Rhythm Doctor is one of my favorite games of all time. It’s a one-button indie rhythm game, which is exceedingly simple in its mechanics. In fact, the only mechanic of the actual gameplay is the ability to press on the button, which players should attempt to do when the indicator is in the correct zone, in time with the music (there are also levels where you have to hold down the button, but this doesn’t really differ too much). There’s also a mechanic for level selection, which allows players to choose the difficulty or song that they attempt, if they want to try again to improve their grade (performance) on a level, or simply play it again.
As a single-player game, there isn’t much in the way of competition or conflict. In fact, players of the game find enjoyment and satisfaction in the sensation of the beautiful music and soundtrack, composed and performed entirely in-studio by the developers. It also has a very strong and heartfelt narrative, with the story following the doctors and regular patients in an understaffed and high-pressure hospital (I almost cried at certain parts of the narrative.) Furthermore, the rhythm aspect of the gameplay is a challenge, but it never feels super high-octane or impossible; even at its most difficult levels, the simplistic one-button mechanic, combined with the amazing soundtrack, make the challenge feel more satisfying to complete than anything, and even failing a level simply leads to listening to the song again, which hardly feels like a punishment. The resulting replayability is one of the shining dynamics of the game — the ability to replay the song at an easier, higher, or even just the same difficulty often has players return to songs they’ve already gotten a perfect score on, just to enjoy the vibe.
