Build Your Mix

What the prototype is testing

This version focuses on the interactions that define Beat Critters: full-body drag feedback, reliable stage targeting, direct solo and mute states, animated swaps, stereo placement based on position, and a performance view that keeps characters in place while removing editing controls.

Designed for every screen

The game is mobile-first but not mobile-only. Touch targets, horizontal stage movement, scalable character art, and adaptive layouts are planned to support phones, tablets, laptops, and wide desktop displays. Seven performers remain possible on every device.

Prototype audio notice

Audio in the current development build is for internal prototyping. Public release music will use original, properly cleared Beat Critters recordings. This site does not present prototype files as a final commercial soundtrack.

From an empty stage to a finished performance

A productive session begins with a question rather than a full stage. You might build around a heavy pulse, a bright melody, a vocal phrase, or the mood of a particular venue. Place that first performer near the center, listen to its complete cycle, and add one contrasting character. This deliberate sequence makes it easier to understand what every choice contributes.

Once three or four layers are active, use direct character taps to examine the arrangement. Solo isolates the selected performer while visually dimming the rest. The next tap mutes it, making the difference easy to hear. A third tap returns the normal state. These simple controls support comparison without covering the stage with small utility buttons.

Position is part of the arrangement

The seven floor positions are not only visual slots. Moving a character toward the left or right changes its stereo balance, while the center provides a strong visual and sonic anchor. Swap performers when two important layers occupy the same side, and avoid extreme width for sounds that carry the main pulse. On headphones, small position changes can create useful separation without changing volume.

Characters can also leave the lineup without a delete command. Drag a performer below the stage and release it; the character animates back to its original tray position, the stage circle becomes available, and the tray item can be selected again. This behavior keeps the mental model consistent across mouse and touch input.

Visual styles and responsive performance

Stage, character, and background styles are separate choices so future teams can share venues or introduce their own visual systems. The launch prototype uses Rooftop and Neon Overdrive character presentations plus three stage moods. Background arrows remain lightweight and disappear with other editing controls in performance mode.

Lighting intensity reflects the number of active performers. Each added character increases the movement range by one level, giving a fuller lineup more energy while preserving a calmer look for a solo or duet. The effect is visual only and should respect reduced-motion preferences as accessibility work progresses.

What saving will preserve

When account saving is implemented, a configuration should capture the selected team, character lineup, exact positions, active sound variations, stage, character style, background style, light settings, and an editable title. The data model will support future teams without mixing incompatible assets into old saves. Until that system is connected, the Play page remains a transparent prototype preview rather than a false account experience.

Design note

A strong mix is repeatable as well as exciting. Let each loop complete before judging it, compare changes at a comfortable volume, and return to a simpler lineup when the groove becomes hard to follow. Beat Critters rewards listening and revision rather than speed. The clearest arrangement often uses fewer than seven performers, leaving the last positions available for a deliberate transition or alternate idea.