Thumper
A rhythm violence game where players hit timed beats and turns.
Where Thumper comes up2 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testForging God of War's Leviathan Axe
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testAre Score Systems Still Relevant?Thumper, a rhythm violence game, shows how tight timing windows can feel good. Its perfect turns are cited alongside God of War's axe recall and Gears of War's active reload as moments rewarded with feedback. Its S ranks also act as optional difficulty: finishing a stage is easy, but earning an S takes real skill. Lesson: use precise timing and ranks to serve both casual and expert players without a difficulty menu.
- Pick 'hard' before knowing what it means
- Select screen brings its own issues
- Reaching the stage end is one challenge
- An S rank takes serious skill
- Rewards whatever skill you bring
Multiple difficulty levels without a select screen
From Thumper design note
What was said about Thumper
Thumper makes its perfect turns feel good with a tight timing window and sound. Hitting a turn at the exact moment counts as a perfect turn, and the tight window plus a good sound effect makes it satisfying. It is cited next to God of War's counter attacks and the active reload in Gears of War.
The quote: "Match a tight timing window with a good sound effect and you've won my heart forever."
Thumper uses S ranks as optional difficulty instead of a difficulty menu. Reaching the end of a stage is one challenge, and earning an S rank takes serious skill. Players are rewarded for whatever skill they bring without choosing 'hard' before they know what hard means.
Drool's game gets multiple difficulty tiers this way. The quote: "it essentially gives the game multiple levels of difficulty - but avoids all the issues of having a difficulty select screen."
Forging God of War's Leviathan Axe
Its perfect turns are cited as a tight timing window that feels good, much like the axe recall.
Thumper makes its perfect turns feel good with a tight timing window and sound. Hitting a turn at the exact moment counts as a perfect turn, and the tight window plus a good sound effect makes it satisfying. It is cited next to God of War's counter attacks and the active reload in Gears of War.
The quote: "Match a tight timing window with a good sound effect and you've won my heart forever."
Are Score Systems Still Relevant?
Finishing a stage is easy to enjoy, but earning an S rank takes serious skill, so the rank works as difficulty without a difficulty menu.
Thumper uses S ranks as optional difficulty instead of a difficulty menu. Reaching the end of a stage is one challenge, and earning an S rank takes serious skill. Players are rewarded for whatever skill they bring without choosing 'hard' before they know what hard means.
Drool's game gets multiple difficulty tiers this way. The quote: "it essentially gives the game multiple levels of difficulty - but avoids all the issues of having a difficulty select screen."
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