Da di di di
A rhythm-teaching game for music beginners.
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Game Overview
"Da di di di" is a pixel-style rhythm teaching game. You play as a guitar hero who walks through a forest and defeats enemies by tapping rhythm patterns. Players press arrow keys on the beat to move through obstacles and reach the goal. The game helps music beginners understand rhythm patterns in a fun and interactive way. It is inspired by the ticking sound of a metronome: da, di, di, di...
Project Background
This is a solo project. Over the years, I’ve taught many beginner students who struggle to learn rhythm. I found that verbal explanations or boring videos weren’t enough. So, I made this game to help beginners practice rhythm by playing.
Design Thinking
I didn’t want to make a traditional rhythm game. Instead, I wanted to combine rhythm with planning and strategy. In each level, players must hit rhythm patterns correctly to move. Meanwhile, they need to plan their path, avoid spikes, and use special tiles like reverse controls. It makes rhythm learning more engaging.
Card System
Each card represents a rhythm pattern. I built a custom card system in Unity. Each card stores data like rhythm values and pattern names. When the level starts, the game randomly draws a set of rhythm cards and places them from left to right in the UI. Each beat in the card is matched to the metronome’s timing to ensure accuracy.
For example, a sixteenth note pattern is represented by beats like: 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75. The timing is synced with the metronome.
Sound and Tools
I recorded all metronome samples using Guitar Pro, and the final game was made in Unity. I also used Aseprite to draw all pixel art. The main character’s design is based on myself — a pixel guitarist.
Level Design
The levels go from easy to hard. For example:
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Level 1: quarter notes & eighth notes
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Level 2: eighth & sixteenth notes
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Level 3: includes dotted notes and triplets
Each level introduces new rhythm combinations. Cards are randomly placed to help players learn the differences between patterns and their feeling.
The number of steps available in each round equals the number of remaining rhythm cards. Each time the player moves, one card is consumed. If the player hasn't reached the goal after all cards are used, mission failed.
Challenges
Some problems I had to solve:
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Syncing the countdown and metronome precisely
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Special tiles like reverse controls didn’t work at first
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Keeping card animations and sounds in sync
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Making the UI scroll to the left automatically
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Avoiding overlapping audio when clicking multiple cards
I fixed these step by step through testing, coding, and debugging.
Goal
This project is both a game and a teaching tool. I hope it can help music beginners learn rhythm patterns in a more playful and motivating way. It reflects my passion for both music and game design.
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