Playable Prototype

Rhythm Space Shooter

A retro-inspired vertical shooter built in Unity and C#. Classic arcade combat meets accurate music synchronization, with FMOD acting as the authoritative musical clock. The game tracks BPM, beats, bars and timing windows in real time, connecting the soundtrack to the way the player moves, fights and experiences the world.

Engine / tools: Unity / C# / FMOD
Platform: PC
Genre: 2D Rhythm Shooter

Listen to the gameplay — audio is part of the system.

Project overview

Music is the mechanic.

A real-time rhythm-based space shooter where combat, movement, difficulty and visual feedback react to music.

Challenge

Keep player attacks, enemy behavior and visual feedback synchronized to a reliable musical timeline, while making precise rhythm inputs readable during fast arcade combat.

Solution

FMOD supplies the musical clock. A custom Rhythm Shot system classifies attacks as Successful, Early, Late or Missed. Successful timing builds intensity, which feeds back into gameplay systems and adaptive music parameters through two-way Unity/FMOD communication.

Gameplay ProgrammingRhythm DetectionFMOD IntegrationAdaptive MusicEnemy FormationsCamera & UI Feedback

Under the hood

One rhythm.
Every system.

One musical clock

FMOD owns the musical timeline. Unity tracks BPM, beats, bars and timing windows against it so rhythm detection has a consistent reference.

Every shot has timing

The custom Rhythm Shot system evaluates attacks as Successful, Early, Late or Missed, with immediate UI feedback that helps the player read their timing.

Intensity changes the fight

Successful rhythm gameplay builds a dynamic gauge. Its intensity influences player speed, enemy behavior and formations, camera movement and visual feedback.

The game answers the music

Communication works in both directions: music informs gameplay timing, while gameplay intensity controls FMOD adaptive music parameters in real time.

The arcade foundation

Custom C# systems handle player movement and shooting, enemy health and formations, and the core combat loop.

A cohesive sci-fi cockpit

Dynamic camera behavior, timing feedback and intensity UI bring the dark retro sci-fi direction into the moment-to-moment experience.

The result

A world that moves
with the music.

A playable vertical slice demonstrating music and gameplay working as one synchronized system, with the soundtrack actively shaping the experience instead of simply playing in the background.

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