PC (Microsoft Windows)2022

We Who Are About to Die

Take control of a brand new randomized gladiator with a single life, fight your way from pit to arena to stadium, pleasing larger and larger crowds until you finally become a legend of the Grand Stadium... or gloriously die trying!

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Screenshots

Very Positive

36 Steam reviews

Review History

Reviews

36 total

≥h

Steam User 5568STEAMNot recommended

I don't really understand how this has a "Very Positive" review score. The fights feel INCREDIBLY repetitive after 5-10 hours. You get new traits when you complete certain fights, but you have to choose between the 2 they offer and after you've taken 4 you don't get any new ones so i guess your character is done growing.

The Patron system sucks, why do you lose so much favor every week? I did the "Criminal Scum" background where i had to get 80+ favor with all patrons and it was an absolute SLOG. Every week i'm gaining 7-13 favor with ONE patron and losing 6 each with all the others. Literally the only way to complete the run was to take every single tournament and draft fight that was offered and those draft fights are the most boring thing in the game, it's the exact same fight on the exact same map over and over and over, but you have to take it because it's the only thing that gives favor to all the patrons.

It feels like this game should be about building and improving a Ludus, but it's not, it's about each individual run because you can barely pass anything on to your next gladiator and all your improvements to the "Scollo" die with you. Also, the incredibly miniscule amount of stuff you can pass on is limited even further because you're only allowed 2 rerolls on your background before you forfeit all of it anyways.

Is there something i'm missing? I just retired my second character and i feel like i've basically done everything in the game at 10 hours of played time.

Mar 17, 2026·10h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1351STEAMRecommended

What a fun rogue like surprise. Usually poor control (not a drag maybe I’m just bad) as a gimmick games piss me off but this one helped elevate the stakes. Also what better than the real life rogue like premise of the colosseum gladiators. Overall variety of weapons and specifically maps and situations keep things fresh. Not much of a steam deck now hint hint dev. All in all a very satisfying premise being the last man standing after a bloody 10 man free for all. A great short play session game, definitely a unique game that if you are at all interested download now and support this awesome dev.

Mar 14, 2026·3h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6712STEAMRecommended

いくつかの致命的なバグを除いてかなりいいゲーム
1試合が短く、そこまで長引かずサクサクと遊べる
初心者の内は片手剣と盾を使いつつ、スタミナと片手剣を訓練していけば勝てる
最強は長槍(サンダガ)による左突きで圧倒的リーチ&ダメージで金ぴか装備の1vs多数でもイージー

致命的なバグは試合開始時に常に未操作状態で常にダブルステップし始めたり、スタミナが何もしていないのにどんどん減っていったりするやばいバグがある
この場合は勝つ負ける以前に試合にならないから再起動して

Mar 12, 2026·28h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8854STEAMRecommended

Fun and skill is important

Mar 12, 2026·25h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1776STEAMRecommended

It's a fun game with a small touch of jank. I liked the combat and the arenas are really interesting to fight in.
Developer seems motivated to make the game the best it can be.

My only complaint is that I wish the enemy AI was a little more clever.

Mar 12, 2026·21h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3923STEAMRecommended

good

Mar 12, 2026·7h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5652STEAMRecommended

Great physics based fighter

Mar 11, 2026·15h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7186STEAMRecommended

We Who Are About To Die is an excellent indie offering made by a solo dev.

What we have is a gladiator combat rouge lite that gives us all the glory of fighting in the arena. You pick a randomly generated gladiator, equip them with armour and weapons and then set off in one of the many game modes from duels to full on tournaments.

The combat will make or break this game for you, it's awkward at first with simple attacks being tricky to pull off, but if you stick with it then it becomes incredibly addictive with matches being tense affairs with your life literally being on the line, one swift swipe can see hours of progress lost including all that sweet gear.

Really my only complaints are that it can be quite repetitive, there aren't many variations on the formula and it does get samey. I also find most matches to be over quickly and I tend to spend more time in menus.

I do also wish it had better gore, I feel the swords don't actually cut off what they connect with and there should be blood all over the place.

That said this is an indie offering and this teams dedication has already earned themselves a customer with me. I'll be keeping my eyes on this game but it's already an excellent time as is.

