Roguelite games are big business now, and that never entirely stopped being true of rhythm games, so why not make games that mix the two? That's precisely what RibCage Games has done with Alpha Nomos, which is available today.

According to the press release, the idea in Alpha Nomos is that the circus and its puppets have turned on the world. Cello, the hero, will battle puppets using rhythm, so she can save what's left of the world from the new menace.

What makes it all sound extra interesting is the fact that combat relies on rhythm. The player must utilize attacks in time with the rhythm to do the most damage, and to reach the circus at the end.

"We always felt rhythm games could go further, so we made the beat the reason you fight instead of something playing in the background," said Itamar Berner, CEO at RibCage Games. "Every weapon you hear was played by a real musician and every hit lands exactly when you press it. Today the full show is finally open and we can't wait to hear what players make of it."

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Cello runs through a grassy area with sticks lying scattered across the ground.Credit: RibCage Games
Cello runs through a grassy area with sticks lying scattered across the ground.Cello hits an enemy with a perfectly-timed attack and a purple soundwave blast appears.Cello sends a music projectile toward a distant puppet while waves of sound surround them, like piano keys turned vertical.Cello stands near the edge of a wooden platform, where a golden saxophone rests on a nearby pedestal.Cello moves in for a melee attack in a dense forest environment.Cello and her enemies clash along a stone bridge over a raging river.

Here's the full list of features from the press release:

  • True-to-Press Rhythm Combat: No input quantization. Every hit lands when you press it and staying on beat is what makes you dangerous.

  • Live Instruments, Real Weapons: Every weapon is a studio-recorded instrument, played by real musicians.

  • Powerups You Can Hear: Stack Reverb, Flanger, Delay and more to reshape your moves and your mix in the same run.

  • A Soundtrack That Follows You: The music builds as your performance does, turning each run into its own track.

  • Puppetcore World: Abandoned cities and a twisted circus full of puppets that have forgotten how to stop.

Alpha Nomos is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Its regular MSRP is $17.99 USD, but you can save 10% when you buy it during the first week.