Rytmos is a relaxing puzzle game by Floppy Club, in which you solve line puzzles on the side of cubes.
You begin by choosing a solar system where three cuboid planets have fallen apart. Each solar system is themed after a specific kind of music, like Hawaian music between the 1930s to 1960s. After you zoom in on a specific cuboid planet, you pick whatever side of the cube is currently flat and begin.
Your goal is to create a loop out from your starting point that touches each cylinder, then returns to your origin. Once you touch each cylinder, they begin to produce a sound as part of a larger composition. Once you complete all six sides of the cube, the song is complete, and the cube opens to show you an instrument used in the genre of music, which you can then add into the song by pressing buttons.
It’s a cute little musical journey that includes optional facts about the historical context of the music, the instruments used, names of prominent artists in the time period or style, and even links to external websites where you can learn more and listen to the music that each solar system is themed around. It’s not a deep exploration of the music, but it communicates a deep love of diverse musical styles and keeps the game from feeling too abstract. You’re not just completing cubes; you’re also unlocking songs from a distinct musical style and learning about their instruments.
The music itself isn’t mind-blowing, but it does have diversity in instrumentation, tonality, and rhythm that makes it fun to listen to as you solve puzzles.
It’s definitely a puzzle game on the more relaxing side, partially because of its low difficulty. I’m not great at puzzle games, but I managed to solve almost every puzzle in a couple of short attempts. Some puzzles took a minute or two to understand, but I never got stumped or even stuck for more than a few minutes.
There is a positive side to this: It keeps the pace going. Since you’re unlikely to get stuck, it’s nice and relaxing to make constant progress. But if you’re an experienced puzzle gamer, you’ll probably find the game too easy.
While the integration of the music is cool, it doesn’t affect the way you complete puzzles; it only rewards you for doing so. It’s fun to play around with the instruments for 30 seconds or so, and it’s compelling to unlock new levels by completing old ones. New puzzle mechanics are introduced at a good pace, and the game doesn’t rely on huge leaps of logic. The tutorials are pretty good, and while there are no big “a-ha!” moments, there are a lot of well-crafted smaller ones.
I had a good time during my 3 hours with Rytmos, but it was a moderately good time. The relaxing element worked for me, but it wasn’t exciting. Its line puzzles aren’t strikingly brain-teasing and unique; they’re just well made and pretty fun.
If you’re hoping for a substantial and challenging puzzle game, you’ll be disappointed by the ease and brevity of Rytmos. But if you’re looking for a relaxing puzzle game with musical theming that isn’t too hard, Rytmos is worth a try.
Rytmos releases February 28 on PC and Nintendo Switch for $15.00.
Watch the Review in 3 Minutes for Rytmos.
