[Rhythm Games You Can Play on Your Phone] A concise roundup of popular music game apps!
“Oto-ge,” short for rhythm/music games.
In recent years, they’ve also become popular as casual games you can enjoy on your smartphone.
Beyond getting to play your favorite songs, the process of improving is part of the appeal, and with each playthrough, you get drawn deeper into the artists, tracks, and their worlds.
But with so many different titles out there, you might be wondering where to even start.
It can be overwhelming how many features and ways to enjoy them there are.
In this article, we’ve picked out some of the most popular rhythm games and will introduce their features and why we recommend them.
We’ll highlight points that make them look fun, with attention to story elements and depth of play.
Give them a try and find the rhythm game that matches your vibe!
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[Rhythm Games You Can Play on Your Smartphone] A Curated Introduction to Popular Music Game Apps! (1–10)
Touhou Danmaku Kagura (Dankagu)
Touhou Project is a body of works centered on shoot ’em up games developed by Team Shanghai Alice.
Touhou Danmaku Kagura was released as an officially licensed derivative game, and it is said to be the first officially licensed rhythm game in the series.
Its story follows the restoration of Gensokyo, the setting of the franchise, and the distinctive Touhou Project characters portrayed in the narrative are a major draw.
Another unique aspect is that it features arrangement tracks of Touhou Project music created by various circles as part of the broader derivative scene, letting you play a rhythm game packed with songs that each have their own flavor.
It’s also notable for incorporating elements inspired by “danmaku,” the bullet hell that symbolizes Touhou Project’s origins as a shooting game, making it a rhythm game with a strong, distinctive personality.
VOEZ
VOEZ, released in 2016 by the Taiwanese game developer Rayark, known for popular titles like Cytus and DEEMO.
The protagonist is a girl named Tsugumi who loves singing; it’s a coming-of-age story about her forming a six-member co-ed high school band called “VOEZ” and growing together.
As the story progresses and the characters develop, you clear rhythm game stages.
The lanes move and change color in sync with the music, making it a visually stylish rhythm game.
Hypnosis Mic -Alternative Rap Battle-
With the explosive popularity sparked by character chemistry in “HypMic,” Hypnosis Microphone is a rap project starring a lineup of top-tier male voice actors.
Every live show becomes a hot topic, and new song releases always make waves—the excitement has been incredible.
The game adaptation, Hypnosis Mic -Alternative Rap Battle-, is a smartphone title available since March 2020.
It’s a highly entertaining game that unfolds rap battles through a brand-new storyline different from the original.
[Rhythm Games You Can Play on Your Phone] A Curated Intro to Popular Music Game Apps! (11–20)
Beat Rush! Beat Runner!
If you love J-POP, I recommend Beat Rush! Beat Runner! It’s a free rhythm game where you can play along to popular J-POP hits.
There’s a single road leading toward a town visible across the way, and a cute kappa character advances along it while you tap the notes.
If you accidentally hit the bombs that appear on both sides of the road, the game stops right there.
It’s fun as a rhythm game because you can play famous songs, and it’s also satisfying to watch the kappa smash through blocks as it moves forward.
HoneyWorks Premium Live
HoneyWorks, the creator unit known for sweet and bittersweet youth songs and love songs like “Good Morning, Friday” and “The World Is Falling in Love,” is hugely popular.
Their smartphone game app, HoneyWorks Premium Live—nicknamed “Haniwa”—is a rhythm game packed with those beloved tracks.
Tap along the rhythm on lines called “Honey Notes” to aim for a high score.
The tap sound is like a tambourine, so it’s easy to groove with the music and it gives you that fun, party-like karaoke vibe.
Best of all, you can enjoy the in-game songs as full-color music videos!
Ensemble Stars!! Music
The idol training game “Ensemble Stars!! Music,” popularly known as “Ensta,” is a hit title.
The story follows the only girl who transfers into the newly established Producer Department at a high school for training male idols; while she works hard at idol production, she also enjoys her school life.
It’s a game where you can pull a variety of characters through so-called “gacha,” offering the thrill of draws and the fun of each character’s unique traits.
It’s a game about enjoying youth… but there are quite a lot of tasks, so many players find themselves hooked.
Among the series, “Ensemble Stars!! Music” is especially focused on music, so rhythm-game fans should definitely give it a try.
THE iDOLM@STER series (Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage, Million Live! Theater Days, etc.)
Bandai Namco Entertainment’s training simulation game series The Idolmaster has expanded widely over a long history.
Rhythm games have been released for each brand within the Idolmaster franchise: for Cinderella Girls, The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage; for Million Live, The Idolmaster Million Live! Theater Days; and for SideM, The Idolmaster SideM GROWING STARS.
Of course, the characters that appear are different, but the stories told also reflect each brand’s distinct color, giving each a unique atmosphere.
In terms of systems, all the games follow the classic smartphone rhythm-game style of tapping icons to the music, while incorporating slightly different growth elements to differentiate themselves.
Since the characters’ personalities also vary, it can be fun to look for the brand that suits you best or to explore the flavor of the other brands.