Understanding the Game

KeyBeat is a rhythm simulation game in which the notes move vertically over receptors, and players must hit buttons corresponding to the receptors when the notes line up. The players are hitting choreographed notes while music is playing, and are rewarded for both not missing the notes, and also hitting the notes with accurate timing.

For most well-designed levels, the notes are supposed to immerse you into the music in some sense, so the notes will be placed such that they often times line up with the beat and the melodies. The more you pay attention to this relationship, the more you will enjoy the game, and the easier it will be to time the hitting of the notes. To further that immersion, realize that the level design also subconsciously affects how you interpret the music. Try to think about how each level feels as you are playing it. What patterns do you like or dislike, and how does the context of the music change your opinion? How does playing a level affect what you can hear in the song and how you hear it? There is a world of a difference between just listening to the music, pressing some random buttons to music, and using the game to immerse oneself in the music and learning from it. Levels that don't line up well with the music will just be distracting, and it will be more difficult to hit the notes and more difficult to enjoy.

To really appreciate the game to its fullest, try to improve as much as possible. The more intricate and elegant charts are more fun to play, because there is more room for pattern options and tricks. The most elegantly constructed charts are usually around the difficulty range of about 7 to 20 notes per second. Charts on either side of this range tend to be simpler or more cluttered. Thus, players who can comfortably play levels at these difficulties tend to be able to appreciate the game the most.