Beat the Signal by LDJam user 409682
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.



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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🗨️ |
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.
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 😄
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.
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!

I’m planning to add more variety to the game, so feel free to bookmark it on itch.io
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.
I have also made a rhythm game this time. Have a try if you are interested! :rocket: :sparkles:
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
I even had your “DEPTHS” game in mind during development.


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.
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.
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).
health bar would be helpful :)
It's really nice to pick up all these coins
im on chrome using a windows PC
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.
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.
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!
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:

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
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.
The sounds and controller are quite nice, but to be fair, I don't think the Signal theme has been covered
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!
The controls feel good and the graphics are simplistic, but fitting. The different sound effects while getting the coins is a nice touch. :)
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.