Indie Hour - Alpha Nomos

Hey it's Tarrmu and welcome to another episode of Indie Hour where we talk about the latest independent video games that may have passed you by, and in today's video we're going to be talking about Alpha Nomos an action rhythm game with rogue-lite elements, developed by RibCage Games.

This Indie Hour in particular is an interesting one, as it isn't currently out yet, more I have had the chance by to play a demo provided by RibCage Games, with the full game expected to release Q3 2026. So just something to keep in mind that the footage you're seeing is from a demo version of the game, which by the time this video is live, will be available on steam and the link to the steam page will be in the description.

With that out of the way, what do I think of Alpha Nomos? From my time and hands on with the demo I can say that I really do think that the rhythm-based combat is a really good hook for this game, and it is a sub-genre of game that we don't really see enough of with games like last years Unbeatable or Hi-Fi rush being the closet that come to memory. But in terms of gameplay Alpha Nomos operates in a similar fashion to something like Hi-Fi Rush where you will be smacking and bashing enemies with light and heavy attacks, syncing your attacks, jumps and dodges to the rhythm of accompanying music.

You'll control Cello, fighting a horde of corrupted puppets and navigating this vibrant world shifting room to room, battling enemy after enemy. Where the twists takes form is in the way levels are structured, you'll have different paths you can take that yield particular upgrades and each room you explore is broken up and different each run as with any rogue-like. You'll pick up different abilities that can amplify your damage or improve your health. The progression and fork in the road to the next room that tells you the type of upgrade you'll get for the next room you clear gives me a sense of feeling that reminds me of traversing Hades. From the early playable level, there is a decent variety of enemies that you'll be able fight, that have there own moves that are telegraphed with a red indicator to signify the damage radius. It'll be interesting to see how these enemies evolve over the course of the game and how the cohesion that they share with each level.

There is different forms of progression from what is shown in this preview / demo of Alpha Nomos such as unlockable combo abilities which further Cello's skillset with each weapon, there does appear to be other weapons like the Xlyoblade which isn't available in the demo, but looks to be available in the full game based on trailer footage. There's currency called junk that looks to be used to buy purchasable items for a run, and all of this forms the backbone of Alpha Nomo's meta progression. Then there is the run to run progression, that we touched upon earlier. There is also a practice range that is available that allows your to practice your new combos that you unlock, as well as practicing your combos and timing with the music, which is something that is helpful for getting your flow when jumping into the game.

It's important to mention at this point at time, that the game is still in development and that there are things that need to be polished and ironed out before the games full release, and from my experience outside of nitpicky bugs, I think the biggest issue that I feel I have with Alpha Nomos is that the hits of the weapon when they connect with an enemy lack an impact. The weapons themselves have sound effects that react accordingly if you're in key or not, but connecting a swing doesn't have a sense of weight or feeling to it. There is something that feels like it is missing that makes the combat feel impactful, and the distinction of feeling between the weight of a light and heavy attack.

This was the main thing that I feel could have be built upon, and improve the overall feeling of combat and make it more satisfying to engage with, but overall a lot of what Alpha Nomos is doing and the cohesion between a rhythm action game, and rogue-like works to make something that feels like pockets of a lot of fan favorite games from recent years wrapped into one experience that feels distinct and charming, and with more time and work I do believe that RibCage games have a solid game on their hands and I'm excited to see how the full game comes together when it releases in Q3 2026. So where I am with this game is try the demo, and keep it on your radar especially if you're looking for your HiFi Rush fix, and love rogue-likes.

Let me know your thoughts down below or if there are any games that you'd like to see me cover on the channel, as always I am Tarrmu and this has been Indie Hour, if you enjoyed the video consider giving us a like and if you really enjoyed the video consider subscribing. Thanks for watching.