Backbeat is a story-rich game about solving sokoban-style environment puzzles under a series of resource constraints. Rules about when and how you move through the isometric maps make the difference between a passing and excellent score. After several levels in the game, the concept of multiple interdependent timelines is introduced. You must reconcile each character’s timeline and actions to ensure everyone in the group reaches the goal before running out of turns. Some actions you take may preclude other timelines from completing.


Use the TIMELINE gauge in the upper left hand corner of the screen to view your remaining turns and windows of object interaction (for example how long a door is held open). Look at your resource meters (STAGGER, ALIGN, SOLO, ASSIST) in the lower left hand corner of the screen when previewing a move to see how they’ll react. After clearing a level, listen to a replay of your choices. The music is dynamic and built out of a series of audio clips that are mapped to every one of your choices for each character.

If you are the kind of person that likes to hear a game explained, check out our game overview stream from Steam Next Fest.

Click here to open Backbeat Game Overview YouTube Stream

You have between one and four characters to control independently in each level. All characters must get to the checkered goal before running out of resources or turns. You can play the game with only keyboard, a controller, or mouse as you prefer. When multiple connected devices receive input, the glyphs on screen will change to reflect the active control surface.

(*subtle logical differences exist for Xbox/PlayStation controllers)

• Change active character: Q/E
  
• Choose direction: WASD
  
• Move/interact: Enter
  
• Rewind: Backspace/C
  
• Rest/advance turn: Space
  
• Super move modifier: Left Shift
  
• Tutorial sub-dialogue: T
  
• Camera: cardinal arrow keys
  
• Zoom camera: F

• Change active character: click on character or portrait
  
• Choose direction: move mouse cursor near current character
  
• Move/interact: right mouse button
  
• Rewind: C on keyboard
  
• Rest/advance turn: Space on keyboard
  
• Super move modifier: Left Shift on keyboard
  
• Camera pan: mouse drag
  
• Zoom camera: F on keyboard

There are three levels of grading in Backbeat, in order of priority:

• get all characters to the goal before running out of turns
  
• maximize resource meters to get an S+ rank
  
• perform timed special moves to maximize your style points and unlock gear

Each movement a character takes consumes a turn. You can see this increase with the colored bars growing in the TIMELINE. You must have all characters in the goal before his/her bar fills the TIMELINE. Some levels have required objectives marked with blue diamonds that must be collected on the way to the goal.


Each character moves in slightly different ways, consuming more or less of the TIMELINE with each turn, as well as a different number of tiles on the isometric map. Understanding the differences in the characters' movements is key to solving the sokoban puzzles. You cannot proceed through walls inanimate objects or guards with yellow collision areas.

Roughly halfway through the game, each character will develop a cooldown-managed power move you can use to avoid and deflect certain obstacles.

After a few levels, you will start to be able to control the environment with INTERACT. For example, putting money in a pay machine to raise a boom in a parking lot. Doing so will consume a fixed duration of time. During this duration a door may open or close. Using this window of time, you must navigate other characters to take advantage of the change in environment. However, all timelines are interconnected, so it is possible that opening or closing a door in one TIMELINE could break progress you have made in another character's TIMELINE.

Changing direction and INTERACT have significant changes on the music generated by the game. As such, there are "good" and "bad" times to do these things. When you change direction or INTERACT at "good" times, your resource meters increase. The converse is also true. Maximizing your resources is key to not only clearing the level, but also getting a good score.



Stagger
STAGGER is the resource that says characters should not change direction at the same point in time. For example, if Watts is turn left at point A, Josh should not also alter his current direction at the same point in the TIMELINE. You can keep track of which characters change direction when by the triangles drawn in the TIMELINE. Triangles at the same position on the X axis == bad. Offset changes in direction by continuing straight or using REST on a character to burn a turn.

Align
ALIGN is the resource that says characters should change direction on the vertical grid marks (musical bars) as much as possible. Changing direction in between vertical hash marks on the TIMELINE decreases your Align. This resource is in conflict with Stagger so maximizing both requires some give and take.

Solo
SOLO is the resource that says characters should not be performing INTERACT operations in overlapping periods of time. Wait until one character finishes the fixed window INTERACT before starting the next.

Assist
ASSIST is the metric that says percussive instruments should INTERACT at exactly the same time as a melodic one (e.g. bass and sax). Start Watts' INTERACT at exactly the same time as Chaz' or Toshi's to increase this resource. This resource is in conflict with Solo so you must serve both of these resources in turn to maximize them all.


Finally, to get the "best" score, you should aim for performing as many TRICKS as possible in each level. More TRICKS means more STYLE POINTS, which accrue to unlock new band titles and instruments and effect pedals. The game save data records your highest RANK and STYLE POINT total for each level individually, so can solve levels for one or the other without fear of damaging your cumulative record, which is tied to the most advanced achievements in the game. Details about how to perform each TRICK are available in the pause menu of the game after you have unlocked them about 3/4 through the main campaign.

For a more detailed explanation of mechanics, check out our livestream from Steam Next Fest.

Click Here to open the Backbeat Game Mechanics Livestream recording