For the longest time, rhythm/music games were based around concepts of hitting notes in time with songs. Only in the past few years have we seen many more developers experimenting with music and sound in games to create something different. Cadence is one such effort by Made With Monster Love. Currently on Kickstarter, this upcoming title focuses on puzzles – but with a big helping of music creation as well.
The main hook in Cadence appears to be that the means by which you solve a puzzle will change the music being generated as a result. Solve a puzzle a different way and you’ll then hear some alternate tunes. By allowing players so much freedom it allows everyone to play about as they see fit, creating different music without requiring knowledge about typical music software. The goal is to make this game simple – but still deep.
Visually, Cadence offers a simplistic, soothing atmosphere. Your musical nodes are tied together with lines which then undulate slightly as music courses through them. Beyond that, backdrops appear completely sparse, keeping the focus on a mesmerizing interweaving of your puzzle solution. It’s pretty cool, and even a bit reminiscent of Sentris (which was also funded via Kickstarter!).
A Kickstarter success would allow the developers to expand their game further to grant players access to a level editor of sorts, and then an online workshop so that they can share them with others. Cadence is shooting for a £25,000 goal (about $38,600). If successful, it’s targeting a launch on Windows, Mac, and iPad.
Track the progress of the Cadence Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
