November 3, 2025
Rogueside

Devil Jam

has a great premise, fantastic art, and a fun mechanical twist on the survivors-like genre. However, it feels unfinished, providing not a whole lot of content and making players grind pretty hard to get what is there. Mechanically and narratively light, the game would be in a great spot for an Early Access release, but short of a full launch.

71%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

story, replayability

74% User Score Based on 46 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Devil Jam is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Rogueside and was released on November 3, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Get ready to mosh in Devil Jam, a survivor-like roguelite in the fiery depths of Hell. After signing a cursed contract with the Devil, you're dragged to the underworld and forced to perform the gig of your afterlife. Armed with possessed instruments and a soul full of riffs, fight off endless waves of deranged fans, vicious mobs, and hellish rivals. Every run is a new jam session, with numerous c…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

music10 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Stylish and unique art style with impressive hand-drawn sprites and great voice acting that brings characters and enemies to life.
Engaging rhythm-based combat system combined with a tactical grid placement mechanic for abilities that provides meaningful depth and encourages experimentation.
Killer heavy metal soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and synchronizes well with gameplay, creating a highly enjoyable and energetic experience.

Limited content with only one main level, few bosses, and repetitive enemy waves leading to a lack of long-term variety and replayability.
Progression and difficulty balancing issues, including early roadblocks, unbalanced upgrades, and a meta progression system that can become overpowered quickly or feel unrewarding.
Lack of narrative depth and world interaction, missing story elements and character development despite strong thematic setup, resulting in a feeling of incompleteness.

music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The game's music, characterized by pounding heavy metal riffs and thundering percussion, is a standout feature that drives gameplay and creates a rhythmic, immersive experience tied directly to player actions. While some note occasional repetition and rare bugs affecting music playback, the soundtrack's intensity, variety of rock-inspired tracks, and integration with combat make it a memorable and energizing aspect that elevates the game's unique musical theme.
- “With its fast-paced combat, clever grid-based loadout system, and pounding heavy metal soundtrack, Devil Jam delivers an experience that is both visually intoxicating and mechanically engaging.”
- “The music itself, composed of grinding guitar riffs and thundering percussion, is more than just background noise—it drives the gameplay forward.”
- “Placing your abilities on the fretboard in different patterns scratches so many itches, and the music makes you fall so deeply into the game.”
- “Played the game a few times, really liked the concept and style, but sadly ended up having to get a refund because of a recurring bug where there was no music and therefore characters couldn't attack or defend themselves, making progress and playing impossible.”
- “While the soundtrack could use a little more variety to prevent repetition in longer play sessions, it remains one of the most memorable aspects of the experience, turning every run into a demonic jam session.”
- “A more expansive soundtrack, additional characters or instruments to unlock, and greater variety in environments could elevate it to the next level.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The gameplay offers a stylish and engaging blend of fast-paced combat and a clever grid-based loadout system that encourages strategic experimentation, though it sometimes suffers from balance issues and repetitive enemy encounters. Its progression relies on incremental upgrades through repeated runs, with mechanics rewarding nuanced build customization, but could benefit from more polish and additional features like upgrade rearrangement. Overall, it is accessible yet challenging, providing a satisfying and addictive gameplay loop enhanced by a driving heavy metal soundtrack.
- “With its fast-paced combat, clever grid-based loadout system, and pounding heavy metal soundtrack, Devil Jam delivers an experience that is both visually intoxicating and mechanically engaging, even if it occasionally struggles with repetition and balance.”
- “This small but clever mechanic introduces a degree of strategic planning that goes beyond the typical “choose an upgrade and move on” structure of similar games.”
- “Completely flips the genre on its head in terms of synergies due to its main mechanic of slotting in abilities on a board.”
- “Needs a little more mechanical polish for the meta progress, I feel.”
- “Interaction with the world remains surface-level, and the progression loop is focused almost entirely on improving stats rather than introducing new story developments or gameplay systems.”
- “The arenas, while visually distinct, do not offer much variation in gameplay, and the enemy roster repeats often.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
45%
The graphics are widely praised for their stylish, rock-inspired aesthetic, fluid and dynamic visuals, and strong character design, creating an engaging and unique atmosphere. Voice acting and sound complement the visuals well, enhancing the overall experience. Some users note initial attraction to the graphics but have mixed feelings after extended play.
- “The visuals and voice acting are on point.”
- “Overall very cool survivor style game, with a unique attack style and great visuals.”
- “A very stylish hybrid of Hades-esque graphics and atmosphere with Vampire Survivors type of gameplay.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The story aspect is notably underdeveloped, with minimal narrative depth and a focus on stat progression rather than meaningful plot or lore. While the game hints at intriguing themes like deals with the devil and the seven deadly sins, the lack of substantial story content may disappoint players seeking a rich narrative experience. Adding more story elements would significantly enhance its appeal.
- “If they add story to this game, it is an easy recommend, even if it's a short one.”
- “The devil himself will offer you a variety of quests that can be completed in any order you choose.”
- “Interaction with the world remains surface-level, and the progression loop is focused almost entirely on improving stats rather than introducing new story developments or gameplay systems.”
- “It wants to be like Hades, but in a "survivors" style, instead of Greek gods we have the 7 deadly sins, and a lack of story.”
- “Sure, it’s not essential, but you’ve got a band making a deal with the devil and there’s no real story to back it up?”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability through new maps, additional soundtracks, and more playable characters. However, some feel the upgrade system could be streamlined to enhance longevity. End-game modifiers provide challenging options for dedicated players, though casual players may prefer a simpler experience.
- “Lots of replayability.”
- “Such as new maps, additional soundtracks, and more playable characters.”
- “Like I said, the upgrade system works fine, but it needs to be toned back to increase the game's longevity and replayability.”
- “Personally, I love end-game modifiers that challenge you on runs after beating the game to add to the replayability, but I also know plenty of people who are much less sadistic and would prefer just to play the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its stylish, Hades-inspired visuals combined with engaging, Vampire Survivors-like gameplay, creating a challenging and immersive experience. Additionally, well-executed voice acting enhances the overall ambiance, making the atmosphere a standout aspect.
- “A very stylish hybrid of Hades-esque graphics and atmosphere with Vampire Survivors type of gameplay.”
- “Its absolutely challenging so far, I can see how they can build on the game more and more; the atmosphere and gameplay feel great, along with the voice acting.”
- “The overall atmosphere is a plus.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users appreciate the striking and thematic character designs that vividly reinforce the game's hellish rock concert atmosphere, but some feel that beneath the impressive visuals, the character development lacks depth and becomes disappointing over time.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization allows players to refine and perfect their grid setups over multiple hours, enhancing strategic depth. This process contributes to a dynamic and engaging experience, making each run feel like a unique performance.
- “This sense of repetition sets in after multiple hours of play, especially once you’ve optimized your favorite grid setups.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s grinding guitar riffs and powerful percussion create an engaging soundtrack that actively enhances and drives the gameplay experience.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is tongue-in-cheek, cleverly satirizing heavy metal stereotypes and the theatrical elements of hell's imagery. It adds a playful and self-aware tone to the experience.
- “The humor is tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at heavy metal stereotypes and the theatricality of hell’s imagery.”