Beat the Signal by LDJam user 409682

[raw]
made by LDJam user 409682 for Ludum Dare 59 (COMPO)

Dodge. Move. Stay on beat.

Collect coins while avoiding bullets in this rhythm-driven arcade game. The longer you survive, the more intense it gets.

SC2.png

SC3.png

SC1.png

======================

Enjoy.

Ratings

Overall 150th 3.456⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Fun 123th 3.426⭐ 83🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 262th 2.725⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Theme 266th 2.619⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 221th 3.086⭐ 83🧑‍⚖️
Audio 64th 3.688⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Mood 187th 3.244⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Given 95🗳️ 150🗨️

Feedback

Mr. Flower
Apr 20th · 02:20 UTC
Very fun, the "dodge the bullets" made me immediately lock in. Was a little sad it was a repeat of the same 3(?) stages. Still fun tho, love the effects, granted, a little aggressive for the eyes, but still really cool stuff. (Don't know what it has to do with signals but you go, lol)
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 20th · 02:29 UTC
@mr-flower Thanks a lot for the feedback! Really glad you enjoyed it 🙂

There are actually 4 phases in the game, which I treat as difficulty levels. They gradually ramp up in intensity and then switch back to a calmer rhythm to give a bit of breathing space.

Each phase is reflected through color changes, music intensity, and the strength/amount of the red spheres 🙂

I definitely want to add more variety in the future as well.
mdotedot
Apr 20th · 06:19 UTC
The music you generate when 'eating' the coins is really satisfying. That is a GOOD SIGNAL as far as i'm concerned :D . Nice!
Alex Mulkerrin
Apr 20th · 10:35 UTC
Good tutorial ingame which is always nice to see. The music is snappy and I like how the game elements move with it. The coins have a neat spinning animation and make nice tones on being picked up. Even though I'm not very good at dodging I still managed to stay alive a while, until I fell of the map that is.
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 20th · 10:53 UTC
@alex-mulkerrin Thank you, that’s really nice to hear!

I decided to lower the difficulty for the jam so players wouldn’t have to sweat too much or die in the first few minutes. I’m glad you were able to stay alive for a while 😄
tweekus
Apr 20th · 13:51 UTC
I like the game design decisions here: the slowdown on hit and the color changes for more dangerous stages. Nice work!
manabreak
Apr 20th · 15:24 UTC
I agree with what other said, nice work and despite being very simple, the the game seems quite polished. Nice!
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 20th · 15:29 UTC
@manabreak thank you! I’m really glad to hear that! I tried to polish it as much as possible. So many ideas ahead
Mekuire
Apr 20th · 18:32 UTC
This game has the best tutorial so far. The only thing missing is a health bar. It doesn't quite fit the theme, but I liked it.
Stratcat66
Apr 20th · 18:39 UTC
There are a lot of things that I really liked here: You managed to make the game feel so smooth and stylish with probably the most basic shapes. Everything feels so alive! Also "small" things like the ingame tutorial are especially for jams a feature for which I am grateful.
Rhythm games are something that give fill me with great enjoyment, and here I especially like that by collecting the coins I become part of the music ambience.
Guardaro
Apr 20th · 18:46 UTC
Very cool! The embedded game didn't work for me, so I hopped over to your itch link. Super cool game; everything is super simple but *polished* to near-perfection. Great tutorial, nice sound, and I **loved** how the visuals synched up with the music. Solid entry!
mathemagics
Apr 20th · 19:20 UTC
A pretty good beat game, smooth controls, and pleasant sounds. It seems a little hard on the eyes, but you kind of get used to it. Thank you for the game!
Helagos
Apr 20th · 19:44 UTC
That's good. Sounds and visuals are nice. It's simple but very juicy ! Well done !
Makintosh
Apr 20th · 20:21 UTC
@fassenberg You don't know why this is happening? ![unity.png](///raw/248/86/z/70eae.png)
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 20th · 20:40 UTC
@makintosh It looks like Unity isn’t even trying to load the game, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Do you see any errors in the console? If yes, please let me know.

From your screenshot, it seems like you’re trying to play it on ldjam.com. You could also try running it on itch.io or downloading the Windows desktop version

Thanks for letting me know!
Isaac Hisey
Apr 21st · 02:37 UTC
Lotta game juice in this one. got 1020. I enjoyed it there is a good skeleton here for a really good rhythm game
PastMoments
Apr 21st · 02:38 UTC
Very nice bullet hell game. I would definitely like to see more music variety!

