Dead as Disco is finally here, launching in Early Access after a long wait – and it immediately shows how much confidence, passion, and style developers put into it.
Dead as Disco
Release Date: May 05, 2026
Genres: Fighting, Music, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Indie
Thanks to Brain Jar Games and PiratePR, I had the chance to check the game out earlier. So… was it worth waiting for the return of Charlie Disco?
What Exactly is Dead as Disco?
As I mentioned in my Dead as Disco First impressions:
“Dead as Disco is a single-player rhythm beat’em up where you step into the shoes of Charlie Disco, taking down enemy idols and reuniting their band.”
Early Access also provides more details about the world and our main character Charlie – the first thing we learn is that Charlie died 10 years ago and it became the main event that broke Dead as Disco (the band) apart. Later on, the ex-members of the group started their own solo careers under the Harmony Corporation.
After 10 years Charlie comes back to life and wants to reunite the band: learn how and why he died, and uncover secrets of Harmony Corp.
Hemlock, Arora, Dex, Prophet
Right from the very beginning, you can see a ton of changes and additions compared to what was offered in the Preview version. To start with, I want to focus on our main targets – the former members of the band.
Hemlock – a former punk rocker who sold out, Hemlock now serves as Harmony Corp’s number one enforcer, unleashing his vandalism-prone fans on a whim. In my opinion, he’s the best one to start playing with, because he perfectly shows what we can expect from Dead as Disco. “Maniac” performed by Hemlock will stick with you for a few days because of how well it’s executed.
Not just the track, either, but the entire level – visually and gameplay-wise – feels like a work of passion, full of fresh ideas and style. Everything works together so well that sometimes it’s hard to focus just on fighting.
Next on the list we have Arora. Engineered for global domination, Arora is a next-gen AI pop idol customized just for you… based on personal data Harmony Corp promises it doesn’t have. Without beating around the bush, I’ll admit this is my favorite character. I’m a weeb, I like k-pop, and Rori brings all of that right from the start.
Compared to Hemlock, we have much more variety in stages here, starting with dodging lasers, wandering through fog among androids, all the way to fighting a giant Arora throwing meteors and stars at us.
Arora’s level shows how much possibility and potential lies within Dead as Disco.
Dex is a treat for metalheads. He is a cybernetically enhanced guitar god, hardwired into Harmony’s grid and shredding endlessly in pursuit of perfection. Even though this genre isn’t my favorite, and I don’t really enjoy it even in the background, thanks to Dex’s stage I might broaden my horizons. Just like every character, he has his gimmick – here we have to avoid lightning bolts which keep attacking us.
This is probably one of the most satisfying fights in Early Access – mainly because it constantly forces you to stay focused instead of relying on patterns.
Last on the list is Prophet – Rapper, producer, and kingmaker. Prophet birthed a thousand careers, now he buries them for Harmony Corp.
I recommend playing him last, because you then create a very nice framing device – we learned the basics in the tutorial to Prophet’s main track, and treating him as the final challenge adds a great sense of improvement.
A unique mechanic in Prophet’s stage is the appearance of the “Bouncer,” whom we can treat as a miniboss. It’s a nice addition to an already very extensive roster of enemies.
The Encore – The Heart of Disco
Another big addition is a bar called “The Encore”, which serves as a hub we return to after completing a level to talk to other characters, unlock new skills, and restore it to its former glory.
Every defeated ex-band member appears here, and we can talk to them to learn the story of the band and their own, or to complete special tasks for them.
For example, Hemlock is a truly colorful persona – very wild, vulgar, but distinctive, while Arora tells us what happened to the band after Charlie’s death and how Harmony Corp was pulling the strings – but more on that later.
It gets the most interesting when characters start talking about their shared relationships. It’s especially visible in the interactions between Hemlock and Arora, who were BFFs during the band’s glory days.
This adds much more dynamism and background to the characters – we don’t see them as just NPC A, B, C, but as people who, in addition to talking about themselves, also expand on what was happening backstage. There conversations motivate the player to complete tasks and spend more time with them.
Dex is my least favorite member of the whole group to talk to. It’s just that his personality is bit shallow, which doesn’t really resonate with me. At times, conversations with the guitarist made me feel actually tired or irritated.
Prophet gave me the vibe of that cool uncle who has tons of connections but is already tired of it all, so we need to find a really good reason for him to help us.
