developers can build on this foundation, Dead as Disco has all the makings of a cult-favorite brawler that’s as fun as hell to feel as it is to play.

By the time Dead as Disco exits early access, it should be one for the ages. For now, however, it’s an excellent early access offering that masterfully blends 3D beat ’em up combat with some sick beats. [Early Access Review]

Dead as Disco may be more EP than album at its Early Access debut, but it already proves that Brain Jar Games has everything it takes to top the charts one day. The cats on stage are electric, the set list is inspired, and there’s enough juice at the bar to keep you coming back for more. Ultimately, you kind of have to give yourself to the flow to see everything Dead as Disco has to offer. You have to be excited to practice, to explore technique. If you’re willing to dig into the act of making something, so much the better. You’ll get more out of it. That’s just how music is, how action games are – the good ones, anyway. Fall down seven times, get up eight, until the song that whooped your butt is a dance your fingers know all the moves to. Charlie’s only got one night to set things right, but Disco never dies. [Early Access Score = 80]

Dead As Disco is built on a solid foundation of beat-based combat that feels responsive and enjoyable, and it's elevated by a truly great soundtrack. However, with run-of-the-mill levels and not much else to engage with aside from said combat, Dead As Disco runs out of steam incredibly quickly and becomes quite repetitive. [Early Access Score = 60]

It still needs work in some areas. Tutorials need expanding, the collectables need clearer visibility, and a few systems could communicate information better. But those problems feel fixable because the foundation underneath them is already solid. More than anything, my Dead as Disco review comes down to how memorable the game feels. It is stylish without feeling hollow, angry without feeling preachy, and difficult without becoming unfair (most of the time, it needs some tweaks). This isn’t my one perfect 10/10 game for the year, but it gets super close, and I genuinely think the full release could end up being something special. [Early Access Score = 90]

What Dead as Disco already gets right is arguably the hardest part: it has a combat system that feels fantastic, and a musical backbone that elevates it beyond simple imitation. If you’ve ever loved the rhythm and flow of Arkham-style combat, this is a game that understands exactly why that worked - and then dares to remix it into something fresh. It’s stylish, it’s confident, and most importantly, it’s an absolute joy to play in time with. Harmonious, even. [Early Access Score = 90]

But as it stands now, Dead as Disco is not only my favourite game I’ve played so far in 2026, but one that I can see being a true all-timer as more content is added and it’s polished up even more. Charlie Disco's comeback performance is already something truly special, but it can only get better from here. [Early Access Review]