Mar 11, 2026·18h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6110STEAMRecommended

Good fun under the Roman sun

Mar 10, 2026·16h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0872STEAMRecommended

Lobbin heads is fun.

picked this up few years ago, played a bit, was cool, but the controls were hard to get used to. I understood the concept, but it was weird.
Loaded er up today, and had a blast.. Controls, still weird, but what do you expect when you are a fresh meat stick with a sword.
I had some close calls and holy crap laughed and cheered!.
Wish there was a replay cause man there is some funny stuff happening. Watching team mates decapitate each other by accident is great.
10/10
on week 14 i think, maybe 15.. if i didnt have to sleep , i'd probably keep going.

Add a cheer option , like mock or cheer.. and a reply please.

Mar 10, 2026·13h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6453STEAMRecommended

I want to love the game so bad, it has everything that you could want from a gladiator game. if you love gladiator roguelites then buy this game. however...

The problem comes from how clunky the camera is, it always seems to be center on the players body from behind so i can barely see the attacks, plus if the map isn't completely open and flat its impossible to see.
Also the character seems to be always out of breath and super slow. Which wouldn't be an issue if the enemies weren't always on top of you, no like they are always engaged but they are constantly like half a foot from my face so none of my weapons do any damage cause i can't get any acceleration nor can i hit with the actual sharp apart of the blade.
lastly the weapons, which are very fun and unique, but the player character doesn't swing straight, if the weapon isn't two handed the character just flings it from the side with no blade alignment so its trajectory is just a mess. all of these issues just pile up to make a very frustrating game that is otherwise fantastic.

Mar 8, 2026·40h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7819STEAMRecommended

good

Mar 8, 2026·18h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7446STEAMRecommended

FUN!!!!

Mar 8, 2026·38h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7840STEAMRecommended

Wacky and fun time sink for when i have no clue what to play

Mar 5, 2026·46h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3956STEAMRecommended

Mar 5, 2026·60h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8477STEAMRecommended

Mar 4, 2026·7h·4·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 4871STEAMRecommended

Pretty good Physics based arena battler

Mar 3, 2026·20h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6661STEAMRecommended

There are very few, if any, gladiator games that could hold a candle to We Who Are About To Die. It is a little goofy, but the replay value is immense and the gameplay is fantastic. Good scaling of gear and difficulty, different character backgrounds combined with perks give massive strategy variety in each playthrough, and the bonuses gained from each backgrounded completed complimented by permanent boosts to each run's start unlocked through multiple runs set this game a world apart.

Feb 28, 2026·66h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3749STEAMNot recommended

Yani oyunun yorumları hep 2022 2023 bandında ben şuan 28.02.2026 bu yorumu yapıyorum yani bence oyun grafikleri kötü değil ama mekanikleri rezalet denecek kadar kötü ve hep kazanıyorsun YZ kesinlik ile zorlamıyor. Ben Half Sworld oynadım ondan sonra bunu oynadım belki ondan bana kötü geldi yada 4 yıllık bir eskide söz konusu olabilir tavsiye etmıyorum.

Feb 28, 2026·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1368STEAMNot recommended

I want to start off with; I really want this game to be good. I realllly do. It has the meat of something incredible here. The problem is that there is just not enough to pull you in. The combat got worse since they changed it. While it does feel more like a stand-off; the AI will pull crazy combos all of a sudden. They will push you into a corner while you are only able to deal around 12 damage to armored parts (if you are lucky and they don't have god armor). The weapons don't go into the normal stance after swinging and instead swing back the way they came which leads to double hits doing around the same if not more damage. The rubber banding of the joints of AI allows them to hit around blocks or anything else that wouldn't be physically possible. No matter how much armor I have at god level or how much stats I have; the game automatically pulls you back down underneath whatever enemy you are facing so your damage doesn't hit hard like the AI. Not only that; but the "reward" for doing well is incremental increases to your gold, fame and stats via Permanent upgrades. I mean truly incremental to the point that it doesn't feel worth doing. Ever since the combat was *updated* the game feels like a job of "Swing, block, swing, block or swing, dodge, swing, block" over and over until you eventually wear down the generic slave's health that looks naked but has god level armor to mitigate all damage. I want the idea for the game to work; I do. But until they do a lot more; and I mean A LOT more, I just don't feel like it's worth the buy. I'll go back to Sifu for now until this gets better or something else drops and gets better like Halfsword.