Dead as Disco shows our progress very well – not only through Charlie’s new abilities, but also through how The Encore comes to life throughout the game. It might feel a bit like The Sims, because we can repaint walls, restore the bar or other sections of the place, add furniture, posters, and a ton of other things.
It’s satisfying to see how, as we gain experience in the game, our hub also starts to look better and better.
All the story-related items we can buy or find serve not only as decorations, but also as world-building elements. They tell us stories of what happened before Charlie’s death or after it. This gives extra meaning to the grind we have to do to unlock everything available.
Additionally, we can also customize our Charlie. New clothes, hairstyle, glasses – you name it. At the moment the options aren’t incredibly extensive, which is understandable – the core is gameplay, characters, and expanding the skillset. Changing the appearance is just a nice addition.
Skill Tree
At the beginning, the skill tree may look a bit modest – with options like the increased HP or Stamina “Fever,” which is responsible for using special moves.
By defeating Hemlock, Arora, Dex, or Prophet, we receive additional tabs in the skill tree, dedicated to their own movesets, but we’re also developing Charlie’s basic tricks! It gives us the feeling that we’re not only learning a boss’ special ability, but also refining our own craft thanks to them.
When we start to understand what works best together, we enter a completely different level of gameplay. Now we don’t just want to complete the level – we want to do it spectacularly, with a really high combo counter.
Some abilities are straight up OP – for example Prophet’s block, which allows us to parry practically any attack and perform a counterattack that very often one-shots an NPC or knocks a boss to the ground.
Infinite Disco
The Infinite Disco mode is the real star of Early Access, because we don’t just have a dozen available songs to play – challenges have also appeared, and some of them are really tough.
Challenges in ID are a great way to practice using specific moves, special abilities, or mastering a song. It’s also one of the better ways to earn in-game currency, which allows us to unlock new skills or expand The Encore.
I also have to admit that I felt euphoric when I saw that the song Queencard by Idle made it onto the challenge list, and performed by Arora, no less. The developers really cooked here and I can’t wait for more k-pop hits, which I hope will be added regularly.
Without spoiling too much, some challenges feel totally unfair. Feel – that’s the key word. Then we start experimenting with the movesets, looking for the best combinations or tactics to complete the challenge, and when we finally succeed – the satisfaction is enormous.
This kind of approach should be the foundation for challenges offered by other titles.
It changes the whole perception of the game, because from simple rhythmic clicking we actually start diving into the mechanics and possibilities that Dead as Disco offers.
Of course, we can also import our own songs into the Infinite Disco mode, and they’ll appear in The Encore’s jukebox as well.
Harmony Corp – Cliffhanger
For a game in Early Access, Dead as Disco offers us a lot, especially in terms of story. Fortunately/unfortunately, despite frequent mentions of Harmony Corp from all the characters, we still don’t have the option to play the final concert or face the corporation. Surely, it won’t be in the style of Johnny Silverhand, and we’ll win through dialogue, arguments, and mutual respect.
But let’s be honest – nothing builds hype like waiting for the grand finale.
I’m convinced that Brain Jar Games sees this perfectly and didn’t do it simply due to lack of time or a rush to release the game, but also to foster curiosity, theories, and a community that will talk about the potential further development of the Dead as Disco crew’s adventures.
I will definitely be watching closely and looking out for new updates, because I spent truly wonderful moments with the game. I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun failing one of the challenges and experimenting with different tactics or skillsets.
Is Disco Dead?
Dead as Disco had been building hype for a really long time, which created expectations and a certain bar for the developers – and they truly delivered.
Honestly, I believe this is one of those titles you have to check out yourself, because once it hooks you, it won’t let go easily. The possibilities, perspectives, and what Dead as Disco offers are truly massive. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future some update is dedicated to letting the community create entire maps, which will only accelerate this snowball effect.
Even though rhythm games are totally not my thing and I don’t normally like them, I keep coming back to Dead as Disco and will continue to do so, because it’s simply a fantastic title that with satisfying gameplay, great audio design, and a spectacular visual experience.
Early Access fulfilled all the promises that appeared in trailers, teasers, or shorts, and let’s remember – this is only the beginning of Charlie Disco’s adventures.
For me, Dead as Disco is a must-play title in 2026, and I rate it 93/100.
Charlie Disco is back!
Dead as Disco
Release Date: May 05, 2026
Genres: Fighting, Music, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Indie