Rhythm Doctor v0.13.0 (r28) and German localization!
This update focused on relatively minor changes, such as bug fixes and adding Quality of Life features. But here's one that's not so minor: We've added German localization!
On the other hand, we are working hard to bring Act 5 to life. We can't wait to show what's coming to you. Please stay tuned for our updates!
đŽÂ Main Game Changes
German Localization: Thanks to our German translator purplpasta, Rhythm Doctor is now available in German! We are thrilled that we can finally show Rhythm Doctor to German speakers. If you encounter any bugs or typos while playing in German, please let us know on our official Discord server. Guten Tag! Vielen Dank fĂźrs Mitspielen!
Sleeve Paint: Added customizable nail color and palm shading. (megaminerzero)
Sleeve paint interface showing off new nail color feature. The intern is a comically long single right arm. They wear a long black sleeve with â0.13.0â written on it in white. The intern has dark skin with a lighter-colored palm, and their nails are painted purple.
Audio: Added new sound effects for Player 2âs heldbeats. (Satellite)
Audio: SVT skip cues (ârattleâ) now obey row volume and pan settings. (Satellite)
Settings: Separated âCounting Voice Volumeâ into its own setting. (Satellite)
Bug fixes
Gameplay: Fixed bug where pressing on the same beat as a CPU hit would sometimes cause a miss. (JCI)
Gameplay: Prevent CPU-handled beats from displaying Numeric Hit Judgement, if the setting is enabled. (JCI)
Gameplay: Stopped freetime heldbeats from causing levels to hang when they are terminated by the âremove beatâ action. (megaminerzero)
Gameplay: Fixed a missing HUD element on boss levels. (JCI)
đ Editor
Additions and improvements
New Level! "Meet and Tweet" from Bits & Bops!
Hello interns! We hope you've been enjoying Rhythm Doctor, and the RD Steam Workshop. The year is coming to a close, but we have one last update of 2022 here before we take a short break and enjoy our holidays.
New Level
We have a new level: Meet and Tweet!
Meet and Tweet (music by Zorsy, level by Jenny, tutorial by s9menine, art by Winston and Kyle) is based on a level from Bits & Bops, a new one-button rhythm game coming soon to Steam. We're huge fans of the game (the gameplay, the art, the music!) and we were excited for the chance to work together with the devs at Tempo Lab Games to take one of their minigames and translate it into Rhythm Doctor.
Someone left the window open, and now Mrs. Stevenson's pet cockatiel has made a new friend. Do your best to make compelling, birdly conversation (while defibrillating.)
-New Gameplay Mechanic: Syncopated Beats. These are seen in the new level, Meet and Tweet, and now you can add them to levels yourself in the Level Editor. -Editor: Paint Hands event now as an Opacity Option -Editor: Added a Color Palette for quickly changing colors in Events -Editor: Customize Wave Type, Wave Height, and Wave Width for Oneshot beats
Rhythm Doctor Act 5
Originally, we had hoped that we could release Act 5 of Story Mode by the end of 2022. Although we are well underway in Act 5 development, we ended up taking a lot onto our plate in December and decided we need to push Act 5 back a little bit. We're aiming to release that Act 5 update in the first half of 2023.
Act 5 centers around the arrival of a new patient in Middlesea Hospital. Some of the cast are pretty excited about it! Here's a small look at Dr. Paige consulting with the new patient in the halls between treatments.
Exciting, right?
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Thanks for playing, we'll be back with more updates in 2023!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RhythmDrGame Official Discord: https://7thbe.at/discord/ Website: https://7thbe.at/
Latest Version v0.12.0 (r27) and Native Linux Compatibility!
Hello rhythm interns! Weâre here with another version update, v0.12.0/r27.
This update has a myriad of level editor improvements and platform updates like native Linux compatibility. Weâd also like to introduce the newest member to the team, Random Guy JCI! He was already a big part of the community before, making some great custom levels and programming mods to improve the game and level editor. Now he will work with us to improve the game and level editor, but officially .
Thanks to team members Random Guy JCI, megaminerzero, huantian and Satellite for all the tweaks and improvements, and also to HeySora, huantian and antonio for the backend work!
