Pulse Climb

PULSE CLIMB

Climb to the beat. Don't fall behind.

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⚠ PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PROTOTYPE

Pulse Climb is an early proof-of-concept prototype, made to test whether its core ideas work and are fun: rhythm-locked movement, an endless climb that keeps speeding up, sideways runs and roguelike items. It is not a finished game, and nothing here should be taken as what a real or final product would look, sound or play like. Expect rough edges, bugs, placeholder visuals and sound, and balance that may change a lot or disappear entirely.

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The tower never ends, and the screen is always rising behind you. Every 16 bars the level goes up: the tempo climbs, the music changes, the whole game speeds up, and the climb gets harder. It speeds up like Tetris and everything moves to the music.

Jump, wall-jump, dash and grapple your way up. Swing across gaps in time with the beat, and sprint through sideways runs while the screen pushes you from behind. Grab hard-to-reach items that change how you move, and lose them all when you wipe out. Then try again.

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FEATURES

• An endless climb that speeds up. Every level raises the BPM, the scroll speed and the game speed. How high can you get?
• Movement built on the music. Jump on the beat for PERFECT and GOOD ratings and build a combo multiplier up to ×5. Platforms blink, slide and pulse in rhythm.
• Yellow ring swings. Grab a ring and the swing follows the song. Let go exactly on the beat to be thrown to the next ring. Miss the last one and you won't make it up.
• Grapple hook. Hold to reel in, let go for a free air jump, and chain grapples together for shortcuts.
• Horizontal runs. The tower opens into long sideways corridors. Hop spikes, clear pits, time laser gates and beat-blocks, and dash across wide gaps before the red edge catches you.
• Roguelike items. Items float in risky spots off the main path. Each one changes how you play, and you lose them all when you wipe out.
• Music made inside the game. Every track is synthesized live: drums, 808 bass, arpeggios, pads and leads. Pick your starting song on the title screen.
• A neon look that pulses with the beat. Everything flashes, glows and bounces in time with the song.

ITEMS

• Feather: an extra air jump
• Twin Dash: an extra air dash
• Tempo Boots: run faster
• Spring Heels: jump higher
• Sky Hook: grapple thin air when there's no ring in range
• Long Rope: the grapple reaches further and reels in faster
• Pulse Shield: survive one hit or fall
• Metronome: wider timing windows
• Magnet: pulls in gems, which are worth double
• Ballast: the screen scrolls slower

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CONTROLS

Keyboard & mouse

• Move: ← → or A D
• Jump / wall-jump: Space, W, ↑ or Left Click
• Dash (8-way): Shift or X
• Grapple (hold): C, E or Right Click
• Pause: P or Esc · Mute: M

Controller

• Move: Left stick or D-pad
• Jump: A · Dash: X / LB / RT · Grapple: B / RB / LT
• Pause: Start · Mute: Y

Touch: on-screen ◀ ▶, JUMP, DASH and HOOK buttons.

On-screen prompts switch to match whatever you're playing with. Controllers rumble.

TIPS

• The screen always rises, so the bottom edge is deadly.
• Yellow rings show GRAB, the swing arc and LET GO. Watch for the white ring closing in, then let go on the beat.
• Run signs show what's coming and which button you'll need.
• Items are optional and the detours are risky. Decide whether each one is worth it.

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PLATFORMS

Plays in the browser on desktop and mobile, with touch controls on phones and tablets. A Windows download is also available that runs fullscreen with no install.

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ABOUT THIS PROTOTYPE

This build exists to try out ideas and gather feedback, not to represent a product. Features, content, visuals and music are all provisional and may change completely or be dropped. If you play it, feedback on what feels good (and what doesn't) is very welcome in the comments.