Dead as Disco News

[p]Hey Disco Crew,[/p][p]The tour bus is revved up, the setlist’s locked, and August is about to be a showstopper. We’re rolling into Gamescom, cranking out fresh demo updates, and lining up new playtests all while keeping the groove alive with your feedback. So grab your backstage pass and let’s dive into what’s next for Dead as Disco.
[/p][hr][/hr][p]The tour bus is packed and we’re taking this show on the road! Dead as Disco is coming to Gamescom August 20th to 24th! Come see us at the Firstlook Festival booth in the Indie Games area - Hall 10.2.

This is your opportunity to meet the Developers and get hands on with the latest game update. We’ve even got a special surprise in store for players that challenge Hemlock and emerge victorious!
[/p][p]We can’t wait to see you at the Show!
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]July’s update brought new features, bug fixes and balance changes to the game. The response so far has been fantastic. It’s been exciting to watch what players have created using Arena swapping & playlists, and we’ve received a ton of really great feedback.

Dead as Disco is still very early in development and we’re constantly trying out new things! Our goal is to have buttery smooth music-matched gameplay that works with any song. It should be easy to pick up and play, but also provide depth for combat masters. You'll see us continue to refine and experiment in pursuit of this goal, and we fully expect there to be ups and downs along the way.

Most importantly we want YOU to be an active part of this process! Feedback is the lifeblood of any great game, so keep it coming! We’re constantly observing the Steam community posts, Discord discussions, and Demo reviews. We’ve already made some adjustments internally based on your feedback, and we’re excited to hear what you think once we roll out the changes for playtesting![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p] We’re not taking our foot off the gas! After we get back from Gamescom we’ll be dropping a brand new playtest for our Closed Alpha participants! Bug fixes, balance changes, and a new story level to try out.
[/p][p]Not in the Closed Alpha? Fear not! We will continue to update the Demo with balance changes, and infinite disco updates as they are ready. We’re also working on a plan for larger Open Alpha playtests later this year.

In the meantime enjoy this sneak peek, coming soon to a playtest near you!

[/p][hr][/hr][p]
That’s a wrap for August! We’ll see you on the Gamescom floor and in the thick of the action. Stay sharp, stay stylish, and keep it Dead as Disco. And hey, if you want to swap tips, share feedback, or just hang with the crew, hop into our Discord, we’d love to have you.

-The Dead as Disco Team
[/p]