Main Game Changes
Linux compatibility: Added native compatibility with Linux! Make sure to disable âForce the use of a Steam Play compatibility toolâ so Steam will download the native version. (big effort from huantian!) -Should work on most modern Linux distributions, but have only tested on Ubuntu, Arch, and NixOS. Requires GTK for file pickers and xdg-open for opening files, these should also be installed on most distributions. - Note: True window dance on Linux has been disabled, as it doesnât seem to work well with all Linux desktop environments or window managers. Window dance is set to Simulate by default instead. - Make sure to keep an eye out for any Linux related issues or bugs, such as issues with the file chooser or explorer, or custom level saving and loading. If you find any, contact us via our discord server: https://7thbe.at/discord
Gameplay: Frame offset no longer multiplies on stacked hits (Random Guy JCI)
Gameplay: Game now prevents you from holding too late (Random Guy JCI)
Gameplay: Game now prevents late holds from auto-hitting beats later than the proper release time (Random Guy JCI)
Gameplay: Hold releases on unmissable difficulty are now truly unmissable (Random Guy JCI)
Gameplay: The mouse cursor is automatically hidden when entering a level or opening the fullscreen view in the editor.
CLS: Song text color now automatically changes to white if the labelâs dark enough (Random Guy JCI)
CLS: Level sorting now ignores tags (Random Guy JCI)
CLS: Preview music is now properly faded out when you start and edit a level (Random Guy JCI)
CLS: Added a progress indicator when downloading levels through the Import Levels menu (Random Guy JCI)
Levels: The floor reflection for coleâs ward (sunrise) is now accurate (Random Guy JCI)
Settings: Now you can change the keyboard layout for 2P levels. (Random Guy JCI)
Rank Screen: The button on the bottom right corner now changes depending on your difficulty. (Random Guy JCI)
Rank Screen: The rankâs color now changes depending on the level speed. (Random Guy JCI)
Settings: Main Volume for new saves now defaults to 7 instead of 10. Old saves should be unaffected. (Satellite)
1-X Battleworn Insomniac and 1-XN Super Battleworn Insomniac: âLOW HEALTHâ text is now localized (Satellite)
Timeline: Dragging the end of a oneshot beat with other oneshot beats on the same row selected will line up all their hit times to where you drag (megaminerzero)
Move Room: Scaling now allows to scale X or Y independently without altering the other value.
Set VFX Preset: Some VFX presets that are redundant have been marked as âlegacyâ and donât appear in the dropdown list unless the event had them set before.(Satellite)
Set Speed: Added easing controls. (Random Guy JCI)
RDCode: Added a new read-only levelSpeed variable (thanks Klyzx for the suggestion!) (Random Guy JCI)
Level Settings: Added the ability to switch to a grayscale syringe by clicking on the preview color (Random Guy JCI)
Various other tweaks and bugfixes
Other Game Tweaks
Added livesplit autosplitter support (Random Guy JCI)
Editor: Fixed levels being exported incorrectly when they contained decorations.
Mac Apps are now notarized (antoniosalte)
Mac: Discord presence now works for both Intel and Apple Silicon macs.
Window Dance is set to âOne Screenâ automatically if OBS is detected for the first time.
Significantly improved the performance of the editor, as well as levels that heavily use decorations. (Random Guy JCI)
You can read the extended patch notes and see video examples over here.
Thanks for playing! We're still working hard on making more content for Story Mode, so we'll keep you updated here when there's something to share.
Special shout-out to anyone who's been playing Rhythm Doctor on Steam Deck, by the way! Let us know if it's working well for you.
Latest Patch: v0.11.5 (r25) and new Everhood Steam Bundle!
Hello, rhythm interns! Hereâs a progress update on our development. The previous update at the end of March was a big one, with Achievements, full Japanese Localization, full gamepad compatibility and more.
Our sound designer s9menine and programmer Jose have been making lots of progress on Accessibility. And a lot of work is being done on the backend of the level editor to make it easier to add future new events and mechanics, thanks to lead programmer Giacomo and programmer huantian!
Amidst all of this, rest assured that work on the game's Story Mode is not forgotten, and you can still expect a major update to that later this year. Thank you for supporting our game!
Check it out to complete your set of "2021 music-centric indie adventures!" We're excited to pair up with the developers of Everhood on this.