![score.png](///raw/161/86/z/71c0f.png)
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 21st · 02:54 UTC
@isaac-hisey @pastmoments Wow, impressive! I couldn’t reach that score myself 😂

I’m planning to add more variety to the game, so feel free to bookmark it on itch.io
hotaloca
Apr 21st · 03:39 UTC
Lovely game! I very much like the audio synch in jam games or in games is rare, and it was so good to see it was done. Nice tutorial too! And yes the game felt polished, even though graphics were simple.
RadekVRS
Apr 21st · 10:12 UTC
Nice and easy game which absolutely fit in the jam games. It's nice how the signal as red dot that slows you, when hit you. Also the intstruction for asdw and space are nicely done and the final score is nice to have feature :)
kayrum
Apr 21st · 12:15 UTC
Very nice bullet hell, I like the reactive music.
o2cRoss
Apr 21st · 13:09 UTC
great!A decent little game!
Mr. TJ
Apr 21st · 13:14 UTC
Pretty solid bullethell. I like the combination with the rythm, really mixes it up
Ekopeko
Apr 21st · 13:20 UTC
Very polished with nice audio👍🏼
MemoLoop
Apr 21st · 13:33 UTC
The idea is simple, but good!
gantunk
Apr 21st · 13:40 UTC
Great game, I was just wondering about the dash feature how often I can use it. I would love if it had a small bar to show if is available. Overall love the sound, difficulty and the tutorial. I have managed to gather a score of 675. <3
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 21st · 14:00 UTC
@gantunk Thanks for the feedback! OMG, I set the dash cooldown to 2 seconds — that’s actually way too much 😅 I’ve fixed that in the itch.io version.

But there’s good news: if you time it with the beat, you can do the next dash instantly. Though I agree, that might be pretty tricky.
LDJam user 371996
Apr 21st · 14:27 UTC
Nice concept and cool visuals! I love the sounds when picking the coins, which like improvise the melody within the drums. I think if there were a 808 bass track the music would be cooler (like hiphop)! And align the melody with a chord progression will make the vibe even better.

I have also made a rhythm game this time. Have a try if you are interested! :rocket: :sparkles:
Pierre-Marie
Apr 21st · 14:33 UTC
Just go 1015. Nice game! The atmosphere is great!
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 21st · 14:51 UTC
@rubatotree it's great feedback, thank you!
Yeah, I definitely want to take some rest and then push the concept further, including more sound variations. It should be easy to add at this point. I already notice some rough parts in the audio, but I’m glad they weren’t too noticeable
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 21st · 14:53 UTC
@rubatotree I just realized I’ve actually played your previous game! Amazing. I had a feeling I’d seen this kind of vibe before!

I even had your “DEPTHS” game in mind during development.
LDJam user 371996
Apr 21st · 15:12 UTC
@fassenberg Wow thank you! I'm really surprised. :heart: I really like making these lovely games and do a lot works on music. :sparkles:
FrowsyFrog
Apr 21st · 15:33 UTC
As an old and not that good touhou player, I like it! I got a little dizzy because of the flashes, but everything was fun!
Mikan
Apr 21st · 15:44 UTC
got 975!
![Snipaste_2026-04-21_23-44-10.PNG](///raw/432/46/z/7207e.png)
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 21st · 15:50 UTC
@mikan Impressive! You beat my best score!
![LD59_Game_4k9OS5dmI9.png](///raw/250/46/z/72088.png)
Avhatar
Apr 21st · 16:08 UTC
5 stars for the audio — feels simple, but it slaps and it's actually woven into the gameplay. Bullet hell about a blue pill and coins is a winning formula by default. HP isn't shown anywhere, I actually thought I was immortal for a while. And honestly, there might be a bit too much of it — the challenge feels pretty light. Though maybe that's just the bullet hell veteran in me talking. Either way — simple, satisfying, and importantly, it has a tutorial. Oh, and the text animations are really nice!
Dywanix
Apr 21st · 16:42 UTC
really fun idea!
Haln
Apr 22nd · 00:30 UTC
Simple and enjoyable gameplay.
Loved the beat, but I got huge motion sickness from playing this game. Maybe it was the way things moved combined with the flashing, but I don't typically get motion sickness from regular games or VR games.
Also going fullscreen does something to break the visuals. It kind of flashes the game for a frame and then goes away to a full black or full white screen. Exiting fullscreen doesn't fix it, but going back in again seems to fix it, although exiting fullscreen once more breaks it.
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 22nd · 11:03 UTC
@haln Thanks a lot for the feedback!

I’m really glad you enjoyed the gameplay and the beat, but I’m sorry about the motion sickness — that definitely shouldn’t happen. I’ll see what I can do about it.