[p]
After two successful playtests (thank you all!), we’re rolling out a fresh wave of features, fixes, and improvements to the Dead as Disco Demo! Let’s break it down [/p][hr][/hr][p]Infinite Disco Feature: Playlists
Playlists are now supported in Infinite Disco!
• Create your own set of songs to fight through back-to-back
• Simply select “New Playlist”, name it, and then start adding songs with the plus button next to each song
• Multiple playlists can be created and saved
• Playlists can play in song order, or the “Shuffle” option can be selected to get a different experience each play[/p][p]Please let us know what other features you would like to see for playlists!
[/p][hr][/hr][p]Infinite Disco Feature: Arena Swapping
A variety of new Arenas are now available in Infinite Disco for players to experiment with. We can’t wait to see what crazy stuff y’all do with this![/p][p]Arenas:
• Disco Floor (default)
• Bubblepop
• Astral Waters
(each with 2 different color variations)[/p][p] [/p][p]Choose how you want these arenas to appear during the run:
• Static – select a single arena that stays active during your whole song/playlist
• Swap Every – every 5 or 10 rounds (selectable), the arena will switch to a different random arena
• Swap on Hotkey – press V (keyboard) or R3 (controller) to swap to another random arena (future updates will offer more control)
• Swap on Action – swaps whenever a takedown is performed (more triggers planned in future)[/p][p]🎥 Special note: A Green Screen arena is available for those who want to make silly videos (only available in Static mode, not part of the random pool)[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p]Combat Changes
• New Enemy in Infinite Disco: The Fallen bots will start a self-destruct sequence when they become stunned. When they explode, they do small damage and knockback in a small radius around them. NOTE: Effects on the Fallen are still WIP
• Some enemies are no longer automatically put in a stunned state at the end of a non-perfect counter. This was done to make non-perfect counters a bit less rewarding and give some more noticeable differences in enemy types. For those used to the way it functioned in the previous playtest, it may take a minute to get used to. Please check it out and then hit up the feedback form to give us your thoughts!
• The Stardoll Sniper attack timing is now 1, 2, fire (previously was 1, 2, 3, fire)
• The red “dodge” indicator is now over their heads for consistent messaging and to help folks who aren’t as strong at feeling the music’s rhythm
• Standard Security Guards now have a fast counterable attack in addition to their dodgeable attack
• Fixed an issue where Charlie would always get a perfect dodge when mashing dodge during another animation. Charlie now no longer can get perfect dodges from mashed inputs[/p][hr][/hr][p]UI Updates
• Moveset sync counters are now denoted by a yellow star (previously was a green circle and skull icon - which caused confusion with takedowns)
• Offscreen attack indicators now exist to show direction and timing of counterable and dodgeable attacks. There is also the option to turn on indicators for non-attacking enemies. They will show as grey dots. These can be turned toggled in the settings. Attack indicators are on by default, non-attacking enemy indicators are off by default
• A simple health bar now appears over the currently targeted enemy. This is something we are trying out in the playtest and would love your feedback. It makes it a bit easier to know when an enemy will be KOed and helps to avoid unnecessary missed attacks that can end a combo. This can be turned off in the settings
• Targeting indicator is now an X instead of a dot
[/p][hr][/hr][p]New Songs in Infinite Disco
• Maniac (Punk Version) – A punk cover of everyone’s favorite
• Killa Music – Expanding Dead as Disco’s rap selection
• Neko Neko Let’s Go – 194 bpm of pure saccharine[/p][hr][/hr][p]Other Changes
• Infinite Disco enemy balance has been tuned therefore the Leaderboards have been reset
• R3 on controller used to be Dance Move. Dance Move is now up on the D-pad for controller
• General visual polish in Hemlock’s level and Infinite Disco
• Fixed an issue where the camera could get stuck sideways when moving it very quickly
• Fixed an issue where strong attack outline and gamepad vibration weren’t getting cleared after Charlie gets knocked out
• Fixed issues where the camera could get under the playable arenas
• Fixed an issue on Stardoll Sniper lasers that made their hittable area appear shorter than it really is
• Many other small improvements and bug fixes![/p][hr][/hr][p]Let us know what you think, especially around playlist features, combat flow, and the new arena swapping options! Your feedback helps shape Dead as Disco. Join our Discord to be part of our Community and sign up for our upcoming Playtests!

Thank you for your support!
- The Dead as Disco Team [/p]

[p]Think you’ve got the flair to capture Hemlock’s haunting charm? Now’s your chance to show it off! We’re kicking off a Hemlock Fanart Competition to celebrate his arrival in our upcoming closed playtest and we want to see your boldest, wildest interpretations. 👀[/p][hr][/hr][p]🎨 HEMLOCK FANART COMPETITION[/p][p]We want to see your take on Hemlock! Whether he's terrifying, tragic, or totally fabulous, bring him to life in your own unique style. You’ll get to experience Hemlock during the closed playtest, so let the boss battle inspire your masterpiece![/p][p]Post your entry in the #hemlock-competition channel on our Discord.[/p][hr][/hr][p]🏆 PRIZES
We’ll select 3 winners who’ll score guaranteed access to our upcoming closed playtest + 5 invite codes for their friends! [/p][hr][/hr][p]⚠️ GROUND RULES
• 1 entry per person
• No AI-generated content
• No stolen content. keep it original
• Keep it appropriate and in line with our Discord rules (please read them!)[/p][hr][/hr][p]Ready to show us what you’ve got?
Hop on our Discord and join the fun! 💃
Join our Discord[/p][p][/p][p]The Dead as Disco Team[/p]

[h3]ENCORE WEEKEND, NOW WITHOUT AN NDA!

