DaRmaZat Belgian studio Rogueside is no stranger to stylish chaos — from Hidden Through Time to Shootas, Blood & Teef, they’ve built a reputation for games with personality. With Devil Jam, a rhythm-based roguelite where your guitar shreds demons for you, they crank the amps to eleven, diving headfirst into the Survivors-like genre and fusing it with heavy metal flair. But for all its energy and attitude, Devil Jam doesn’t always hit the right notes. Beneath its blazing riffs and hand-drawn fire lies a roguelite that’s fun to jam with, yet struggles to stay in tune.
A Gig Straight Out of Hell
The premise is gloriously over the top: you’ve signed a cursed contract with the Devil and are now doomed to fight through hordes of demonic fans to kill Death himself. It’s as metal as it sounds, and the presentation sells it beautifully — a screaming soundtrack, punchy animations, and stage lights flashing in the background as you fend off waves of enemies.
What sets Devil Jam apart is its rhythm-driven combat. Your instruments attack automatically to the beat, creating a constant flow of visual and musical feedback. Instead of aiming or manually striking, you build your power through positioning — a 12-slot “fretboard” grid that determines how your weapons and passives interact. Place the right amplifiers, buffs, and riffs next to each other, and you can create surprisingly complex synergies.
It’s clever in theory, but not always in practice. The beat-based system rarely feels as rhythmically tight as it should, and the game’s tutorial barely explains how its deeper mechanics work. Early runs feel confusing, with little clarity about goals, objectives, or progression. You’re simply dropped into a fiery pit and told to survive — which works mechanically, but leaves the experience feeling strangely hollow.
A Killer Soundtrack, but a Weak Setlist
There’s no question that Devil Jam sounds incredible. Its soundtrack is full of blistering guitar solos and pounding drums, driving the action forward even when you’re struggling to make sense of it all. The art direction is equally strong: vibrant, hand-drawn characters and effects make Hell look like a comic book concert.
Unfortunately, the stage itself doesn’t evolve. You fight on what’s essentially one looping arena, with limited variation in terrain or enemy behavior. The game tries to keep things fresh with modifiers and random boss encounters, but repetition sets in quickly. After a few failed runs, you’ve seen most of what Hell has to offer — and that’s a problem for a roguelite built on replayability.
Bosses, while well-designed visually, tend to be sluggish slogs rather than climactic duels. Their health pools are enormous, and without the right gear synergy, fights can drag on for several minutes. It’s here that Devil Jam feels like it mistakes endurance for challenge — and the chaos of projectiles and visual effects often makes it hard to tell what’s even happening on screen.
Between Gigs
Between runs, you return to a “backstage” hub meant to represent your afterlife greenroom. Sadly, it’s as empty as an arena after the encore. Aside from upgrading your stats or unlocking new skills, there’s little reason to linger. The lack of narrative or world-building hurts here — who exactly are you, why are you fighting Death, and what does “fulfilling your metal destiny” even mean? Devil Jam never says, and that makes its otherwise killer aesthetic feel disconnected from purpose.
Still, when the gameplay clicks — when the beat syncs up, your build explodes with color, and the screen fills with fire and guitar riffs — Devil Jam absolutely rocks. It’s the kind of short-burst game that’s perfect for a few chaotic runs after work, even if it never becomes the next Hades or Vampire Survivors.
Final Thoughts
Devil Jam is a stylish, chaotic, and musically charged roguelite that wears its heavy metal heart on its sleeve. The hand-drawn visuals, relentless soundtrack, and wild concept make it instantly appealing — especially coming from a Belgian studio punching well above its weight. But while its presentation is top-tier, its design rhythm stumbles: unclear progression, repetitive stages, and a lack of meaningful storytelling keep it from reaching true headliner status.
Still, it’s a hell of a debut concert for what could become a great new series. When it all comes together, Devil Jam hits hard — even if it’s sometimes out of tune.
Additional Information
Release Date: Nov 3, 2025
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Rogueside
Publisher: Rogueside
Relevant links: Devil Jam on Steam