And thanks for reporting the fullscreen issue — that might be something on Unity’s side, as I didn’t implement fullscreen behavior myself. I’ll still look into it and see if there’s anything I can do.
w2k
Apr 22nd · 13:17 UTC
Good UI,good introduction and good dynamic visual effect.I noticed that red ball has different status, as I gain more coins and time goes by, the red balls become bigger and more.I love the art design but maybe the playability need to be improved ? More maps or more mechanism I guess?Also I can barely figure out the connection between this game and theme Signal...
FLOWERFIELD Games
Apr 22nd · 13:36 UTC
So cool! Great tutorial, simple controles, good juice, fun gameplay!
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 22nd · 13:39 UTC
@w2k Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah, I’m planning to add more variety as I continue developing the project — I’m already working on some new features. Unfortunately, due to LD rules, I can’t upload those updates here since they were made after the deadline, but they will be available on itch.io.

As for the theme — the “signal” is represented by the rhythm. The current beat drives the gameplay: it controls the pacing and difficulty, and if you follow it, you can chain actions more effectively (like dashing in sync).
Nikorych
Apr 22nd · 13:39 UTC
Great game
Rafa Fiedo
Apr 22nd · 14:00 UTC
super tutorial presentation!
health bar would be helpful :)
It's really nice to pick up all these coins
Kyanoss
Apr 22nd · 16:15 UTC
Nice one! Simple rule with fun dynanmic. I especially like your tween animation, presenting a very good game feel
hammeredzombie
Apr 22nd · 17:27 UTC
i am also unable to load the game. unity just hangs with the load bar full

im on chrome using a windows PC
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 22nd · 17:41 UTC
@hammeredzombie Sorry to hear you’re having trouble launching the game!

You could try playing it on itch.io or downloading the Windows build instead. Also, there’s a chance some resources might not be accessible at the moment — I’ve noticed it only works for me with a VPN right now.
hammeredzombie
Apr 22nd · 18:03 UTC
@fassenberg loads fast on itch, cool idea but i still had to stop playing after a few moments.

the screenshake is an accessibility issue with all the other visual stuff going on. the screen pulsing while i was trying to follow the coins with my eyes made me seasick and i had to quit.
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 22nd · 20:01 UTC
@hammeredzombie Thanks a lot for giving it another try!

Sorry about that — the screenshake and pulsing definitely shouldn’t make it uncomfortable to play. I’ll see what I can do to tone it down or make it optional.

Really appreciate you pointing this out!
Acid Infinitely
Apr 22nd · 21:20 UTC
A game about defending a square (capsule), with a well-executed tutorial (something many jam games lack), as well as a cool implementation of effects synced to music.
Stormdrill
Apr 22nd · 22:56 UTC
This is exactly what gameplay should be—simple to pick up, but so addictive! I was aiming for 1,000 points, but couldn't get past 750. Great job! Add some cool music and a bit of polish, and you’ve got a solid demo
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 23rd · 00:21 UTC
@stormdrill Thanks a lot, that’s really nice to hear! I’m actually working on expanding and polishing the game right now.
Link270
Apr 23rd · 01:26 UTC
This game proves that you can make something fun with primitive shapes, a decent color pallet, nice music, and movement that feels nice. Very nice work! Very simple, but effectively executed.
CoastersPaul
Apr 23rd · 16:17 UTC
Love how the music goes with the action, feels pretty good to move in! I wasn't quite good enough to better than 490 :sweat_smile:
Bumble
Apr 24th · 12:07 UTC
I saw your comment on our rhythm game 'Smoke Show' and immediately went over here :smile:

This entry reminds me of just shapes and beats BUT 3D! I really like how these types of games switch the rhythm aspect around and make the level do the hard work of moving to the rhythm you JUST have to dodge right!

Thanks for making me aware. I really like rhythm games :smiley:
oxnh
Apr 24th · 12:10 UTC
I got 1350 lets go. Simple yet fun game. For expansion I'd love to see a melody with the music and maybe some more insane projectiles like lazers. I was picking up super hexagon vibes and feel like this could live up to that. Also, because this is a score based game a leaderboard would've been awesome. I'm a sucker for bullet hells so great job.
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 24th · 12:20 UTC
@oxnh Wow, that’s a great score! 😄 Thanks for the feedback and the suggestions — I’m actually working on making the systems easier to expand right now. Appreciate it!
JoeGreen
Apr 24th · 16:34 UTC
Приятный минималистичный дизайн, абсолютно понятно что нужно делать и полностью законченная игра. Здорово! Есть чему поучиться😁
Zirrrus
Apr 24th · 18:53 UTC
Very juicy!
LDJam user 428646
Apr 24th · 20:34 UTC
I wasn't sure if there was a way to die at first. I'm still not really sure how I died, like if there's a health bar or something that I missed, or if it's getting hit multiple times in a row. There's some pretty great polishing here, although the flashing lights could maybe be dialed down a bit. Having a tutorial was definitely nice. I love the sound effect for picking up coins. I think dashing didn't feel very responsive, maybe because there was no indication of the cooldown or when it would end. This was pretty fun! Solid work!