Rhythm Doctor owners get a discount on Everhood, Everhood owners get a discount on Rhythm Doctor. Or get both games if you've never checked them out!
Just make sure you do it through the bundle, that's what gives you the 10% discount! And it stacks on top of the Steam Summer Sale, too.
v0.11.5 (r25) Patch Notes
changelog hype...!
Features:
New Tutorial For 3-1 Garden: People were having trouble with the level introducing multiple rows without any tutorial.
Beatsound Pitch Variance setting: Enabling this allows Odd-numbered beats (1, 3, 5, 7) and Even-numbered beats (2, 4, 6) to have different pitches, to make the game easier to play by sound.
Tweaks:
Audio Tweaks for Blind Accessibility: We've added Train sound effects when you enter the Train. Making multiple mistakes in a row gradually decreases the "heart crack" sound volume, and restores when you hit Perfects. Many levels' beatsounds altered to better support audio-only play, especially when beats on the same row overlap.
Intimate 2P: Hailey is now properly the Player 2 character.
Art Exercise: Hailey doesn't show up in 1P anymore, Lucia is back from the void.
Steinway: Change made to beatsounds.
X-WOT Worn-Out Tapes (Unbeatable Crossover) now counts as part of 100% Game Completion.
Panning strength setting has new maximum of 200%.
Level Editor:
Default template: Newly created levels will contain a play song event, classic row, and set theme event. purpose is to add a little help to people new to the editor. Customize the default editor template by putting your custom level at Documents/Rhythm Doctor/template.rdlevel
Early Access Level Editor now properly shows unsaved level pop up when exiting with Alt+F4 and window X button.
Selecting an Event type & toggling Event active/inactive now play a sound effect in the level editor.
Changed Move Camera duration char limit to 8.
Set Clap Sound editor event enhancement: has separate setting for CPU clap, and you can toggle which clap sounds to change.
Bugs Fixed:
Errors when starting some levels.
CLS import url error handling.
Missing 2 player conditional.
Startup errors for some system languages.
Calibration using last input offset and not average offset.
Some apostrophes showing with a space after it.
Story mode calibration not continuing to Intro cutscene.
2-1N tutorial repeating "go" cue on loop.
Playing many typing sounds when pasting text in CLS.
Play animation event not working when not using any rows.
Many Localization fixes for Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Fixes for Unicode characters and vector font (all characters unsupported by pixel font should force vector font in most places) and simplified Chinese font.
Bug where hitting two identical beats in different rows resulting sometimes in one hitting correctly and the other missed shouldn't happen again
Thanks for playing!
Our fans run a Discord server where you can talk about our games and the level editor: discord.gg/rhythmdr
Itâs almost hard to believe that itâs already been one year since the launch of Rhythm Doctor onto Steam Early Access.
On one hand, the year has flown by, and weâre still working hard on future Story Mode content and juggling various different things the best we can.
On the other hand, the game somehow feels like itâs been around forever. The overwhelming pace of fanart, tweets, livestreams, videos, custom levels, discussion, speculation, fan projects, and more have Paige and Ian feeling like old friends who weâve been sharing with you for years. We cannot thank you enough for all of the kindness and generosity youâve given us, and all the outpouring of enthusiasm weâve seen from players.
Itâs heartwarming to see the game resonate with people, whether itâs because theyâve clicked with the gameplay, enjoy making custom levels, or love spending time with the characters. Thank you so much.
To celebrate our One Year Anniversary, we wanted to share some announcements of new and upcoming updates!
Japanese Localization
Rhythm Doctor is now available in Japanese! Weâre a small team, so every new language requires a lot of time and teamwork. Weâre very excited to have Rhythm Doctor easily available to Japanese players now! Let us know in the comments of this post if you encounter any bugs or errors while playing in Japanese.
Hello everyone! Have fun, and thanks for playing!
Decorations Tab
This new feature for the Level Editor is something weâre hoping is going to give players a lot more freedom and flexibility in creating their own levels. Using the Decorations Tab, players can now freely add image assets to their level with various options.
In the past, your only options to add assets were to add them as a playable character row, a background image, or a foreground image asset. Now, using the Decorations Tab, you can freely add and control image assets in your level without needing to use those workarounds.
