Beatstar

Beatstar bet on a simple principle that appeals even to people who otherwise don't play rhythm games: the player taps and swipes along to real popular songs, from pop through hip-hop to older hits across decades, without needing to learn the complicated note system typical of Japanese or Taiwanese rhythm games with many simultaneous lanes. Space Ape Games bet on short, easily digestible song segments lasting only tens of seconds and a clear, colorful interface, thanks to which Beatstar quickly became one of the most-played music titles on mobile with a regularly refreshed lineup of current hits. The simplicity of single-finger controls means the game is understandable even to a player who has never played any rhythm game before.

However, the cost of licensed music necessarily shows up in the monetization - the game runs on energy that limits the number of daily attempts, offers a seasonal battle pass, and a range of microtransactions for unlocking more songs, cosmetics, and bonus rounds, so playing regularly without spending a cent runs into a number of artificial barriers. The song library also keeps changing according to licensing deals, so some popular songs eventually disappear from the lineup without warning and are replaced by other, more current hits. Leaderboards and time-limited seasonal events also keep the player community active between the waves of new songs.

Why play it: For lovers of popular music who want to tap along to well-known songs in short bursts and don't mind the free-to-play pace with energy and a changing song lineup.