The Abacus: Hellraiser


Web version is available on itch.io!


Beat the beat (and old tech)


A first-person rhythm-based dungeon crawler set to wild PHONK beats.


Controls


Exploration


- W / S or ↑ / ↓ — move forward / backward.
- A / D or ← / → — turn.
- E or click a chest — open it.

Combat


- Mouse wheel, W / S, or ↑ / ↓ — select an abacus row.
- Left click — move one bead left, increasing the value.
- Right click — move one bead right, decreasing the value.

Comments27

artemeda19 Oct 2026, 17:40
Such a unique concept! Combining a dungeon crawler with rhythm-based combat and an abacus is something I definitely didn't expect. The PHONK soundtrack fits the chaotic atmosphere really well, and the visuals have a great retro feel. The combat mechanics are creative and make the game stand out. Awesome work by the whole team!
Tanjou
Tanjou19 Oct 2026, 17:57
Awesome concept! Loved the vibes!
fourApril19 Oct 2026, 19:25
Probably top game on LD! GJ
maxxxMAX20 Oct 2026, 04:47
Throughout the game, I kept the beat, playing along to the music—though the same track did start to get tiresome after a while. The graphics are good, but the rhythm mechanics are a bit more problematic: even when I felt I was hitting the buttons exactly on beat, the game wouldn’t register it. And yet, the core gameplay really drew me in—it was simply impossible to tear myself away.
Neeko69
Neeko6920 Oct 2026, 05:27
Very fun game, very unique. It did feel a bit weird trying to stay on beat, it felt de sync a bit, but regardless, I really enjoyed this game, it can really become a full game.
WeLoveGames20 Oct 2026, 05:53
The soundtrack is fantastic, and I had a lot of fun! On Normal difficulty, I struggled to stay on beat while keeping track of all the combinations, my HP and armor, and the enemy's HP. It felt like a lot to process at once.
I switched to Easy, where I didn't have to worry about rhythm timing, and really enjoyed playing through to the end.
Isaac Hisey
Isaac Hisey20 Oct 2026, 05:55
Got to the end on easy, too hard to stay on beat for me. Cool idea, well executed. I liked the 3d art. Well done.
Tom D20 Oct 2026, 06:26
I love how the Nokia is the boss.
mohidTheDev
mohidTheDev20 Oct 2026, 06:34
Very fun game. I love how the skeleton is vibing all the the time. Great visuals too!
NikitaStarostin
NikitaStarostin20 Oct 2026, 09:13
Such a unique concept! Combining a dungeon crawler with rhythm-based combat and an abacus is something I definitely didn’t expect, and the PHONK soundtrack fits the chaotic atmosphere really well. The retro visuals are great - the vibing skeleton and the Nokia boss are brilliant touches - and the combat mechanics make the game stand out. Awesome work by the whole team!
Serendipityyyy20 Oct 2026, 13:29
I LIKED THE AUDIO and the vibes of the game, best rhytm game
💀
Storm_Rider20 Oct 2026, 13:42
A little embarrassed at how long it took me to figure out that I need to match the beads numbers with one of the skills. But once I got that it was really fun and the graphics reminds me of Buckshot Roulette but cleaner. Loving it
LastyW20 Oct 2026, 15:45
YO I love rhythm games and especially unexpectd combinations on them like this. Core gameplay seemed a bit confusing with tutorial but became much more intuitive once the game started. I like how you used this counting thing fot theme and actually played it out in the gameplay. also audio are pleasant, though I felt in some parts as if it was off beat. Overall great game, certainly deserves top-10 at least!
AO-85
AO-8520 Oct 2026, 16:45
Awesome, your game is magnificent! I had a blast playing it, really cool stuff
Viktoria20 Oct 2026, 16:51
The game is super. I really liked visual. Everything is well thought out. I had a good laugh at the meme references.
ya7on20 Oct 2026, 17:13
Really cool idea. I liked it. I hope you'll continue working on it. I'd like to see more abilities than attack/defense/heal
Boxofcuriosity20 Oct 2026, 18:41
A unique idea and I thought it was visually nice, but I found I didn't need the music (or a beat) on normal to play and win the game.
Found it a little annoying that the abacus selection always started in the middle, when I would be selecting from top to bottom.
JohnCoffee20 Oct 2026, 19:34
Awesome game, throw it on steam for a few bucks, could see this go nicely with a bit more polish.
I have to think about Crypt of the necrodancer due to the beat somehow.
Eugenik
Eugenik20 Oct 2026, 23:21
The blending of wild PHONK beats with the dungeon crawler aesthetic is such a brilliant, chaotic concept. I really enjoyed how the retro elements, like the abacus, fit into that weird, intense atmosphere you built. Keep up the great work!
pro4
pro421 Oct 2026, 04:25
Wow, this is just oozing pure creativity. Loved jamming to the beat of the music. Did yall make this? Huge kudos on the music. Got huge Crypt of the Necrodancer vibes. Favorite game of the jam so far!
freamdev
freamdev21 Oct 2026, 07:26
The moment I saw the abacus I knew this'll be fun. Very nicely polished and visually impressive game. Can't say I'm big into rythm games but the beat was very good as well, great entry.
Nephem21 Oct 2026, 10:17
I had a blast clearing the game! I absolutely loved the feeling of slaughtering monsters in sync with the music. The UI interactions and overall presentation were incredibly fluid—plus, I’m a huge fan of first-person dungeon crawlers. That said, the balancing feels a bit off; healing is too powerful—just two uses are enough to go from near-death back to full health. Regardless, I had a fantastic time playing!
qook1e21 Oct 2026, 10:58
that is peak. I like core mechanic and sound design. Very want to play full version
Septah21 Oct 2026, 12:58
amazing, soundtrack and mechanik are a 10/10 for me :D i hate rythm games but it felt suupppeer nice gz!
only thing: if the web version is a bit laggy the sounds has some scratching (but more of an issue with my laptop lol)
skigfx
skigfx21 Oct 2026, 16:03
Absolutely amazing! Honestly, I already struggle just playing rhythm games, so I can't even imagine what it's like to develop one!

It's incredibly fun to play, the rhythm is absolutely fantastic, and the melody is still stuck in my head even though I closed the game tab already.

What's especially impressive is how perfectly everything comes together as one cohesive experience — the visuals, the music, the rhythm, and the gameplay mechanics. Everything just clicks!

This is one of those projects that makes me feel genuinely envious, in the best possible way.

Bravo!
NuclMe
NuclMe21 Oct 2026, 17:52
A brilliantly creative first-person rhythm dungeon crawler that pairs a wild PHONK soundtrack with an abacus-based combat mechanic! Using bead values to fight to the beat is such an inspired and unique take on the theme. Playing it right in the browser via itch.io makes jumping into the action super seamless—huge kudos to the creators for such an awesome and stylish entry!

Other games by @maksim-terskov

Found a bug?
Tell us on Discord