We canât wait to see what creators are able to pull off with it!
Steam Deck + Full Gamepad Compatibility
Itâs almost hard to believe that the Steam Deck is already here! If you ordered one, youâve probably been wondering if Rhythm Doctor will be compatible for playing on-the-go.
The answer is Yes!
We're working hard on getting that green Deck Verified checkmark by patching the game for full button controls, testing the game on Steam Deck, and meeting all of Steam Deckâs requirements for running smoothly. If the game doesnât already show up in your library as Deck Verified with the latest update, then weâll hopefully have it sorted out within the next few weeks after Valve finishes reviewing it.
Now you can take Rhythm Doctor to your friendâs house so they can watch you beat 4-2N with an S Rank. Or you can just stay home and play at your desk with a controller!
Achievements
The game now has Achievements! The icons were created by our artist Winston. You will receive achievements for things you already accomplished on your save file. After making sure your Rhythm Doctor game is up-to-date, it may take one or two tries of launching the game for all of the achievements to be detected. Not much else to say about that. Good luck, and enjoy!
Coming Soon
Accessibility Updates
We have more accessibility features coming soon to Rhythm Doctor! Although weâre a small team, itâs important to us to make the game as accessible to players as possible. One main focus for us, as a game based on music and audio cues, is working towards making the game more accessible for visually-impaired and blind players throughout Early Access development.
Below is a short clip of a narration feature weâre working on.
[previewyoutube="2ryNEnNFiIY;full"]
This feature allows the game to send messages to a few of the most commonly-used screen reader programs, which can then speak the text aloud. It will allow the player to traverse menus and listen to dialogue present on the screen. The player will control the speed of the narration using their screen reader configuration.
This update will be the first step in a long and exciting process. Because of the magnitude of this effort, we will start by releasing an early version soon with some of the core features to make the game as playable as possible without needing to see the screen, and then we will be improving it over time by taking player feedback.
Rhythm Doctor is a rhythm game that focuses largely on audio cues and internal focus. Because of this, itâs our hope that in the future we can add enough options to make the game accessible to blind players.
This update will be our start towards that, so we hope it will help you.
Videos
You might have noticed that we put up a new trailer! Take a look.
[previewyoutube="cZrZ3vhsDPk;full"]
We also have a talk given by our Lead Programmer / UX Designer Giacomo, which he initially recorded for WePlay. Itâs all about how we designed the UI in Rhythm Doctor, and the decisions that were made for it to support the aesthetic of the game and the narrative of the game. Enjoy!
[previewyoutube="jpzIVsbzk7I;full"]
Thanks for a year of support, thanks for playing, and weâll be back in the near future with updates on the accessibility features.
Our fans run a Discord server where you can talk about our games and the level editor: discord.gg/rhythmdr
Consider Rhythm Doctor for 2021's "Best Soundtrack!"
Hey everyone!
We hope you've been having a good year. It has been an adventurous one for us: releasing Rhythm Doctor onto Early Access, updating our Level Editor and Steam Workshop, and getting the opportunity to collaborate with both Unbeatable and Muse Dash!
We're really thankful for your support. Your messages, reviews, streams, and tweets have shown us a lot of love for this strange little hospital we've created.
2021 Steam Awards: Best Soundtrack
If you'd like to do something small to support us, and you were a big fan of the music in Rhythm Doctor, we'd be really thankful if you nominated us for a 2021 Steam Award in the "Best Soundtrack" category! There's a lot of big heavy-hitter games out there this year, but we figured we'd give it a shot! You can submit your nomination on Rhythm Doctor's Store Page or using the button on this page.
Voting ends today, so if you're interested, don't wait!
After you vote, click here and imagine Paige and Ian giving you a heartfelt handshake. (Ian has tears in his eyes, but it might just be allergies.) We really, really appreciate your support!
Updates On The Way
We have some small updates coming soon. Currently, on the beta branch, you can find a bunch of new quality of life features! We'll include patch notes when it launches on the public branch.
Other than that, we are all working hard on the next part of Rhythm Doctor's Story Mode. Stay tuned, and thanks for playing!
