Berserk or Die

About

Berserk or Die is a single player action game. It was developed by Nao Games and was released on June 8, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Berserk or Die," you play as the last soldier on a relentless battlefield, attacking enemies from the left or right to survive. Strategic use of gold allows you to heal, upgrade weapons, and acquire relics from the nightly Peddler. Unique keyboard-bashing combat demands constant offense, building up powerful attacks to overcome waves of stronger foes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 206 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging control scheme that encourages players to mash their keyboards, providing a fun and chaotic experience.
Visually appealing with great pixel art and a catchy soundtrack, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
Offers a variety of characters and unlockable content, adding depth and replayability to the game.

The keyboard smashing mechanic can lead to frustration, as it often results in unintended actions like opening programs or triggering shortcuts.
Controls feel inconsistent and imprecise, making it difficult to execute attacks and blocks effectively, especially with the keyboard.
Performance issues arise during longer play sessions, with noticeable lag and slowdowns as the game progresses.

gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
9%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun and satisfying mechanics, particularly the keyboard mashing aspect, while others find it repetitive and lacking depth. Many users expressed frustration with the unclear controls and the limitations of controller support, which detracted from their overall experience. Despite its appealing visuals and sound design, the gameplay loop is often described as overly simplistic and in need of refinement.
- “A really fun and well-priced gem! Very crunchy and satisfying gameplay, and I love the soundtrack/audio too.”
- “Satisfying gameplay, tons of unlocks to go for, lots of replay value.”
- “Once you start actually playing the game normally, it's a very decent and aesthetically pleasing game with vampire survivors-esque power-up elements.”
- “If you try to skip the keyboard smashing mechanic, you find that using your special ability or attack much further to the left/right is simply not possible with the controller. The game claims to have controller support, which it does not. The tutorial doesn't even show how to do the things I explained above when replaying it with 'gamepad' selected in the settings.”
- “The 'mashing' mechanic is unclear, even after doing the tutorial a few times, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one that does not like violently smashing their main keyboard.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay is very thin, repetitive, and has nowhere near the draw as Poncle's previous game.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
27%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel design and aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers noting the impressive visuals and engaging sound effects that enhance the overall experience. While the visuals are described as beautiful and well-crafted, some players feel that the chaotic control scheme detracts from the gameplay, suggesting that the graphics are a highlight in an otherwise flawed experience. Overall, the game's presentation, including its music and visual effects, is considered a significant strength, making it visually captivating despite some gameplay shortcomings.
- “Graphics look amazing with the pixel design and artwork really shows that time was put into it.”
- “The visuals and sound are fantastic for a four dollar game.”
- “I saw the graphics.”
- “It's a shame, I love One Finger Death Punch, and I love the graphic style of this game.”
- “The game's presentation through music and visuals is a sight to behold.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
20%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its engaging and energetic quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience with a stylish soundtrack that complements the visuals. However, some users have reported issues with audio stuttering, which detracts from the otherwise impressive audio-visual presentation. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “A really fun and well-priced gem :) very crunchy and satisfying gameplay and I love the soundtrack/audio too.”
- “This game's got great style and music, and when you get into the flow of things the combat is really engaging.”
- “The game's presentation through music and visuals is a sight to behold.”
- “The music starts cutting in and out and stuttering, which is a bit disappointing.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is notably lacking, with performance issues becoming pronounced after day 10, including unresponsive key presses and significant lag when encountering large numbers of monsters. Additionally, audio problems such as music stuttering further detract from the experience, leaving players feeling that the game feels unfinished.
- “Overall, things can be improved for sure, like the performance as you get to day 10 and beyond, or key presses being more responsive at times, but it's a decent little game.”
- “Feels unfinished and poorly optimized.”
- “Optimization is really bad at the moment; once you achieve 1000+ monsters, it's so laggy (and the PC isn't the issue).”
- “Overall, things can be improved for sure, like the performance as you get to day 10 and more, or key presses being more responsive at times.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as a standout feature, with players appreciating its funny concept and comedic elements. However, some reviewers feel that the game struggles to balance its humorous aspects with the demands of gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution.
- “As I progress, I begin to see this as more than just a funny keyboard slamming game and more like an actually well-designed roguelite.”
- “Fun game and hilarious concept.”
- “This game is just so much worse than One Finger Death Punch and it doesn't know if it wants to be a funny button-mashing game or a game about tight timings and precise inputs.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with users reporting occasional glitches that can hinder gameplay, particularly on two notably buggy maps that may result in softlocks and loss of rewards. However, some players find that navigating around these issues can add an unexpected layer of challenge to the experience.
- “Surprisingly difficult game; glitches are sometimes encountered, but playing around them can sometimes enhance the experience, despite the occasional hindrance.”
- “There are also two really buggy maps that just softlock you and force you to lose all rewards for that map.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game highly replayable due to its satisfying gameplay and numerous unlocks, which encourage multiple playthroughs. The unique elements and engaging mechanics contribute to its overall replay value.
- “Satisfying gameplay, tons of unlocks to go for, lots of replay value.”
- “Anyways, pretty good game, very fun, unique, and replayable.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story features a notable plot twist involving the peddler, who is revealed not to be a hidden boss or character, which adds an unexpected layer to the narrative.
- “The biggest plot twist in this game is that the peddler is not a secret boss or character.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional response, indicating that the experience was so impactful that they feel unlikely to engage with it again. This suggests a profound, possibly negative emotional resonance that lingers after the experience.