Mad King Redemption Review (2026): Is This Retro Beat 'Em Up Worth It?

If you cut your teeth on arcade brawlers and still chase that perfect run, this Mad King Redemption review is written for you. SECRET MISSION's debut throws old-school side-scrolling combat into a roguelite blender, and any honest Mad King Redemption review has to answer one question first: is there enough game here to justify buying into Early Access right now? The short answer is yes — with caveats that are worth understanding before you spend a dime.

Below you'll find a full breakdown of the combat loop, the current content, the roadmap, Steam Deck performance, and what real players are saying. Every claim is tied back to the official Mad King Redemption on Steam store page or clearly labeled as player experience, so you can decide for yourself.

Mad King Redemption Review at a Glance

Here's the essential data before we dig into the details.

Two things stand out immediately. First, the review score is strong for a first-time Early Access release — anything above 80% positive on Steam usually signals that the core loop works, even when the content is thin. Second, the developers have said the game is sold at a discount during Early Access compared with the planned full-launch price, which softens the "unfinished game" problem considerably.

The studio also announced that the game hit a peak of more than 50,000 new players across all platforms in a single week, which is a surprisingly large number for an indie brawler and explains why the community feedback channels have been so busy.

Story, Setting, and the Beat 'Em Up Fantasy

The premise is grim, simple, and effective. A king turns to forbidden magic to resurrect his dead queen, discovers too late that life and death are forces far beyond his control, and loses his mind in the process. The kingdom falls with him, and it's up to a small band of heroes to fight through the wreckage.

That setup does two jobs at once. It gives the campaign a reason to march you through ruined castles, dungeons, and corrupted countryside, and it gives the Mad King himself a natural role as a final-boss figure you actually want to punch. Villains in this genre are often forgettable; a grieving king who broke the world is not.

Lore is delivered mostly through character backstories rather than long cutscenes, which fits the pacing of a brawler. Each of the four playable heroes has a distinct reason to be in the fight, and the game's achievements — including ones tied to meeting the King and encountering the Mage — suggest the narrative gets more room to breathe than the trailers imply.

Combat, Roguelite Runs, and Progression Systems

This is where the game earns its "Very Positive" badge. The combat is deliberately faithful to the classics: you mash buttons with intent, manage spacing, and learn enemy tells. But the roguelite layer changes how you approach each session.

The four heroes each have a signature combat style, which is the single most important design decision here. If all four played the same, the roguelite structure would feel like padding. Because they don't, replaying early stages with a different character genuinely feels like a different game — and that's what keeps randomized runs interesting after the novelty of the art style wears off.

One practical note: the developers recommend playing with a controller, and they support Xbox, DualShock, and DualSense pads. Keyboard and mouse work, but the game was clearly tuned around a gamepad, and brawlers live or die by their inputs.

Early Access Reality Check: Content, Updates, and Requirements

Early Access is the part of this Mad King Redemption review where you need to be honest with yourself about what you're buying. The game is not finished, and the developers say so plainly.

The developers have stated they plan to leave Early Access roughly six to nine months after launch, with production already well underway and the codebase described as nearly complete. That's an unusually specific timeline for an indie project, and it's a good sign — vague roadmaps are the norm.

Update cadence has been steady. A recent patch added a new room and quest, reworked a boss, fixed a long list of bugs, and improved audio. If the studio keeps that rhythm, the content gap between now and 1.0 should close noticeably.

System Requirements and Steam Deck

Two things jump out. The RAM requirements are high for a game this size — 16 GB minimum and 32 GB recommended is closer to what you'd expect from a modern open-world title than a stylized brawler. The storage footprint, on the other hand, is tiny at 4 GB, so the download is painless.

Steam Deck compatibility is listed as Verified, and the store data indicates the game runs well on Valve's handheld. Since a brawler is a natural fit for short sessions, that's a meaningful win for anyone who plays on the couch or on the go.

Language Support

Interface and subtitles are available in 14 languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, and Thai. English is the only language with full audio, which is typical for a project at this budget level.

Player Sentiment and Community Reports

With a review count in the low hundreds, this is a small sample size, so treat the percentages as directional rather than definitive. That said, the split is informative.

Community reports consistently highlight the same strength: the moment-to-moment fighting feels right. That's the hardest thing to fix after launch, and it's already solved here. The recurring complaints are almost entirely about scope and polish — problems that a roadmap and an active patch schedule are designed to address.

It's also worth noting what the negative reviews tend to have in common. Most don't argue that the game is bad; they argue that it isn't finished yet. That's a very different criticism, and it's the kind you can manage by waiting.

Verdict: Is Mad King Redemption Worth Buying?

Here's the practical answer, broken down by who you are.

The case for buying now rests on three things: a discounted Early Access price, a combat system that already works, and a development team that ships updates on a visible schedule. The case for waiting rests on one thing: it's still Early Access, and Early Access means incomplete.

If you want to check the current build, patch notes, and review count for yourself, the official Mad King Redemption page on Steam is the most reliable source — store pages update faster than any review can.

For what it's worth, this Mad King Redemption review lands closer to "buy" than "wait," with the caveat that you're investing in a game in progress rather than a finished product. Players who understand that trade-off will get their money's worth.

FAQ

Is Mad King Redemption finished?

No. It launched in Early Access on May 14, 2026, and the developers plan to stay in Early Access for roughly six to nine months. The full version will add more playable heroes, more worlds, and additional enemies and bosses on top of the first complete world available now.

How much does Mad King Redemption cost?

It's listed at $14.99 on Steam at the time of writing, and the developers have said the Early Access version is sold at a discount relative to the planned full-release price. That makes buying early cheaper, provided you're comfortable with an evolving build.

Does Mad King Redemption have co-op?

Yes. It supports shared/split-screen co-op and Remote Play Together, alongside a full single-player campaign. The developers recommend using a controller, and Xbox, DualShock, and DualSense pads are all supported.

Is this Mad King Redemption review based on a finished build?

No — this review reflects the Early Access version as of late September 2026, including recent patches that added a new room and quest, reworked a boss, and improved audio. Balance, content volume, and bug fixes will continue to change, so re-check the store page before you buy.