Our fans run a Discord server where you can talk about our games and the level editor: discord.gg/rhythmdr
Today, weâd like to announce the official opening of the Rhythm Doctor Steam Workshop!
Youâve probably noticed that you can create your own custom Rhythm Doctor levels. Now, with the opening of the Steam Workshop, itâll be easier than ever to create, share, and find community-made custom levels to play. As of today, thereâs already almost 200 levels you can find on the Workshop!
FOR PLAYERS
On the Main Menu in the game, select âCustom Levels.â
Select âOpen Workshopâ to browse the Steam Workshop for new levels. Click the green âSubscribeâ button on any levels youâd like to play.
Go back and select âLibraryâ to view your library of custom levels. If your newly subscribed levels donât appear at first, select âReloadâ to add the levels to your library.
You can also add levels to your library through a direct .rdzip file. Select âImport Levelsâ and use a .rdzip file on your computer or a download fileâs URL to add the level to your Library!
Feel free to join our community Discord server to discuss custom levels and find new ones to play!
FOR LEVEL CREATORS
On the Main Menu, select âLevel Editor.â
Start with the âSoundsâ timeline. Import a song file onto the timeline for the song youâd like to use. Make sure you properly set the BPM (tempo) and Offset for the song. You can read this guide created by our community for tips on setting this up correctly.
Proper BPM and Offset values are needed for making sure your gameplay syncs up with the music!
Use the âRowsâ timeline to add characters to the level, decide what type of heartbeat theyâll have, and chart the notes on the timeline.
Use the âActionsâ timeline to add backgrounds, add special vfx, add dialogue, or move characters around.
Use the âRoomsâ timeline to split the screen between multiple rooms of patients. Use the âRowsâ timeline to make sure each characterâs setting is set to the room youâd like them to appear in.
When youâre finished charting and animating your level, make sure to add three âFinish Levelâ events at the end of the âActionsâ timeline! That will allow the song to end and display the playerâs grade.
Press âFile > Exportâ in the main dropdown menu to export your level. Youâll be prompted to fill out Export Settings, some of which are required before you can export.
When youâre finished with the settings, press Export from the main dropdown menu again to send your level into the world! Select ârdzipâ to create a file you can share with friends or on our Discord! Select âSteam Workshopâ to upload to the Workshop for other Steam users to play.
Important Note
We ask that you please respect the musiciansâ wishes regarding their songs before uploading your custom level to our Steam Workshop.
In order to upload your level to the Rhythm Doctor Steam Workshop, you must use a âVerifiedâ song. This means that the musician who created the song has specifically given you (or all Rhythm Doctor players) permission to use it in a Rhythm Doctor custom level. You can check for whose songs are Verified at this site or you can create a new submission of an artist who hasnât been listed yet in the Export Settings.
You must comply with our User-Generated Content Rules and Steam Subscriber Agreement. Failure to act responsibly and comply with these rules will result in disadvantages, such as function restrictions of your Steam account. For more information, please read our full terms.
This is all a very quick, basic introduction to creating custom levels. We recommend reading this guide written by community members Klyzx, WillFlame, and huantian.
Even before Rhythm Doctor arrived in Early Access, our community has been working with the level editor and pushing beyond the limits of what we imagined people would make. There are some really great levels out there, and really talented creators, so we highly recommend you browse the Workshop to find new ones you might like. If you enjoyed Story Mode, thereâs plenty of more levels out there, on a broad spectrum of different difficulties and music genres.
Good luck treating your new patients!
Three New Levels for RD x Muse Dash Collaboration!
In collaboration with Pero Pero Games, the Muse Dash x Rhythm Doctor crossover is here!
If youâve completed Act 3, youâll find a new set of levels in the Main Ward near the hospital entrance. Rin, Buro, and Marija from Muse Dash need your help, so treat them the best you can over the course of 3 new levels.
Chase down a limo in Blackest Luxury Car, with music by Chicala Lpis!
Enjoy the cityâs scenery in tape/stop/night, with music by Sugar & Co.
Strap on your roller skates and head to the disco in The 90s Decision, with music by MYUKKE. and level VFX created by GDColon!
Note: Currently, the levels are only available on Windows. We're working on getting the Mac versions up soon. Thank you for your patience!
