At this stage in my gaming life, I have accepted that I am not the person who can sit down for marathon sessions or master every intricate combo an action game throws at me. Most weekends I am running between my girls’ activities, grabbing whatever pockets of time I can to play. That is why games like Hades have always been such a perfect fit. They let you jump in, make progress, and jump out without feeling like you have abandoned a semester’s worth of homework. Absolum, which launched on April 11, 2024, fits that same rhythm with surprising confidence.
Absolum is a side-scrolling roguelite beat-em-up set in the world of Talamh, where the Sun King Azra has outlawed magic and branded Wizards as heretics. The setup feels like a lost fantasy cartoon from the early nineties, complete with richly inked environments and expressive character animations. Every swing, dash, spell, and explosion looks hand crafted. Even when I was getting flattened by goblins, I found myself admiring the painterly backgrounds and the way each biome shifts tone as you push deeper into the world.
The game launched at a very approachable price point. On Xbox and PC it sits at twenty dollars, and it is included with Game Pass, which is how I ended up rediscovering it in the first place. That is probably the best selling point of Game Pass. It quietly surfaces games you might have missed, then hands you a low friction way to fall in love with them. Most of my time with Absolum has been on my Legion Go through Game Pass, where it runs beautifully and fits neatly into the short sessions my schedule allows.
The Nintendo Switch version is priced the same, and it has become my go to option when I am out and about or waiting in the car during my girls’ rehearsals. The portability makes it easy to squeeze in a run whenever life gives me a few spare minutes. Whether I am playing on the Legion Go at home or the Switch on the move, the game’s structure adapts to whatever time I have available, which is a big part of why it has stuck with me.
Absolum gives you four playable heroes, each with a distinct identity. Galandra is a necromantic greatsword fighter who drains life and summons spectral allies. Karl is a dwarf who switches between hammer and blunderbuss, turning every encounter into a brawl. Cider is the agile trickster with a robotic arm and a hookshot that turns the battlefield into a playground. Brome is the rare wizard who actually feels sturdy, specializing in wide area spells that reshape the flow of combat. I gravitated toward Cider because her mobility let me compensate for my less than stellar reflexes, although I still managed to dash directly into danger more often than I care to admit.
What makes Absolum work is how well it respects your time. Runs can be quick or sprawling depending on how much you want to take on. If I only had fifteen minutes before heading out the door, I could jump in, clear a few rooms, pick up a Ritual or two, and still walk away with radiant shards to invest back at camp. On quieter nights, I could settle in and push deeper into the branching paths, uncovering new story beats and unlocking characters, weapons, and magic upgrades. The game never punishes you for playing in short bursts. Instead, it rewards you with steady progression that carries across every attempt.
The Ritual system is where the game’s personality really shines. Each run offers a mix of modifiers that can completely change how your character plays. One of my favorite moments came when I picked up a Ritual that turned my dodge into a fiery blast. Suddenly my careful hit and run approach with Cider transformed into a reckless strategy built around dashing through enemies and letting the flames do the work. It was chaotic, hilarious, and effective until I got overconfident and paid the price. Even then, the shards I earned went straight into unlocking new abilities for future runs.
Absolum also showers players with achievements, which is a nice bonus for someone who enjoys seeing tangible markers of progress. Whether I was experimenting with a new character, discovering a hidden path, or simply surviving longer than usual, the game found ways to acknowledge it. Combined with the permanent upgrades to weapons, magic, and character stats, it creates a loop that feels generous without ever becoming overwhelming.
Co-op adds another layer of fun. I played a session with a friend who is far better at action games than I am, and somehow the two of us managed to chain together combos that looked intentional. In reality, I was mostly trying not to fall off platforms, but the game’s design made even my clumsy contributions feel meaningful. That balance between accessibility and depth is one of Absolum’s greatest strengths.
What keeps pulling me back is how naturally the game fits into a busy schedule. It offers the same satisfying progression that made Hades so beloved, but with a side-scrolling twist and a visual style that feels nostalgic without being derivative. It is a game that welcomes players who are short on time, short on skill, or simply looking for something that rewards every minute invested.
Absolum may not turn me into a master of precision combat, but it gives me a world I want to return to, even in small doses. For someone juggling real life and a love of games, that is exactly the kind of experience that sticks.
