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, grinding

71% User Score Based on 52 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Devil Jam is a single player survival hack and slash game with fantasy and dark fantasy themes. 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

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

music12 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Unique and engaging grid-based build system adds strategic depth and build variety.
Stylish art design and strong heavy metal soundtrack that enhances the game's atmosphere.
Solid and addictive gameplay loop with enjoyable combat and entertaining boss fights.

Progression feels painfully slow and sometimes unrewarding, with poor balance in upgrades.
Limited content variety - repetitive enemies, few bosses, and only one main level reduce replayability.
Gameplay bugs, lack of meaningful story or narrative depth, and some frustrating RNG elements.

music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
55%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its heavy metal, rock-inspired soundtrack that deeply integrates with gameplay, creating a rhythmic and immersive experience where action syncs to the beat. While some desire more variety in tracks to reduce repetition, the killer soundtrack remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's intense, theatrical atmosphere. Overall, the music elevates the game’s unique blend of roguelite action and musical performance, making each run feel like a high-energy jam session.
- “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 due to a recurring bug where there was no music, making it impossible for characters to attack or defend, and therefore preventing any progress.”
- “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.”
- “A more expansive soundtrack, additional characters or instruments to unlock, and greater variety in environments could elevate the game to the next level.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The gameplay combines a stylish Hades-inspired aesthetic with a unique grid-based upgrade system that rewards strategic build planning and experimentation, supported by a driving heavy metal soundtrack. While the fast-paced combat and clever mechanics are engaging and addicting, progression can feel slow and occasionally unbalanced, with limited variation in arenas and enemy types. Overall, the gameplay offers a fresh twist on the survivors genre but could benefit from more mechanical polish and meta progression depth.
- “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.”
- “The gameplay is your usual survivors-like formula, nothing really needs much changing there, but I do like how each sin is given a special niche, the weapons have downsides, and the passive upgrade system is a game of arranging your upgrades on the grid to try to maximize things.”
- “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.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The story centers on a band selling their souls to the devil and integrates Hades-style upgrades tied to the seven deadly sins, but it lacks meaningful narrative development and conclusion. Players note the quest system can be confusing and the progression focuses more on stat improvements than evolving the story or gameplay. While the concept is intriguing, the absence of deeper lore or story reduces engagement for those seeking a narrative-driven experience.
- “Hades-style upgrades, interesting story about a band selling their souls to the devil, unique gameplay, great designs on the sins (they give you your upgrades), and lots to do with the challenges.”
- “The devil himself will offer you a variety of quests that can be completed in any order you choose.”
- “In fact, you can preemptively complete a quest before the parameters are even revealed, and you get credit.”
- “You don't even get a conclusion to the story between the player characters and the devil.”
- “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.”
- “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?”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
38%
The game's graphics receive widespread praise for their stylish, Hades-inspired art style and dynamic character designs, complemented by impressive visuals and voice acting. The rock-themed aesthetic and fluid combat visuals create an engaging, rhythm-driven atmosphere that stands out as a major strength. However, some users note that initial visual appeal may not fully compensate for deeper gameplay issues.
- “The art style is great.”
- “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.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers strong replayability through features like new maps, additional soundtracks, and multiple playable characters. While the upgrade system is generally effective, some suggest it could be scaled back to further enhance longevity. End-game modifiers add challenging options for replay enthusiasts, though preferences vary among players.
- “Lots of replayability.”
- “Such as new maps, additional soundtracks, and more playable characters.”
- “Personally, I love end-game modifiers that challenge you on runs after beating the game to add to the replayability.”
- “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.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is extensive and can become mind-numbing, especially for completionists, making social interaction helpful to stay sane. However, the intense guitar and percussion music enhances the experience by energizing the gameplay rather than serving as mere background noise.
- “And if you're unfortunate enough to be a completionist, like myself, you'll be grinding a lot.”
- “It's mind-numbing; if I didn't have my friends in Discord, I would have gone mad grinding these out.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a stylish atmosphere blending Hades-inspired visuals with Vampire Survivors-style gameplay, creating an engaging and challenging experience. Users appreciate the strong ambiance enhanced by quality voice acting, making the atmosphere a notable highlight.
- “A very stylish hybrid of Hades-esque graphics and atmosphere with Vampire Survivors type of gameplay.”
- “It's 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%
Character development is visually striking, with detailed demonic designs that enhance the hellish rock concert theme; however, some users feel that the initial appeal fades, revealing a lack of depth beneath the surface.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Optimization in the game allows players to refine and perfect their grid setups, enhancing the experience after multiple hours of play. This process contributes to a dynamic and engaging gameplay flow, 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.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is tongue-in-cheek and cleverly satirizes heavy metal stereotypes and the dramatic themes of hell, adding 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.”