[previewyoutube="6cowQSBFioA;full"]
We had a great time working together with Pero Pero Games to bring Muse Dash and Rhythm Doctor together. We hope you enjoy this little mini story arc we put together with the Muses. Please check out Muse Dashâs new update, which has just added levels based on Super Battleworn Insomniac, Bomb-Sniffing Pomeranian, and more. They even have levels based on songs from A Dance of Fire and Ice, our other one-button rhythm game!
It looks like one of our favorite merchandise sites, The Yetee, is teasing something new coming to their store...
We'll have more information on this announcement on Tuesday! If you've dreamed of being able to own official Rhythm Doctor merch, then you'll be excited to see what the Yetee has made. And they ship internationally, too!
Thank you for playing!
Our fans run a Discord server where you can talk about our games and the level editor: discord.gg/rhythmdr
In collaboration with D-CELL GAMES, weâve got a UNBEATABLE x Rhythm Doctor crossover!
UNBEATABLE is a rhythm-adventure where music is illegal, and you do crimes. Itâs coming to Steam, and you can learn more about it on their Kickstarter page! Weâre big fans, and really excited to get our hands on it.
To commemorate, weâve teamed up to bring a new level to Rhythm Doctor. You can now play Worn Out Tapes, based on the track from UNBEATABLE. Youâll find the level in the Main Ward, to the left of 1-1 Samurai Techno.
In addition...on a later date, you can look forward to playing a new level in UNBEATABLE [white label]. D-CELL GAMES will be adding Loner, an energetic punk rock re-interpretation of 1-2 Intimate from Rhythm Doctor. We've heard their version of our song and it absolutely blew us away, so you really need to check it out when the time comes. We can't wait. In the meantime, check out the [white label] demo to get a taste of other levels they've put out!
If youâre into rhythm games like ours, definitely check out their Kickstarter campaign and follow the devs on Twitter.
Difficulty adjustments: - One Shift More: nerf - 6 mistakes -> 8 [max 8 mistakes] - Super Battleworn Insomniac: nerf - 7 mistakes -> 8 [lose at 8 mistakes] - Helping Hands: nerf - no double-row part during the scrolling credits (removed one samurai beat) - Rollerdisco: buff - Miner's mistakes weighted x1 instead of x0.5 - Unreachable: buff - missing every single Samurai beat can no longer give you a B - Distant Duet: buff - ~4 less misses required for each rank - Puff Piece: nerf (extra slow beats now weighted 1.5x instead of 2x, B rank +1) - Invisible: nerf VFX (no screen flipping)
QoL: - "Press esc then S to skip tutorial" prompt now appears at the start of tutorials of levels you've played before - Level select: golden rank text when perfect - Level select: "Perfect" text on Boss levels if perfected
Fixes: - corrected SVT tutorial "oh dear" threshold to be more than 10 misses (out of 38 hits) - Doublespeed/Halfspeed: fix Puff Piece and 'care less' play sound events not following level speed by setting them to Music type - Fixed chilli icon appearing in the heart monitor when changing to double speed - Main menu uses monitor's ratio for animations - Apostrophe bug fix in Normal (non-pixel) text mode in English
2P: - Insomniac: Added new Insomniac sprites. Added 2P Insomniac sprites and implemented into 2P Insomniac levels. - Super Insomniac: Both Insomniacs turn their heads in 2P now - Know You: new 2P version (thanks lugi!) - Training Doctor's Train Ride: new 2P level design + VFX
Polish: - Added screen crack and glitch for heart monitor when selecting boss levels - Slightly different battle transition for boss levels when entering the level
Editor: - Play Sound events can now choose a sound type, which sets the volume control it obeys. The 'Music' sound types will also speed up/slow down the sound with level speed - bugfix: float variables (f1-f9) work now - added squareshot 'tonk' sound to Play Sound dropdown - fix editor SetBackgroundColor scroll speed field for tiled images not hiding when switching to Color mode - Change Player Row event now supports tags and conditions - new mod gentleBassDrop, used in Distant Duet (too much motion before) - new custom methods: DamageHeart(int row, float weight) and HealHeart(int row, float weight), MistakeOrHeal(float weight) and MistakeOrHealSilent(float weight)
