Osu! - Popular Beats Game with Thriving Community

Player-made Beat maps and Active e Sports League

Open-source Style in a Rhythm Game

Creating games is a massive undertaking. It's no surprise, then, that in 2007, when Dean "peppy" Herbert launched Osu! he made it open-source. This wildly popular rhythm game combines music with various quick-time events like sliders, spinning icons, and others. It's a unique take on the beats genre that casual and pro players alike have come to adore.

Speed meets Music

Osu! is a blend of music and flashing lights. There are different colored lights on the screen during the round. Players guide them to the numbered circles in the correct order, which keeps the play moving.

Different events can appear in these numbers. Players might slide the cursor a certain way or trace long patterns before moving onto the next number.

quick-time events makes this beats game something totally unlike the others out there!

The community of this game is very strong and a core aspect of the concept as well. The creator made the game open-source, which means that anyone can create or edit content for it. This clever addition ensures that there are always fresh levels to play.

Rainbow Colors and Bangin' Beats Galore

The music choice in Osu! is nearly limitless.

Search for a song on the extended database with a premium subscription and find tons of pop, metal, and techno music. Additionally, user-created content abounds thanks to the open-source nature of osu!

Backgrounds during songs are usually black or occasionally have a static anime image. It might sound boring, but there's an excellent reason for this!

The reason for such plain backgrounds is the scoring system. Starting a match shows the scores of every other player that's tried the song. Passing those scores makes usernames flash across the screen. Then, their colored dot gets added to the current cursor.

The result is a massive colorful ball of small bright dots flitting across the screen in a dance of mad beats while popular tunes thump in the background. At the end of a match, all of the different cursors explode into a celebratory dance.

Osu! is entrancing, clever, and earns a 5/5 for its diversity in graphics and audio.

Game-play: Numbers, Sliders, and Precision

In Osu! the match starts when the music starts playing. Then, circles with numbers in them appear on the screen. Click each number in the proper order. Follow any shapes that the circles might make before moving onto the next number. This 4/5 game-play continues through the entire song. Scoring is based on accuracy.

The number patterns often follow underlying rhythms in songs, so listen and watch carefully!

There are single-player and online options, Osu! has spawned a professional competitive league that features international players. It's also a popular warm-up tool for pro players of other games, like League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm.

Conclusion: Fast Play, Competitive Potential for Rhythm Lovers

Fans of beats games will undoubtedly love Osu! for its smart departure from the genre. It features a near-endless catalog of user-created content while also having a massive e Sport league of its own.

Anyone looking to speed up their gaming skills while rocking out to solid jams should check Osu! out on PC, Mac, or in open-source on Android and iPhone.

TL/DR

Osu! is the popular beats game available on PC, Mac, and in open beta on mobile devices.