Forgot to mention; the shop is garbage. Having the idea of random equipment and it relying on a separate currency is garbage especially when Headshot damage is 50% more and you have to re-roll in hopes that you get a helmet. Oh and if that isn't bad enough; to make the shop have something you are looking for; you spend fame to have those items the next time. Except all 8 pieces of armor are under just *armor* and you only get 3 slots to buy from unless you have fame to unlock them. Each and every playthru....

Feb 26, 2026·29h·2·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7068STEAMRecommended

官方终于出成就了

Feb 26, 2026·35h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6825STEAMNot recommended

bad game, not fun and unoptimized. laggy af.

Feb 25, 2026·5h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9403STEAMRecommended

Loads of fun. It's a bit rough around the edges, but the developer is invested in making the game better. Highly recommend if you want to mess around and be a gladiator.

Feb 23, 2026·7h·4·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7874STEAMRecommended

fun slashy game

Feb 23, 2026·7h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0382STEAMRecommended

Yaa yaa

Feb 22, 2026·6h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8133STEAMRecommended

I'm about to

Feb 20, 2026·47h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6516STEAMRecommended

A gladiator does not fear death.
He embraces it.
Caresses it.
♥♥♥♥♥ it.
Each time he enters the arena, he takes leave of his life.

Remember, you´re fighting for your Ludus and i tell you:
Kill them all !

Feb 20, 2026·13h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2992STEAMRecommended

Found a fish, used it up to champion ranked.

Feb 20, 2026·16h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2108STEAMNot recommended

装备太少了，更新特质后中文却没跟新，单次还可以，就是不能自定义出身，建议直接做成ck3开局那种给一个特质分数，正面buff和负面buff分别消耗和增肌特质分数，再弄个开局特质限制，还有就是开局捏人时直接给初始金币然后自己买初级装备过度，还有建议给个装备幻化功能，最高级装备有些太丑了，而且好像只有显赫一套，要么多做点要么弄个装备幻化

Feb 19, 2026·15h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5648STEAMRecommended

C'est fou qu'à un moment donné de l'Histoire les gens se sont quand même dit que faire se battre des êtres humains à mort pour divertir la plèbe c'était complètement ok... personne a rien dit ?

Feb 19, 2026·16h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7488STEAMNot recommended

A fun game, a REALLY fun game...
bogged down by a mountain of questionable decisions.

The combat this game has is...excellent, genuinely. It's a beautiful system, though it has a few flaws here and there. My problems with the game are everything *around* the combat system.

Why is this game so bogged by RNG?
Why are patrons so...annoying?
What's the point of fundraisers and promotions?
You realize the fame multiplier system heavily discourages intense customization, right?
Just to name a few of my...more prevalent problems.

To keep it blunt, this game's RNG is *atrocious*. The gear you can buy each week is a roll of the dice, the matches you can fight in are a roll of the dice, the skills you get offered are a roll of the dice. Almost EVERYTHING that impacts your character out of combat, and even some major *in-combat* events are RNG. You can be completely f'd out of getting the gear for your build, or you can be offered a cheap Godly item on Week 2 (both from personal experience). What's...the point? Sure, you can mitigate the gear bit by performing a Shop Order...but even then it's still rough completing your build. It feels like the game doesn't *listen* to your shop orders. The fact that disarming is based on chance as well, and that you can be *chain* disarmed is highly annoying as well. Why not make it something more skillful? I know it's tied to stamina...but, that's it? And even then, I've been chain disarmed at around 60% stamina (am I supposed to just never attack? Or...block...or dodge...?) Even more frustratingly, you can be repeatedly handed *objectively awful* characters. You can re-roll these characters, but there's still no RNG protection. If you roll 3 objectively awful characters, you either play an objectively bad hand and an unfun character, or you lose the benefits you'd built up from your last run. I can understand putting the player in a bad spot, making them play from behind...but you must realize that if a punishment is only decided by a roll of the dice, you're only punishing the player for deciding to play the game. Punishments MUST correlate to consequences of actions, otherwise the only action I committed was daring to play.

