Rytmos

A relaxing puzzling experience like no other, Rytmos takes players on a musical journey where solving mazes composes the most soothing melodies on this side of the galaxy. Fun is the name of the game in Rytmos: a title that seems to have been engineered from the ground up to be as relaxing and easygoing as possible.

Despite a few hiccups here and there, Rytmos is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that blends some of the most entertaining aspects of puzzle and rhythm games. With its passionate focus on music and its history, it has something for everyone – and if nothing else, it'll make your ears happy!

Around the World in a Beat

At its core, Rytmos is all about the art of creating music. The goal of the game isn't so much to beat levels (though they're certainly challenging), but rather to compose an entire piece using the various tools available to you. Each level consists of intricate mazes that slowly unfold as the player discovers the melodies they hold.

Also worth noting is that every level seems to be inspired by a different musical genre. Some are based on traditional African rhythms while others draw influence from modern electronica. It's nice to see developers taking inspiration from such diverse sources; I'm sure it makes the world seem smaller than we think.

Cubic Presentation

When it comes to its visuals, Rytmos goes for a more restrained presentation that still manages to capture the essence of what the developers envisioned for the game. Perhaps the best comparison would be with Journey since both share similar aesthetics and mechanics. However, whereas Journey was clearly inspired by Myst, Rytmos uses far fewer color palettes. Instead, it relies heavily on simple geometric shapes and smooth transitions between them.

Another aspect to keep in mind in Rytmos is that this is a fundamentally single-player experience. As much as I would have loved to see some form of multiplayer implementation in this game, that sadly isn't the case here.

Astonishing Experience

Few games can pull off such a sense of pure wonder as Rytmos so effortlessly does. The overall package feels like a solid contender for the title of one of the best rhythm games ever made. The only thing that would have probably made the experience feel a bit more complete is, as I mentioned before, some sort of multiplayer component.

As it is, however, Rytmos is still a fairly enjoyable – if solitary – experience that's perfect to relax to.

Pros

• Outstanding presentation brings the cubic world to life
• Great selection of musical influences from all over the (cubic) globe
• Difficult enough to pose a challenge without leaving the player feeling stumped

Cons

• Would have been even better with some multiplayer support
• Rare performance issues can mess with the rhythm a bit – nothing too major to impact the experience, though