/godot-genre-rhythm

Rhythm Systems Deep-Dive (load on demand)

LLM-ignorance keep rule: content here is expert Godot/genre knowledge a general agent would not know without reading — never delete, only relocate.

MANDATORY when implementing systems beyond the scripts/ catalog. Peer skills own full tutorials — route after this reference.

Audio Synchronization

THE most critical aspect - notes MUST align perfectly with audio.

Music Time System

class_name MusicConductor
extends Node

signal beat(beat_number: int)
signal measure(measure_number: int)

@export var bpm := 120.0
@export var music: AudioStream

var seconds_per_beat: float
var song_position: float = 0.0  # In seconds
var song_position_in_beats: float = 0.0
var last_reported_beat: int = 0

@onready var audio_player: AudioStreamPlayer

func _ready() -> void:
    seconds_per_beat = 60.0 / bpm
    audio_player.stream = music

func _process(_delta: float) -> void:
    # Get precise audio position with latency compensation
    song_position = audio_player.get_playback_position() + AudioServer.get_time_since_last_mix()
    
    # Convert to beats
    song_position_in_beats = song_position / seconds_per_beat
    
    # Emit beat signals
    var current_beat := int(song_position_in_beats)
    if current_beat > last_reported_beat:
        beat.emit(current_beat)
        if current_beat % 4 == 0:
            measure.emit(current_beat / 4)
        last_reported_beat = current_beat

func start_song() -> void:
    audio_player.play()
    song_position = 0.0
    last_reported_beat = 0

func beats_to_seconds(beats: float) -> float:
    return beats * seconds_per_beat

func seconds_to_beats(secs: float) -> float:
    return secs / seconds_per_beat

Note System

Note Data Structure

class_name NoteData
extends Resource

@export var beat_time: float  # When to hit (in beats)
@export var lane: int  # Which input lane (0-3 for 4-key, etc.)
@export var note_type: NoteType
@export var hold_duration: float = 0.0  # For hold notes (in beats)

enum NoteType { TAP, HOLD, SLIDE, FLICK }

Chart/Beatmap Loading

class_name ChartLoader
extends Node

func load_chart(chart_path: String) -> Array[NoteData]:
    var notes: Array[NoteData] = []
    var file := FileAccess.open(chart_path, FileAccess.READ)
    
    while not file.eof_reached():
        var line := file.get_line()
        if line.is_empty() or line.begins_with("#"):
            continue
        
        var parts := line.split(",")
        var note := NoteData.new()
        note.beat_time = float(parts[0])
        note.lane = int(parts[1])
        note.note_type = NoteType.get(parts[2]) if parts.size() > 2 else NoteType.TAP
        note.hold_duration = float(parts[3]) if parts.size() > 3 else 0.0
        notes.append(note)
    
    notes.sort_custom(func(a, b): return a.beat_time < b.beat_time)
    return notes

Note Highway / Receptor

class_name NoteHighway
extends Control

@export var scroll_speed := 500.0  # Pixels per second
@export var hit_position_y := 100.0  # From bottom
@export var note_scene: PackedScene
@export var look_ahead_beats := 4.0

var active_notes: Array[NoteVisual] = []
var chart: Array[NoteData]
var next_note_index: int = 0

func _process(_delta: float) -> void:
    spawn_upcoming_notes()
    update_note_positions()

func spawn_upcoming_notes() -> void:
    var look_ahead_time := MusicConductor.song_position_in_beats + look_ahead_beats
    
    while next_note_index < chart.size():
        var note_data := chart[next_note_index]
        if note_data.beat_time > look_ahead_time:
            break
        
        var note_visual := note_scene.instantiate() as NoteVisual
        note_visual.setup(note_data)
        note_visual.position.x = get_lane_x(note_data.lane)
        add_child(note_visual)
        active_notes.append(note_visual)
        next_note_index += 1

func update_note_positions() -> void:
    for note in active_notes:
        var beats_until_hit := note.data.beat_time - MusicConductor.song_position_in_beats
        var seconds_until_hit := MusicConductor.beats_to_seconds(beats_until_hit)
        
        # Note scrolls down from top
        note.position.y = (size.y - hit_position_y) - (seconds_until_hit * scroll_speed)
        
        # Remove if too far past
        if note.position.y > size.y + 100:
            if not note.was_hit:
                register_miss(note.data)
            note.queue_free()
            active_notes.erase(note)

Timing Judgment

class_name JudgmentSystem
extends Node

signal note_judged(judgment: Judgment, note: NoteData)

enum Judgment { PERFECT, GREAT, GOOD, BAD, MISS }

# Timing windows in milliseconds (symmetric around hit time)
const WINDOWS := {
    Judgment.PERFECT: 25.0,
    Judgment.GREAT: 50.0,
    Judgment.GOOD: 100.0,
    Judgment.BAD: 150.0
}

func judge_input(input_time: float, note_time: float) -> Judgment:
    var difference := abs(input_time - note_time) * 1000.0  # ms
    
    if difference <= WINDOWS[Judgment.PERFECT]:
        return Judgment.PERFECT
    elif difference <= WINDOWS[Judgment.GREAT]:
        return Judgment.GREAT
    elif difference <= WINDOWS[Judgment.GOOD]:
        return Judgment.GOOD
    elif difference <= WINDOWS[Judgment.BAD]:
        return Judgment.BAD
    else:
        return Judgment.MISS

func get_timing_offset(input_time: float, note_time: float) -> float:
    # Positive = late, Negative = early
    return (input_time - note_time) * 1000.0

