Dead as Disco is easily one of the best indie games Ive ever played and
after 20 hours of demo, it beats the brilliant Hi-Fi Rush in one major way

Date:
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Description:
Dead as Disco is an incredibly promising beat 'em up game, and after 20 hours of playtime in the demo, I'm convinced it'll be an instant hit.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter
Beat 'em up games have come a long way over many decades of PC and console gaming, with a wide range of them delivering unique experiences.

Capcom, Sega, Konami, and several popular developers have helped define the genre with classic titles like God Hand , Streets of Rage , and Final Fight , many of which are lauded as the best beat 'em up games ever made.
Fortunately, the genre is still alive and kicking, notably in 2024's Hi-Fi Rush made by Tango Gameworks. It's a title that gained so much critical acclaim, as it channeled the spirit of beloved action games with a unique
beat sync system that would follow the player's movements and attacks.
Article continues below You may like The 17 best Steam Deck games 2025 The 25 best PC games to play right now Best fighting games to play in 2025

This made every single combat encounter fun, allowing you to jam to the
game's music in style, while pulling off numerous combos that are very reminiscent of what Capcom's Devil May Cry had to offer which might not be a surprise, considering the presence of Shinji Mikami, a former Capcom
developer (and notably Resident Evil 4 's creator), who approved creative director John Johanas' original pitch for the beat 'em up game. Protagonist Chai in Hi-Fi Rush . (Image credit: Bethesda Softworks) Fast forward to 2026, and a new beat 'em up contender is in town, made by Brain Jar Games. It's a spiritual successor to Hi-Fi Rush called Dead as Disco .

Just like Tango Gameworks' surprise hit, Dead as Disco is a fast-paced, stylish, and beautiful action-rhythm game, with combat syncing to every
single beat as the music thumps through speakers.

It's launching in early access on May 5 on Steam, and having put 20 hours of playtime solely into its demo, Dead as Disco is shaping up to be a complete step up from Hi-Fi Rush , and it's all because of one big factor... Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You can add your playlist to the game (Image credit: Brain Jar Games) Yes, you read that
right. Brain Jar Games has quite literally implemented a system that allows players to upload their favorite tracks and edit the beats per minute (BPM)
of each song to play them in game. The BPM of songs can be easily found using SongBPM , or if you prefer to find the BPM of your custom MP3, Tunebat is
your best friend.

Every arena combat encounter will have music almost perfectly synced (if edited correctly) with the main character Charlie Disco's attacks, and this mechanic alone should be enough to let Dead as Disco surpass Hi-Fi Rush .

Custom songs effectively create infinite replay value, as there will always
be new music to add and test, and feel every beat with each move. When
playing songs with a low BPM, you'll feel the slow and groovy beat through combat. Find a song with a very high BPM, and the speed of combat skyrockets. What to read next Best PS5 games: the 30 top PlayStation 5 titles to play in 2026 Romeo is a Dead Man review: come for the fantastic action, stay for the history of Manchester United strikers (no, seriously) Why Sea of Remnants is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious free games ever

It also helps that there are numerous dance moves and taunts already available, providing extra style on the dance floor, and the modding
community has taken it a step further with different character models to choose from. (Image credit: Brain Jar Games) Whether or not a song syncs well with combat will entirely depend on the player's timing of attacks, which can be helped by using the optional beat indicator, also found in Hi-Fi Rush . It's also worth noting that some songs are nearly impossible to sync perfectly, notably those that constantly change rhythm (especially Michael Jackson's greatest hits).

Fortunately, though, there are tools already available in the demo that allow players to fine-tune songs via offset adjustments, or even alter the chosen BPM if the genuine one isn't flowing well.

The demo has received updates over time since its May 2025 release, and I
have no doubts that the developers will strive to make many adjustments to perfect the audio editing system once early access is underway.

Dead as Disco is easily one of the most promising indie games this generation, and the best indie game of the year so far in my books. It's already stacking up rave reviews on Steam with an 'overwhelmingly positive' score for its demo, a feat that's notably reserved for the highest tier of games on the platform.

At this rate, it's poised to be one of the biggest releases this year, and frankly, deserves far more recognition than it currently has. Follow
TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/dead-as-disco-is-easily-one-of-the-best-indie -games-ive-ever-played-and-after-20-hours-of-demo-it-beats-the-brilliant-hi-fi -rush-in-one-major-way


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)