From the twisted minds of Rougeside, Devil Jam throws players headfirst into a chaotic blend of rhythm-based action and rougelite madness. This demo offers a tantalising taste of a game that’s equal parts stylish, brutal, and surprisingly strategic. This is a game for the competitive metal heads.

You play as a washed-up musician who, after a mysterious encounter at a lonely crossroads, signs a contract with a cloaked figure who is none other than the devil himself. You are instantly dragged down to the underworld, where your soul has been bound to what can be explained as the ultimate gig. You must slay your way through hell’s fiercest foes to dethrone Death.

Devil Jam is a rhythm-driven rougelite where your attacks are timed with the beat of the music. It’s not quite as simple as it sounds. You need to move around and keep upgrading your perk cards, which you have the option of three each time you level up, and you add them to your inventory, which can add new powers to help defeat the hordes.

This, mixed with a random level generation, lootable shrines and an insane number of loadout combinations, not one run will ever feel the same. Devil Jam is not quite like any game I’ve played before, making it a fun experience for the demo.

The main aspect of this game is the music, and I’m hoping there are more options for a backing track in the full release because you get used to the song in the demo super quickly and want it to get spiced up a little after a little while. The music did turn each battle into a musical massacre.

The controls were quite easy to pick up with basic movement with W, A, S, D and pressing the spacebar would get you a nice little boost in those trickier positions. I didn’t find myself mashing buttons, and it was quite calm. Adding new perks to the inventory is as simple as clicking, and it’s finished and attacking seemed to be automatic as it was linked to the beat.

I instantly fell in love with the graphics in this title. It was a beautifully crafted pixel-style art with all the enemies having a distinct look, and the underworld looks stunning. I would like to see if the developers in the full release will add some different-looking locations in the underworld or just keep the neon dark-style rock location there is now.

Devil Jam hits all the right notes, with its unique concept, tight rhythm-based gameplay, and devilishly good presentation. This demo makes it clear that Rougeside isn’t here to mess around. I hope they will bring the noise when the full game drops and make a metal masterpiece.

Written by: Hayden Nelson