Game

Absolum

2025

Insufficient evidence

We did not find enough credible, independent evidence to publish a numeric cash-grab score. Unrated is more honest than a guess.

What counts as a cash grab?

Commercial extraction prioritized over meaningful consumer or creative value. Profit, popularity, adaptations, sequels, remakes, high budgets, and normal marketing do not count by themselves.

Why?

I searched developer materials, storefront pages, professional reviews, and reporting for Absolum (released October 9, 2025) and found no credible evidence that the title was structured as a commercial extraction. Dotemu and partners present Absolum as an original IP with hand-drawn art, an original soundtrack, and Guard Crush/Supamonks development. Stores list a single upfront price (~€24.99 / $25) with an optional soundtrack purchase, reviewers praise gameplay and craft, and I found no authoritative reports of predatory in‑game monetization, rushed launch tactics, or day‑one exploitative DLC bundles.

No credible reporting of predatory microtransactions, loot boxes, or pay-to-win mechanics beyond an optional paid soundtrack.
Multiple respected outlets praise Absolum’s hand-drawn art, combat, and soundtrack, indicating substantive creative value.
Official materials and credits identify Absolum as an original IP developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks.

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Score factors

Direction	Factor	Evidence	Impact
Against	High production craft	Professional reviews and Dotemu materials credit Supamonks' hand-drawn art and a multi-composer original soundtrack, showing significant production investment.[2][3][4]	-18
Against	Original IP and content	Dotemu and its press materials describe Absolum as an original roguelite IP set in the world of Talamh with four distinct heroes rather than a licensed or recycled franchise product.[1][5][6]	-17
Against	Transparent upfront pricing and demo	Store listings show a single upfront price (listed at 24.99€ on Steam) and a downloadable demo, with only an optional paid soundtrack, indicating a straightforward purchase model.[8][1][7]	-12
Against	Positive independent reviews	Multiple independent outlets gave favorable reviews highlighting combat depth, art direction, and replayability, supporting the presence of meaningful consumer value.[2][3][9]	-8

Confidence: Low · No source-backed commercial-extraction signal was found. · Researched 2026-07-23

Sources reviewed

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