Beat Bugz is a casual music game for smartphones, aimed at a 12+ audience that was supported by the Microsoft Greenshoots programme. It’s a mashup of a drum machine and Whack A Mole, combining our love for music and games.
Inspired by vintage step sequencers such as the Roland TR-808, we created an interactive music tool directly in Unity that serves both as the music UI and as the game stage. Each level starts with a visible drum pattern for a bespoke music track, that can be interfered with by enemy bugz. The player is responsible for protecting the music by destroying bugz, collecting powerups, and correcting their patterns from any damage inflicted by the bugz. The better they perform, the higher their star rating.
The game also has an instrument quality in that procedural motifs are triggered as you squash bugz, and also through the inclusion of a bonus drum machine mode.
This was a really fun project to work on, and we’re really excited about the crossover potential of these interactive disciplines. Stay tuned for updates on the Beat Bugz release for Android and iOS!
