Slash or Die

About

"Slash or Die" is a fast-paced rhythm game where players control a character slashing through waves of incoming enemies in time with the music. With a variety of weapons, characters, and levels, the game offers a high replayability value as players aim to improve their score and survive the onslaught. The game features a unique twist on the rhythm genre, challenging players to maintain both their accuracy and survival in the face of increasingly difficult patterns.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features simple mouse controls that are easy to pick up, making it accessible for casual play.
The upgrade system is engaging, allowing players to enhance their characters significantly, which adds depth to the gameplay.
The retro pixel graphics and soundtrack create an enjoyable atmosphere, making it a fun time-waster.

The controls can be frustratingly unresponsive, particularly the inability to attack while moving, leading to many unfair deaths.
There are persistent bugs that affect gameplay, such as delayed mouse inputs and issues with attack commands not registering.
The game can feel repetitive and grindy, with limited content and mechanics that may not hold players' interest for long.

gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a simple yet engaging mechanic where players move and attack using mouse clicks, creating a fast-paced experience that balances challenge and frustration. While the pixel graphics and chiptune soundtrack enhance the retro aesthetic, some players find the slashing mechanics inconsistent, leading to occasional frustration. Overall, the game offers a fun, albeit simplistic, experience with a grindy progression system, making it suitable for short gaming sessions.
- “The pixel graphics and music are enjoyable, and the upgrade system (more health, stamina, speed, bleed damage, etc.) adds some variety to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fast and fun, and the game walks the fine line between challenging enough to make you keep trying and being so hard you rage quit very well.”
- “Very appealing retro aesthetic, pixelated graphics, and a cool chiptune soundtrack with a mobile-like 'I have five minutes to kill' gameplay concept and progression system.”
- “The game's title alludes to this being intrinsic to the gameplay, that you have to 'slash or die' to make space to move around, but when the slashing is so inconsistent, your deaths are often frustrating.”
- “They're tricky at best and frustrating and unresponsive at worst, and in a game where that's your sole mechanic, it simply can't be overlooked.”
- “It doesn't matter how good the other aspects are if the driving game mechanic is underperforming or even broken.”
music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
15%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the chiptune soundtrack for its retro appeal and fitting atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and occasionally irritating. Some users appreciate the variety it adds to gameplay, though a few criticize certain tracks as subpar or overly familiar from other indie games. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as good, but it may become dull over time.
- “The pixel graphics and music are enjoyable, and the upgrade system (more health, stamina, speed, bleed damage, etc...) adds some variety to the gameplay.”
- “Very appealing retro aesthetic, pixelated graphics and a cool chiptune soundtrack with a mobile-like 'I have five minutes to kill' gameplay concept and progression system.”
- “Oh yeah, and it has an awesome old-school soundtrack which totally fits the game!”
- “The soundtrack gets a bit dull over time.”
- “Annoying music pack: first of all, half of the songs are simply bad, and on top of that, like 90% of the songs you can hear in like 5 different indie games (each $1 full price, for example, FBI Mania).”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
28%
17%
The graphics are praised for their appealing retro aesthetic, featuring pixelated visuals reminiscent of classic 8-bit games, which many players find enjoyable. While the overall design and music complement the gameplay, some reviewers note that the artwork could be improved. Fans of indie pixel art and action games are likely to appreciate the graphics and the variety they bring to the experience.
- “The pixel graphics and music are enjoyable, and the upgrade system (more health, stamina, speed, bleed damage, etc...) adds some variety to the gameplay.”
- “Very appealing retro aesthetic, pixelated graphics and a cool chiptune soundtrack with a mobile-like 'I have five minutes to kill' gameplay concept and progression system.”
- “Definitely recommend if you are a fan of pixelated graphics action games or a fan of NES 8-bit style games; you will enjoy this game.”
- “The artwork could be better.”
- “Graphics, music, upgrades, design, variety = all present, all decent.”
- “The graphics are pretty sweet, and almost feel like a pixelated Dark Souls mini-game.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game offers a surprising level of difficulty and complexity, contributing to its replayability, though some players feel that the limited number of achievements and playable characters may hinder long-term engagement. While it can provide several hours of challenging gameplay, the lack of additional content may reduce replay value after completing the main objectives.
- “The game is challenging and it will probably take you several hours.”
- “There could be more playable characters to enhance the content.”
- “Some replay value.”
- “I don't foresee much if any replay value after you complete the 10 Steam achievements the game has, but the game is challenging and it will probably take you several hours.”
- “- could be more playable characters (there is only one right off the bat), among other things to beef up the content.”
- “Some replay value”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game involves significant grinding, which adds to the overall challenge. While some find the grinding aspect enjoyable, there are concerns regarding non-functional achievements, with only the completion as a warrior being recognized.
- “It involves a lot of grinding.”
- “It was a good grinding game, but achievements don't work, except the one to beat the game as a warrior.”
- “There is some grinding involved, but overall it's quite a challenge!”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The story of "Slash or Die" resonates with themes of perseverance and unpredictability in life, appealing to fans of contemporary classics like "Slayin'" and "Punch Quest." However, many reviewers feel that the narrative could be significantly improved.
- “The story could be a lot better.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”