Secondly, patrons. Burn this system to the ground. Completely destroy it. Stomp and kick the ashes around. In theory it could work, but I would much rather never see a patron again then play with these numbers. You gain favor for the patron that sponsored your match, but you lose favor with the 3 other patrons (some matches are special and give you favor for ALL patrons, but they're rare...and it's a small amount). The issue is...the amount you LOSE favor between the three patrons combined is more than double the amount you gained for the one patron. Plus, going back to the RNG factor, you're not even guaranteed to get a specific patron's match that week. **WHY?** Going back to consequences and punishments, I'm punished for *not rolling* my Patron in a match that week. That's...objectively BS, you know that, right? You can focus a Patron for 2 weeks, then not get them for 3 weeks...and now you're negative with EVERY patron, even the one you originally focused. I'm almost under the impression you shipped this update I played with the wrong numbers, this feels so awful conceptually. It doesn't help that your reputation with the patrons is tied to a good majority of the random events, your payout from matches AND the small tasks you can complete on the side. Is bribery supposed to be a long-term solution? It certainly isn't cost-effective enough for it. Speaking of cost effective, when is Promote or Fundraise EVER worth it?

My proposal: Halve the favor loss for not fighting for a patron. If a patron was unselectable that week, you don't lose favor with them ("I didn't offer you a job, but you didn't take my job, so I'm upset at you now" makes absolutely zero sense) BUT, if a patron offered MULTIPLE matches that week and you refused, the favor loss scales. This should make playing all sides, or having a favorite actually plausible. Also, add more ways to actually choose a patron's match or at least make having a positive favor matter more.

The last big one...equipment. Fame Multiplier shouldn't exist. Is the implication that a man in heavy armor cannot be respect and renowned among fans? Seriously? You've never ONCE cheered for a juggernaut? We're GLADIATORS me boy! A man in an iron suit and mask can be an icon. If you really want to reward players for using risky/bad equipment, keep the positive fame multipliers. Heavy equipment is already balanced by its intense stamina decrease (and if it isn't, then actually just balance it?). All fame multiplier does is discourage the player from using specific equipment, and just looking for other options that are "Meh, good enough". You have 300+ items in the game, but half of them are objectively better than their same-tiered counterparts for bs reasons. It...doesn't make sense, mate.

But the actual meat and potatoes of the game, the combat, is REALLY good. My one big complaint though: Why is there a top-down mode? Why does it feel like blocking without a shield is balanced around it, too? I'm told when I'm in third person to "hover my mouse over the enemy's weapon"...but...that's not the solution. If I hover it over their weapon, I either do not block their swing or my character doesn't adjust their weapon correctly TO block (such as holding the weapon up horizontally to block an overhead). If I try to be predictive and block where their weapon will arc during the swing...I run into the same issue. It's finnicky, and punishes people for playing in third person ((which I think is the superior way to do this)). As a side note, your own model additionally gets in the way and obscures block angles. Maybe add transparency to your own model when blocking? Other than that, my only complaint is that the AI likes to get REALLY close for no reason...even if it destroys BOTH of your effective weapon ranges...so it's just a... why?

Tl;dr
This game's combat is supremely amazing, but **ALL** of the content surrounding the combat (and a few minor annoyances with the combat) stop me from positively recommending this game.

Feb 17, 2026·7h·44·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1189STEAMRecommended

Its just so good, devs are great and its just plain out fun

Feb 16, 2026·38h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 4167STEAMNot recommended

this game has such poor ai for the entourage its not worth it at all. in big fights you will get random spears thrown at you from the crowd in 1 v 3 for no reason it makes no sense. i have countless hours in this game and still can't figure out why this dumbass game mechanic is there. i would not recommend anyone play this until jordi gets these dumbasss game mechanics fixed.

Feb 16, 2026·49h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2146STEAMRecommended

başarılı

Feb 16, 2026·25h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7462STEAMRecommended

Great game I cant wait to see what is done with this!

Feb 15, 2026·14h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3132STEAMNot recommended

10 years of development....10 years is a long time for such a small game with such fast progression. + it costs 20£ which is a lot. I understand there aren't many developers, and they're trying their best to release this game. I'll buy this game on sale with the hope that it will be released in 1-3 years, not another 10+y.
Will change my review on release day.

Feb 15, 2026·2h·1·Verified·Early Access

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English	—	—	Y
Chinese (Simplified)	—	—	Y
Chinese (Traditional)	—	—	Y
French	—	—	Y
German	—	—	Y
Italian	—	—	Y
Japanese	—	—	Y
Korean	—	—	Y
Polish	—	—	Y
Portuguese (Brazil)	—	—	Y
Russian	—	—	Y
Spanish (Spain)	—	—	Y