Most, if not all, reading this remember when the pandemic hit in the beginning of this decade. It was impossible to see another human face without it either being seen with a mask or through a screen. Gaming was on the rise as most students and occupations were now remote, using platforms like Google Meet or the infamous “Zoom Video” to communicate. Of course, those in the medical field were still able to work in-person; but what if they weren’t the case? Indie game studio, 7th beat games’ “Rhythm Doctor” asks that question specifically for those specializing in the cardiovascular field. You play as a fresh graduate from medical school before the pandemic tasked with climbing the ranks to head doctor. A new form of technology geared towards heart regulation allows doctors to access a patient’s heart rate data remotely to provide easy and efficient care. The game focuses centrally on using the spacebar to regulate the heart rhythm of patients, thus curing them of their disease if done correctly.
Most rhythm games task the player to hitting multiple buttons, normally 4 to 7, in a musical “rhythm” as if to emulate playing a musical instrument. However, these “one-key rhythm games” like Rhythm Doctor, focus more on the unique inputs and signals to make each song feel different to subliminally incorporate complex drumming that you would find in any song that has them. Sometimes you’ll have to hold down the spacebar, or hit it multiple times in a second as an example. Some levels will have different note amounts per measure, making the player slowly understand basic music theory with concepts like 4/4 time or 2/8 . Songs with 7 or 2 notes will make you hit the space key every 7th or every other beat respectively, the former supposedly being where the developers got their name.
Given the game is all about music, of course the soundtrack is what we in the gaming community call “a bop”. Some songs are not original with many coming from licensed creators. This isn’t to say that the game is all from Soundcloud, with composer Hafiz Azman at the helm. Songs like “bomb sniffing pomeranian” fit a niche for those who adore classic game soundtracks like the ones from Mario or Starfox, whilst the track “Supraventricular Tachycardia” is something that you would hear at the average rave.
Rhythm Doctor is an enjoyable and well-designed indie game that calls back to the rhythm games of old and strives to allow anyone to become accustomed to both music theory and rhythm game norms. For the curious, the game is a PC exclusive that is available on steam for $16 on both Mac and Windows.