Absolum

Absolum is a fantastic new intellectual property, the result of another successful partnership between DotEmu and Guard Crush. The game innovates by fusing the beat'em-up genre with roguelite, making it unlike anything else on the market. Its solid design and constant surprise factor make this "rogue-em-up" a highly recommended game, even for those who are frustrated by randomness.

Absolum is a fun roguelike evolution of the classic beat 'em up; frantic brawling combat meets deep replayability.

Absolum is one of the most polished and varied beat 'em ups of all time, which is saying something. Its progression system makes it endless to play. It's among the elite in 2025.

Absolum has received an incredible shot in the arm with its new Threads of Fate update. While the core experience already proved that Dotemu, Guard Crush, and Supamonks have made one of the best beat ’em ups in recent years, providing players with new difficulty and run modifiers adds more life to an already healthy game. Just as fantastic as it was when it released in 2025, this newest patch provides an incredible reason for anyone to check out what Absolum has to offer.

In a word, unbeatable. [Issue#417, p.106]

There are tons of Rogue-Lite games released this year to the point where I roll my eyes every time I see a new one, but Absolum managed to stand out with its incredibly addictive beat ’em up gameplay and stunning visuals.

The beat ’em up foundation of Absolum is smooth and fluid, and the roguelike twist adds the necessary depth, making it almost endlessly replayable. In recent years, quite a few games have shown how cool beat ’em ups used to be. Absolum shows how brilliant the genre can truly be from now on.

Absolum is a game I’ve wanted to play since I was a kid. We get simple, approachable brawling battles, high production values in art and music, and a richly imagined fantasy world, all wrapped around a narrative that makes replay and progression worth coming back to advance again and again. It’s not a game that is going to change anyone’s opinions about the genre, but it is a brilliant implementation of a very old formula into something that feels modern, deeply replayable, and unmistakably fun.

With its stunning visuals, beautiful soundtrack and gratifying gameplay, Absolum will draw you in from the outset. And thanks to its roguelike elements it has plenty of longevity and depth. One of the best games of 2025, this is a must-play whether you're a fan of beat 'em ups or roguelikes.

Absolum’s effort to push its tried and true genre further is an absolute win, my new favourite of the bunch, and the biggest thing for beat ‘em ups since Streets of Rage 4 single-handedly brought them back.

Dotemu, Guard Crush Games and Supermonks have delivered a delightful mix of 2.5D Beat’em Up and Roguelike. Especially the combat, the controls, the fantasy world itself as well as sound design and soundtrack are just superb. The Roguelike elements are lacking in places and some upgrades feel either too weak or entirely pointless. Nevertheless “Absolum” absolutely rocks, is pure joy in moment to moment gameplay and offers great sounds and visuals that shouldn’t be missed. While cooperative play obviously trumps solo runs, the game is still a blast even when played alone.

Absolum delivers a stylish fusion of classic beat’em up action and roguelite progression. Its hand-drawn art, tight combat, and addictive upgrade loop make every run rewarding, even when the difficulty spikes sometimes feel brutal. Limited enemy variety and steep challenge aside, it’s a beautiful, hard-hitting brawler for those who don’t mind a fight.

Absolum blends roguelike and beat’em up with charm and style. Addictive gameplay, layered combat, and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals shine, despite minor input and hitbox issues. With a standout soundtrack and local/online multiplayer, it's one of 2025’s indie highlights and hard to put down.

Absolum delivers an addictive and visually stunning mix of beat ’em up action and roguelite mechanics, with diverse combat styles, an engaging fantasy world, and excellent art direction, though its repetitive structure, uneven roguelite balance, and inconsistent upgrades limit its long-term appeal despite the fun local and online co-op.

Absolum is a hilarious beat 'em up roguelike that has managed to blend these two genres perfectly and is destined to set the standard with its solid combat system. If I had to find fault with it, it would be the lack of more scenarios and perhaps a greater variety of item upgrades.

Absolum puts and mixes together several already known themes and mechanics, but it does so in an overall original way, creating an absolutly enjoyable product, full of variet, twists and more. A little treasure that will be surely appreciated by beat'em up lovers.

Juggling attacks and skills as you gradually make it further through its variety of stunning environments makes Absolum one rewarding brawler.

A fun roguelike beat ’em-up that manages to expand the genre beyond its arcade roots, with relatively deep combat, excellent animation, and four very different playable characters.

Absolum is both a brilliantly crafted beat-'em-up and a devilishly addictive roguelike. Although the overall experience does feel slightly short-lived, you'll seriously struggle to tear yourself away from the game's striking fantasy world — especially when all of its systems start to click.

Once again, Dotemu delivers a highly entertaining beat ’em up with charming visuals and deeply satisfying combat. However, we would have preferred a more traditional level design, as the heavy roguelike elements don’t feel like a natural fit for the genre. The experience becomes repetitive rather quickly, forcing players to replay the same levels and enemy encounters without offering many surprises in terms of randomization.