Scoring System

class_name RhythmScoring
extends Node

signal score_changed(new_score: int)
signal combo_changed(new_combo: int)
signal combo_broken

const JUDGMENT_SCORES := {
    Judgment.PERFECT: 100,
    Judgment.GREAT: 75,
    Judgment.GOOD: 50,
    Judgment.BAD: 25,
    Judgment.MISS: 0
}

const COMBO_MULTIPLIER_THRESHOLDS := {
    10: 1.5,
    25: 2.0,
    50: 2.5,
    100: 3.0
}

var score: int = 0
var combo: int = 0
var max_combo: int = 0

func register_judgment(judgment: Judgment) -> void:
    if judgment == Judgment.MISS:
        if combo > 0:
            combo_broken.emit()
        combo = 0
    else:
        combo += 1
        max_combo = max(max_combo, combo)
    
    var base_score := JUDGMENT_SCORES[judgment]
    var multiplier := get_combo_multiplier()
    var earned := int(base_score * multiplier)
    
    score += earned
    score_changed.emit(score)
    combo_changed.emit(combo)

func get_combo_multiplier() -> float:
    var mult := 1.0
    for threshold in COMBO_MULTIPLIER_THRESHOLDS:
        if combo >= threshold:
            mult = COMBO_MULTIPLIER_THRESHOLDS[threshold]
    return mult

Input Processing

class_name RhythmInput
extends Node

@export var lane_actions: Array[StringName] = [
    &"lane_0", &"lane_1", &"lane_2", &"lane_3"
]

var held_notes: Dictionary = {}  # lane: NoteData for hold notes

func _input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    for i in lane_actions.size():
        if event.is_action_pressed(lane_actions[i]):
            process_lane_press(i)
        elif event.is_action_released(lane_actions[i]):
            process_lane_release(i)

func process_lane_press(lane: int) -> void:
    var current_time := MusicConductor.song_position
    var closest_note := find_closest_note_in_lane(lane, current_time)
    
    if closest_note:
        var note_time := MusicConductor.beats_to_seconds(closest_note.beat_time)
        var judgment := JudgmentSystem.judge_input(current_time, note_time)
        
        if judgment != Judgment.MISS:
            hit_note(closest_note, judgment)
            if closest_note.note_type == NoteType.HOLD:
                held_notes[lane] = closest_note

func process_lane_release(lane: int) -> void:
    if held_notes.has(lane):
        var hold_note := held_notes[lane]
        var hold_end_time := hold_note.beat_time + hold_note.hold_duration
        var current_beat := MusicConductor.song_position_in_beats
        
        # Check if released at correct time
        if abs(current_beat - hold_end_time) < 0.25:  # Quarter beat tolerance
            complete_hold_note(hold_note)
        else:
            drop_hold_note(hold_note)
        
        held_notes.erase(lane)

Visual Feedback

func show_judgment_splash(judgment: Judgment, position: Vector2) -> void:
    var splash := judgment_sprites[judgment].instantiate()
    splash.position = position
    add_child(splash)
    
    var tween := create_tween()
    tween.tween_property(splash, "scale", Vector2(1.2, 1.2), 0.1)
    tween.tween_property(splash, "scale", Vector2(1.0, 1.0), 0.1)
    tween.tween_property(splash, "modulate:a", 0.0, 0.3)
    tween.tween_callback(splash.queue_free)

func pulse_receptor(lane: int, judgment: Judgment) -> void:
    var receptor := lane_receptors[lane]
    receptor.modulate = judgment_colors[judgment]
    
    var tween := create_tween()
    tween.tween_property(receptor, "modulate", Color.WHITE, 0.15)

Godot-Specific Tips

1. Audio latency: Calibrate with AudioServer and custom offset
2. Input polling: Use _input not _process for precise timing
3. Shaders: UV scrolling for note highways
4. Particles: Use GPUParticles2D for hit effects

3. Hardware-Synced Latency Calibration

Calculate precise offsets by compensating for OS/Hardware latency.

# latency_calibrator.gd
func _record_tap(expected_time: float):
    # Obtain precise hardware-synced audio position
    var mix_time = audio_player.get_playback_position() + AudioServer.get_time_since_last_mix()
    # Compensate for OS/Hardware output latency
    var true_audio_time = mix_time - AudioServer.get_output_latency()
    
    var offset = true_audio_time - expected_time
    save_offset(offset)

4. Ghost-Note Detection (Anti-Spam)

Penalize inputs that don't correlate to an active note using _unhandled_input.

# input_manager.gd
func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent):
    # Consume action only on initial press
    if event.is_action_pressed("rhythm_hit", false, true):
        if active_notes_in_window.is_empty():
            # Anti-Cheat: Penalize spamming
            ghost_note_detected.emit()
        else:
            _evaluate_hit()
        get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()

5. Shader-Based Note Highway

Ultra-smooth scrolling using UV manipulation on the GPU to bypass CPU bottlenecks.

// highway.gdshader
shader_type canvas_item;
uniform float scroll_speed = 1.0;

void fragment() {
    vec2 scrolled_uv = UV;
    // Offset Y over time to simulate movement
    scrolled_uv.y -= TIME * scroll_speed;
    COLOR = texture(TEXTURE, scrolled_uv);
}