The response to our closed playtest has been incredible, so we’re opening the doors even wider. It’s time for an Encore![/h3][h3]
[/h3][p][/p][h3]📅 Playtest Dates[/h3][p]Encore Playtest Weekend 18 July 2025 at 10AM PT → 21 July 2025 at 10AM PT [/p][p]This time, we’re lifting the NDA, so feel free to stream, record, screenshot, and share everything. Tag us in your content, we love seeing what you create![/p][hr][/hr][h3]💌 How to Join[/h3][p]This is still an invite-only playtest, with priority going to:[/p]

• [p]Players who signed up for our playtest & newsletter[/p]
• [p]Anyone who joined previous playtests[/p]

[p]Not signed up yet? Sign Up Now![/p][p]More invites are going out, so keep an eye on your inbox![/p][p]Didn’t get in yet? You’ll have chances to win access during the weekend by tuning into our Rising Stars creator streams! Join our Discord! [/p][hr][/hr][h3]🆕 What’s New This Time?[/h3][p]For a recap of all the new features, check our previous announcement! We will also share a patch note with more details. [/p][hr][/hr][h3]📝 We Want Your Feedback[/h3][p]This is still a pre-alpha build, and your input is hugely important. Tell us what’s working, what’s not, and what you want more of! Please take the time to fill the in-game survey ❤️[/p][hr][/hr][p]Spread the word and we’ll see you in-game.

- The Dead as Disco Team [/p]

[p][/p][p]June was wild, 400,000 wishlists! Your excitement has helped shine a huge spotlight on Dead as Disco, and it's already shaping the future of the game. From the whole team: thank you.[/p][p]Now it’s time for the next step: July Playtest is coming![/p][hr][/hr][h2]How to Join[/h2][p]This is an invite-only playtest, with priority going to:[/p]

• [p]Players who signed up for our beta & newsletter[/p]
• [p]Anyone who joined previous playtests[/p]
• [p]Not signed up yet? Sign Up Now! [/p]

[p]This is still a pre-alpha build, so expect rough edges and know that your feedback is everything. We want to hear what vibes, what doesn’t, and what you want more of![/p][p]More details coming in the next update.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]What’s in the Test?[/h2][h3]🎸 New Boss Fight: Hemlock[/h3][p]Take on the powerhouse bassist in a brand-new boss encounter. Some visuals are still placeholder but gameplay is ripe for early feedback.[/p][p][/p][h3]🌌 New Story Level: Arora[/h3][p]Enter the planetarium, a shimmering new domain ruled by one of our celestial Idols.[/p][p][/p][h3]💃 Infinite Disco Upgrades[/h3]

• [p]Custom Playlists – Pick your music, set your flow.[/p]
• [p]Arena Swapping – Change the environment mid-run and keep the groove fresh.[/p]
• [p]New Arenas – More variety. More vibes.[/p]

[h3]⚙️ Performance Tweaks & Bug Fixes[/h3][p]We’ve been tuning under the hood. Let us know how it feels on your system![/p][p]Plus: a few surprise additions. Full patch notes will be dropped closer to launch.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]What’s Not in This Test?[/h2]

• [p]Narrative content is still using placeholder dialogue.[/p]
• [p]Progression systems are not yet included (which will affect balancing & difficulty).[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]The Future: You Asked, We’re Building It![/h2][p]You've spoken and we’re listening. In development thanks to your feedback:[/p]

• [p]Beat-synced visuals[/p]
• [p]Custom keybinds[/p]
• [p]New dance moves[/p]
• [p]More Charlie skins[/p]

[p]We’re working hard behind the scenes and can’t wait to show you more soon. Until then: get ready to groove. ✨[/p][hr][/hr][p]Stay funky, [/p][p]– The Dead as Disco Team[/p]