RAKHEM Review

You Choose Your Own Monsters, Then Have to Beat Them

RAKHEM is an action platformer roguelite built around a simple but effective twist on the run-collecting genre: instead of just picking upgrades as you go, you also pick which enemies get added to the roster you'll have to face on the next stage. Run through procedurally expanding terrain collecting coins and treasure, then at each threshold choose between a permanent upgrade or a new monster type to introduce into the mix, all while spending accumulated cash on permanent runs between attempts. It released September 5, 2026 for $3.49 and has already received four patches in its first two days, a rapid early cadence that speaks to a solo or very small team actively responding to launch feedback.

The core loop lands squarely in familiar platformer-roguelite territory — procedural terrain, escalating threat, run-based permanent progression — but the enemy-selection mechanic gives players unusual agency over their own difficulty curve, turning what's normally a passive escalation into an active, strategic choice players make against themselves.

A Perfect Small Launch Pool From an Openly First-Time Developer

RAKHEM has drawn 8 total Steam reviews, every one of them positive, for a 100 percent score that carries through identically in its English-language sample. Several reviewers explicitly frame their praise in the context of this being the developer's debut release. "Genuinely really good for a first game, a bit rough around the edges but that's to be expected," one reviewer wrote, striking a tone echoed throughout the pool: enthusiasm tempered by realistic expectations for a solo debut rather than blind hype.

That goodwill extends to direct advocacy for the developer's financial situation, an unusually candid detail for a Steam review. "Game is short at the moment but more content is planned to come soon and for the tiny price its a fun few hours, so GO BUY IT the creator needs 50 sales to even get paid to make back the money he paid to get the game on steam," one reviewer wrote — a level of transparency about the economics of small indie releases that's rare to see reviewers volunteer unprompted, and speaks to a level of community goodwill the developer has already built with a tiny launch audience.

A Rewarding, Well-Paced Core Loop With Real Replay Value

The most detailed reviews in the pool single out the moment-to-moment design as the game's clear strength. "A lot of love was put into this game and it really shows! It's very engaging throughout, keeping you on your toes without ever feeling crowded or overwhelming," one reviewer wrote, praising how each level's unique enemies introduce new challenges without ever feeling unfair or foreign to what came before. Another reviewer broke the loop down clearly: run around collecting coins while avoiding monsters, hit a coin threshold, choose an upgrade or a new monster, then move into an expanded, freshly-generated section of the level — praising the random generation specifically for keeping platforming and threat assessment fresh simultaneously rather than treating the two systems separately.

Length and replayability both draw specific, credible praise rather than vague hype: reviewers estimate roughly two hours to beat the game on a first run, with at least one describing it as "very replayable" given the different monster and upgrade combinations available on repeat attempts. For a $3.49 asking price, several reviewers frame that as an easy value proposition even before factoring in the promised future content.

Rough Edges, Easy Bosses, and Unbalanced Early Enemies

The critical feedback in the pool is consistently specific rather than vague, which lends it credibility. The same reviewer who called the second tier "decently difficult" also flagged that "the bosses were a bit easy and some enemies were a little unbalanced" — a fairly common growing-pain pattern for a solo-developed roguelite still finding its difficulty curve across a small handful of enemy types. Another reviewer, while still overwhelmingly positive, mentioned experiencing "a couple minor bugs" during their playthrough, consistent with the four rapid patches issued in the days immediately following launch.

Content volume is the other recurring caveat: multiple reviewers describe the current build as short, with one explicitly noting the game "is short at the moment but more content is planned to come soon." That's an honest framing rather than a hidden flaw — this reads as an early-stage indie release still filling out its content roadmap rather than a padded or incomplete final product, but it's still a real limitation for anyone expecting a lengthy experience for their few dollars right now.

Verdict

RAKHEM is a genuinely charming solo-developer debut that takes a familiar platformer-roguelite skeleton and adds a smart twist — letting players choose their own escalating threats — that gives its short runs real strategic texture. The review pool is small but unanimous, and the praise is specific and credible: engaging level-to-level variety, well-tuned random generation, and roughly two hours of replayable content for a few dollars. Rough edges are real and acknowledged by reviewers themselves — easy bosses, some unbalanced early enemies, a handful of minor bugs — but they read as the growing pains of an actively-patched first release rather than signs of neglect. At $3.49, with more content explicitly promised and a developer clearly listening to day-one feedback, this is an easy recommendation for platformer-roguelite fans willing to support a small, promising debut rather than a demand for a fully polished, content-complete package today.