BeatCraft is a game about crafting beats for customers.

Unlike most of my other projects, this one is exploratory in nature. Here is how it works today:

• Custom has a request for a beat (you are given a clue).
• You program in the beat on a 16 step drum machine and play it for them.
• The customer reacts to the beat with a 👍 or 👎 (gain or lose patience).
• You update the beat until it passes or the customer loses patience and leaves.

Visual direction

I want the game to feel like you are making the beat with high end musical production hardware.

While I was working on the initial prototype, I kept seeing videos of people making beats with cool gear like this, and saw the reach these videos were getting (often millions of views).

From these, I come up with an interface that I like for now. The player can equip one of 8 samples and program them in on a standard 16 step sequencer.

Long-term, I want to make the device feel more 3D and explore more unique themes such as beat crafting in a fantasy-like environment where beat crafters use magic to create sick beats.

I started playing Slots and Daggers and thought it had a lot of really interesting ideas that could work for this project after the core beat making loop is finalized.

Current progress

But the demo isn't quite there yet.

The current gameplay doesn't feel free or creative, but basically guessing at the beat the customer wants. I'm thinking of ways to make the evaluation criteria for customers more free and hope to have a new build soon.

If you are into beat making give it a look here and please send me feedback!