Dead as Disco, a rhythm-based brawler developed by Brain Jar Games, has seen a rapid rise in popularity following the release of a demo that allowed players to upload their own music. With over 1,600 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam and more than 250,000 wishlists added in under a month, the game has become a standout during Steam Next Fest.

About Dead as Disco

Dead as Disco, a rhythm-based action title from Brain Jar Games, has recently gone viral. The game, described by its creators as “martial arts meets music video,” has appeared multiple times on trending charts for unreleased Steam titles. This surge can largely be attributed to a publicly available PC demo that features a distinctive music import feature and has generated over 1,600 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews. The combination of an accessible gameplay system and successful social media engagement has helped the game grow from under 50,000 Steam wishlists to over 250,000 in less than a month.

Dead as Disco Hits Over 250k Wishlists

Music Import Feature as a Key Engagement Tool

According to GameDiscoverCo, a major element contributing to the game’s success is its ability to let players upload and play along to songs of their own choosing. This feature, powered by Brain Jar’s proprietary “Songcrafter” technology, allows users to create personalized gameplay experiences based on their own music libraries. According to Will Cook, CEO of Brain Jar Games, the team had considered this functionality from early development stages, but fully committed to it after a TikTok gameplay teaser in January 2025 led to a large volume of song requests from viewers.

The decision to include this functionality in the public demo proved to be a turning point. Content creators quickly began sharing videos of gameplay synchronized with recognizable songs. One notable example featured the track “Barbie Girl,” which contributed to a wave of viral clips on TikTok. The demo's flexible design enabled users to engage creatively, and the ability to use custom music made each gameplay clip distinctive and shareable.

Dead as Disco Hits Over 250k Wishlists

Gameplay Design Supports Creative Player Input

While the game draws comparisons to rhythm-action games like Hi-Fi Rush, its approach to timing and input mechanics is designed to be more accessible. According to Cook, player attacks respond instantly to inputs but land in sync with the song’s beat, a system referred to as “beat-warping.” This allows players to enjoy smooth, visually synced combat without needing to match beats perfectly. Players are rewarded for staying on beat, but are not penalized for off-beat inputs, which broadens the game’s appeal to those less experienced with traditional rhythm mechanics.

In addition to this flexibility, the game incorporates different levels of music synchronization. While beat-per-minute (BPM) data is used for basic syncing, more complex alignments with vocals and instrumentals are part of a planned tiered system. Currently, this deeper synchronization is only present in story-mode tracks included with the game, but Brain Jar intends to release their internal tools to the player community in the future. This will allow for the creation of detailed songmaps and potentially a third tier of syncing, further enhancing user-generated content options.

Dead as Disco Hits Over 250k Wishlists

Community Engagement and Early Testing

The development team also benefited from early and structured community engagement. In the early months of 2025, Brain Jar invited around 200 Discord community members to test the song import feature under a non-disclosure agreement. Feedback from this small group was overwhelmingly positive, prompting the team to expand the test group to 3,000 players and remove the NDA entirely. This decision allowed the feature to be shared publicly, resulting in a cascade of TikTok videos that reached millions of viewers.

Adam Gershowitz of Brain Jar Games explained that TikTok became the primary platform for generating wishlist traffic, far surpassing traditional platforms like YouTube. Despite most of the viral clips coming from relatively unknown creators, the average TikTok post featuring Dead as Disco received nearly 89,000 views. Several posts went significantly beyond that, collectively accounting for over 17 million views. This organic exposure helped drive the game to the top of multiple demo categories during Steam’s Next Fest preview period.

Dead as Disco Hits Over 250k Wishlists

Positive Reception and Ongoing Feedback

Alongside the viral success, the game has maintained a strong reputation among players. The development team actively monitored player feedback through surveys, using data to guide decision-making around demo access and feature prioritization. The initial playtest produced a Net Promoter Score of +93.5, while more recent feedback from over 8,000 players has resulted in an NPS of +86.5. These numbers reflect a high level of user satisfaction and suggest that the core gameplay loop and music import features are resonating with a wide audience.

While some users have questioned whether giving away such a robust demo could diminish full release interest, the early engagement appears to be building momentum rather than undermining it. One Steam user likened the experience to being offered a full pizza as a free sample, suggesting that the generous demo has only increased interest in the final product.

Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

As with any game involving licensed music, rights management presents a potential challenge. However, TikTok’s internal licensing systems have mitigated immediate concerns for shared videos. Looking forward, Brain Jar Games may explore the release of official downloadable content and allow players to upload their own MP3 files locally for use on PC, potentially paired with community-driven leaderboards or challenges.

The concept of uploading custom music is not entirely new, with earlier games like the Audiosurf series exploring similar territory. However, few recent titles have adopted this model. Dead as Disco appears to be reviving interest in personalized rhythm gameplay, and its initial success may encourage more developers to revisit the format. Whether the final release will sustain this momentum remains to be seen, but early signs point to a well-executed strategy grounded in technology, community input, and platform-specific marketing.