![siganl.png](///raw/66a/86/z/729d6.png)
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 24th · 20:49 UTC
@tolviere Wow, that’s impressive! At the moment, you’re the best player in my game! I probably should’ve added a leaderboard :)

Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback. I agree with all of it, and I plan to address these points in the post-LD version on itch.io, while also adding more variety to the game.

Originally, I didn’t include HP display because I didn’t think it was necessary, but many players have been mentioning it, so I’ll reconsider it.

You can’t take damage multiple times in a row — after the first hit, you get a short period of invulnerability. I also significantly reduced the flashing effect so it’s less harsh on the eyes.

Regarding the dash mechanic — the original idea was that you could dash without cooldown if you stay in sync with the beat. If you miss the timing, you get a cooldown penalty. However, in the release a flat 2-second cooldown ended up being used, which unfortunately makes it unintuitive
VenomousMouse
Apr 25th · 07:03 UTC
Very nice idea, still a lot to do, but it can be a great rhythm bullet hell.
JerryWest
Apr 25th · 08:07 UTC
got 2050 finally. why not considering add some Techno music?
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 25th · 10:41 UTC
@venomousmouse Thanks! 😄 I’m currently working on improving and expanding the game. Really appreciate the feedback!
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 25th · 10:46 UTC
@jerrywest Wow, we’ve got a new leader! 😄 I definitely regret not having a leaderboard in the current version of the game.

I’m still thinking about adding more musical variety. Since the beat is generated in real time, I need to better understand the genre first before I can recreate it properly.
Pavel Goncharov
Apr 25th · 11:35 UTC
Nice game, I like that there is an onboarding tutorial available. I wish there were a way to exit the Settings menu (maybe I just missed it).
🎤 LDJam user 409682
Apr 25th · 11:39 UTC
@pavel-goncharov Thanks for the feedback! You didn’t miss it — there’s currently no way to exit the Settings menu. I’m planning to add both a proper menu and pause functionality in the post-jam version.
anku
Apr 25th · 19:47 UTC
A wonderful rhythm game. The minimalist visuals and audio are more than enough, and the gameplay feels dynamic and engaging. The game really pulled me in. One small issue is that the large number of objects can cause occasional micro-stutters, which is especially noticeable in a rhythm game, but for a 3-day jam it’s still quite understandable. Overall, excellent work.
Tomas Poblete
Apr 25th · 23:16 UTC
A very polished bullet hell shooter that runs smoothly in HTML5 despite the VFX. I appreciated that the tutorial was skipped upon restarting. Great work!
CO5MONAUT
Apr 26th · 11:06 UTC
450 is my best score I'm really bad at Bullet Hell hah
The sounds and controller are quite nice, but to be fair, I don't think the Signal theme has been covered
PanDuplan
Apr 26th · 13:12 UTC
Couldn't play in web.. Probably you should just leave desktop version.

Really fun and simple idea, but it just works! The audio is great, feels super satisfying and fits the gameplay really well. I like how everything syncs with the rhythm, gives it a nice flow. Controls are easy to pick up and the game has good juice overall. Could maybe use a bit more challenge or variety, but still a really solid and enjoyable entry!
LLlarsO
Apr 29th · 09:01 UTC
Very polished game for a COMPO-entry! I like the tutorial you get once, where everything is explained clearly.

The controls feel good and the graphics are simplistic, but fitting. The different sound effects while getting the coins is a nice touch. :)
Ray Dino
May 03rd · 10:17 UTC
Fun and challenging! I appreciate that there is a tutorial (and that it doesn't repeat). The music works really well with the gameplay, and the game itself is very engaging, it makes you want to keep retrying.

A small nitpick would be to increase the coin pickup range. I think with the isometric view, sometimes I thought I would pick up a coin when it wouldn't. But that's a small thing, and doesn't detract from the game at all.

Overall, a very solid entry. It's well polished and very fun.
Ouisky
May 03rd · 21:22 UTC
Very net, loved the lighting, the sound fit so well to the gameplay. Remind me of touhou in a minimal version. Unfortunately, i tried to die but i didn't managed to... I hit many and many orbs but the gameplay was style going on. I was on the jam version btw (maybe it wasn't just implemented yet).
pickens-inc
May 04th · 19:17 UTC
Lovely presentation and love the visual of the bullets appearing to the beat. There was obviously a focus on polish with that and it's really pleasing. I didn't get much as to how the rhythm played into the gameplay though unfortunately. I had a hard time relying on the dodge, expecting it to work like BPM: Bullets per minute, where it works so logn as you input on the beat, but it obviously has a hidden cooldown longer than a beat. I think that would have made a huge improvement to the game feel! But a solid entry with a compelling little game loop. Well done!
AO-85
May 07th · 03:01 UTC
Lovely game! I very much like the audio synch in jam games or in games is rare, and it was so good to see it was done. Nice tutorial too! And yes the game felt polished, even though graphics were simple.