Continuing our coverage of PAX East, we have quite a few games we want to highlight. First, we're looking at some of the studios before moving to individual games. Previously we covered Ocean Drive Studio and now we're looking at another studio that should absolutely be on your radar, ByteRockers Games. Founded in 2008, ByteRockers' is not only a development studio but also has begun publishing games from other small developers. We'll cover games they offered at PAX East and let you know why you should have them on your radar in the coming years. 

Net.Attack()

The first game we tried out from ByteRockers' was Net.Attack(). For fans of top down bullet hell games such as Vampire Survivors, this one’s for you. Unleash your inner hacker and choose your abilities as you disrupt the system and escape before it's too late. There isn't a published release date just yet. For now the demo itself will give you a few hours of enjoyment on its own. Each run will vary based on the challenges you choose and the skills you link, all through five rounds if you can survive! Try out the over 100 different nodes available to you and see what combination works best for your game play style. Your runs are as short or long as you make them so enjoy!

Solnox – Grimoire of Seasons

With a release date of 2026, we'll be waiting on Solnox – Grimoire of Seasons for a bit. After playing the demo, it's worth the wait, even if somewhat impatiently on my end. In this roguelike deck builder, you'll not only be fighting enemies with your rune stones, you'll also be changing the seasons to your advantage. Balance how you use the environment around you as you navigate the hex board accordingly. As a Warden, you are the last force standing between corruption and survival. Stand up against Morrigan who was once a warden herself to ensure that humanity continues on. For fans of games such as Slay the Spire and For the King, be sure to wishlist this one.

Exovia

Another 2026 release for ByteRockers' is Exovia. After a hard day at work, enjoy some time relaxing in space while mining asteroids and working towards building a warp gate. It's easy to lose time and zone out in this sandbox space simulation with such relaxing music. You'll be extracting minerals and sending them to the machine to craft upgrades for your gun and the larger machines you'll be building. You'll have missions to work through, research to upgrade your skills, and build targets to follow. These aren't overly complex which is nice so this really does feel like a relaxing game in space. No one can hear you scream in space, but don't worry, you'll be too chill to be screaming anyway.

The Berlin Apartment (published by ByteRockers’)

Explore Germany from the view of one apartment throughout the last century in The Berlin Apartment. As a handyman refurbishing an apartment, you find relics of the past and these are left behind by the previous tenants. As the story begins you are a man living on your own since your roommate left, talking to a fish, in 1989, still separated by the Berlin wall. Will you communicate via paper airplane with someone on the other side? You'll also travel to 1933, ready to travel and leave Berlin behind during the transformation brought about by Hitler. Explore historic Germany through the lens of these episodes in this historical game. The Berlin Apartment is sure to evoke human emotion as you experience what others have gone through all within the same four walls.

Let them Trade (published by ByteRockers’)

If you want a strategic city builder, you'll want to play Let Them Trade. Calling it a city builder may not be enough as you could end up building multiple cities in your kingdom. Upgrade your castle, build your network of cities, explore the world around you as you try to grow into a strong economically sound kingdom. It’s a relaxed city builder where you’ll still deal with some of the challenges that come with building a city but you (hopefully) won’t be super stressed. You’ll be dealign with supply chains, simple combat against bandits, but most importantly, game play that let’s you play for as long as you want. This game doesn’t have a story driven campaign which means your time with Let Them Trade is as much as you want to give. This is another game where you could relax and zone out. In fact, members of their team gave me fair warning that time would pass faster than expected. They timed my demo at about 20 minutes, yet it felt like only 10 had passed. If you thought a much simpler relaxed Civilization game sounded good, add this to your wishlist.

Honorable Mentions

While I unfortunately could not play everything that ByteRockers’ had on display for PAX East, I did make a point to check out Constance upon my return home. For those who enjoy platformers and want a vivid art style, this is for you. Some moments remind me of Celeste as you slide up walls along the way. Constance is looking to escape a colorful but dying inner world, one that parallels her mental health. The art is vivid and at times beautifully haunting. Choose how to continue your journey upon death, explore her psyche, and navigate a world that at times may even feel a bit too real.

My last honorable mention is a ByteRockers’ game that has been out for a while. Beat Slayer is a roguelike hack n’ slash that was my first introduction to ByteRockers’ Games. Set in a dystopian 90’s Berlin, give in to the beat of the music and battle your way to find your sibling Toni and take down Dietrich. In speaking with the other convention goers, I mentioned this game when discussing ByteRockers’ and the idea of rhythm game meets roguelike was all too appealing. Enough so that I saw the Beat Slayer demo ready looking ready to be played at the con!

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s been amazing to see ByteRockers’ continue to release many games and branch out even further. Roguelikes, cozy simulations, strategy, and something more akin to a visual novel with historical undertones is a variety that isn’t found everywhere. That isn’t to say that other studios do not bring this level of variety. However, based on all I’ve seen from ByteRockers’ Games, they truly aim to please and they succeed.

Have you played any of their games or will you be checking them out in the coming months? Let us know down below!