Brawling On Beat: Alpha Nomos

Beat the cursed toys on beat in this rhythm roguelite arena fighting game.

Dec 03, 2025

‣ Alpha Nomos
From: RibCage Games
Platforms: PC
Release: 2026
Genre: Roguelite Arena Rhythm Brawler
Steam page • Developer Page
Demo Video • 10 Minute Video

“You listen and swing with the beat/Time with the music you’ll bring the heat!”

What if all the humans on Earth disappeared overnight while dolls and plushies inexplicably came to life? Add on some funky songs to this mildly terrifying premise hiding behind a veneer of cuteness and you get Alpha Nomos, RibCage Games’ first title.

In this action rhythm roguelite, you play as Cello, an adorable clown doll who wields an instrument as a deadly weapon. No, it is not a cello, but a saxophone fused with a sword, a SaXword. Cello wields it mostly as a regular sword, but she can break into an impressive sax solo when holding the special button.

Alpha Nomos is an arena roguelite brawler. When Cello enters a battle, the area cordons off and waves of enemies spawn. Once they are all defeated, the barriers drop and Cello can move on.

She can do a variety of combos which will damage her enemies and, if done right, stagger them out of their own attacks. She can also launch them in their air (starting aerial combos), charge a powerful special move, and dodge.

But to do real damage, Cello follows the beat, and so do her enemies, the SCRUBs (Surprisingly Combative Really Ugly Bastards). Beyond looking cool, this presents you with the game’s main premise, spelled out by Teddy, the fearsome plushie bear who speaks exclusively in rhyme: “You listen and swing with the beat./Time with the music you’ll bring the heat!”

Cello’s attacks reach their full potential when you deliver them on beat. Attacking in a steady rhythm that matches the soundtrack deals double damage and builds your combo meter. The same goes for your Special move. Dodging on beat gives you invincibility frames through attacks instead of away from them.

You can attack on every beat for a quick combo, but you can also skip a beat between each attack for a slower, more powerful combination. Dodging on beat between attacks gives you the option to stay safe while building the more powerful combo. Holding your special for two or three beats empowers it and allows you to hold your combo for longer if an enemy isn’t close yet.

The combat system gets even deeper through enemy variety. You’re mostly fighting SCRUBs in the demo, but they come in multiple versions. Some are melee only, others shoot lasers out of their eyes, others function as elites and are tougher to kill while also hitting you harder.

Fighting to a beat might sound complicated. But good rhythm games have a unique ability to place you into a trance, an altered state of mind in which you begin acting on beat even without thinking about it.

This is further incentivized by the fact that there is a seemingly endless supply of variations for the music depending on how you hit (or miss) your combos. When you reach that flow state, you become one with Cello and Alpha Nomos shows you what a fantastic experience it can be.

If you’re reading all this and thinking that you’d love to try this but you suck at rhythm games, fret not. Alpha Nomos has a fully customizable setup for visual and auditory aids to help with the timings.

You can turn a clicker sound on to function like a metronome, choosing between four different options. If you prefer visual aids, you can also have an indicator that shows the timings, also giving you four choices. You can have both turned on at once, opt for one of them, or none at all, up to you.

📽 Demo Snapshot: Battle time

Defeat is also not the end. Instead, Cello respawns at a game hub where she can start a new run and, during the runs, she can collect random powerups and buffs that aid her in combat. The hub will offer permanent upgrades and items from its residents and shops; they didn’t offer anything yet in the demo.

But Alpha Nomos is still in an early state, so expect a few bugs and some unfinished areas. Still, what is already here is a fantastic rhythm action game. It takes a while to master but rewards you handsomely when you get into its groove.

Alpha Nomos releases in 2026 on Steam.