Rhythmer_, from developer Sixteen Up, isn’t like other rhythm games.
Rhythmer_, one of a handful of finalists at Google Indie Play Festival 2022, is shaking up the rhythm platformer genre with an invigorating, tough gameplay and a new music score.
Novel how? Well, while most rhythm games are built around pumping soundtracks with regular beats, Rhythmer_ uses a cosmopolitan variety of music styles and genres to underline its platforming action.
You hear bluesy acoustic guitar, jazzy piano, poppy electronica, and so on.
More importantly, the music dictates the layout of the stages, with each obstacle corresponding to a note on the keyboard. The music and the level design are closely intertwined.
Your goal is simply to get through these levels. The playing area in Rhythmer_ is split vertically in the middle and you control a small ball that clings to the line separating the two halves.
It’s just a jump to the left
Tapping on the right side of the screen moves the ball to the right of the line, while tapping on the left sends the ball to the left. Whichever side you’re on, another tap in that direction will make you jump into the air.
And you have to jump, because on either side of the line are countless different hazards, including geometric shapes, walls and spikes. The slightest contact with any of these obstacles will end your run abruptly.
There are also gems scattered throughout the stages. Collecting these will unlock new levels, and since they appear on both sides of the line, you’ll need to complete each stage more than once.
Outside of the standard gameplay, there’s a Zen mode, which you play without music, and a Time phase, which ramps up the speed until you screw it up.
There are currently two versions of Rhythmer_ available. Rhythmer_Lite contains two phases and it is completely free, with no ads or IAPs.
The premium versionmeanwhile, features five unlockable stages, a Zen mode, and a ton of content in the pipeline.
You can download both from the Google Play Store.
