Old School Musical

With a combination of amazing chiptunes and retro goodness Old School Musical should be the game to convert you if you’ve never considered Rhythm Action before.

84%Game Brain Score

music, story

grinding

92% User Score Based on 306 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 10 reviews

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About

Old School Musical is a single player arcade puzzle game. It was developed by Plug In Digital and was released on September 13, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Old School Musical is a retro rhythm game that will make you fall back in your childhood. Tib and Rob are the heroes of an epic and completely crazy adventure that will make them cross numerous worlds searching for the source of all bugs. With more than 20 original levels, a story mode, some hidden minigames and much more, Old School Musical offers a richer experience than most rhythm games.

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 306 reviews

music152 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features an incredibly catchy and diverse chiptune soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
It offers a humorous and engaging story filled with references to classic video games, making it a nostalgic trip for many players.
The gameplay is accessible for newcomers while still providing challenging content for experienced rhythm game players.

The difficulty balance can be problematic, with some players finding normal mode too easy and hard mode excessively challenging.
Visual distractions in the post-game content can make it difficult to read notes, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The humor and story can feel forced or fall flat at times, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

music
306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
49%
1%
The music in "Old School Musical" is widely praised for its fantastic chiptune soundtrack, which features a variety of catchy and nostalgic tracks that resonate with fans of retro gaming. While many players find the music engaging and enjoyable, some critiques mention occasional mismatches between the gameplay and the rhythm, leading to frustration. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's fun and quirky atmosphere.
- “The music in this game is excellent.”
- “Fantastic soundtrack, flexible difficulty settings, captivating artstyle—absolutely adored it all!”
- “Banging soundtrack, couldn't stop bopping to it.”
- “The most important aspect of music/rhythmic games is done average/badly; you wouldn't come back to these tracks or even remember them.”
- “The soundtrack is not always rhythmic, meaning you can't really feel out a lot of the arrows and have to look at the screen's visuals instead.”
- “Furthermore, a few songs are not really in sync.”
story
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The story in the game is a lighthearted and humorous journey filled with nostalgic references to classic video games, featuring quirky characters and a mix of silly and serious moments. While some players found the narrative engaging and funny, others felt it lacked depth and served primarily as a vehicle for gameplay. Overall, the story is generally well-received for its charm and comedic elements, complemented by a vibrant chiptune soundtrack and additional post-game content that expands the experience.
- “The story is interesting and has plenty of easter eggs, references, and simple comedy, which I enjoy a lot.”
- “The story is very funny and complements the gameplay that will bring you so much nostalgia!”
- “Old School Musical is one of the few rhythm games I absolutely adore, from its comedic and fun story mode to its utterly endless (and terrifying) Chicken Republic DLC.”
- “The story was not that great or interesting though and most of the comedy did fall completely flat for me, besides a few chuckles.”
- “The main storyline is just bizarre and mixes something occasionally serious among a bunch of silly, awkward attempts at humor.”
- “The plot is a bit boring, but the references do help make the game more fun.”
gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet addictive rhythm mechanics, utilizing four directional inputs that align well with a catchy soundtrack. While it may not evolve significantly throughout the game, players appreciate the nostalgic references and the engaging arcade mode that allows for pure gameplay without distractions. Overall, the combination of fun music, satisfying mechanics, and a humorous story creates an enjoyable experience, though some players express a desire for more variety in song selection.
- “The gameplay is so satisfying it's hard to stop once you start playing, especially when you start mixing different playstyles.”
- “Cool beat, fun mood, nice gameplay, good replayability; overall I had a blast playing it!”
- “The gameplay is sound and visually satisfying; it definitely gets trickier the further you go, and the soundtrack and the aesthetic are golden.”
- “The characters are funny and the music is amazing, but the gameplay was just awful.”
- “Gameplay does not evolve one bit but it's okay and can be easy.”
- “I really love the gameplay, the only thing is that I'm a little bit bored to play the same songs and just try to be perfect every time; it's also pretty frustrating.”
humor
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the game is a mix of nostalgic references and quirky dialogue, often drawing from retro gaming culture, which many players find entertaining. While some appreciate the clever parodies and charming characters, others feel the humor can be hit-or-miss, with occasional awkwardness and self-referential jokes that may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game is seen as fun and engaging, with a lighthearted tone that complements its rhythm-based gameplay.
- “Combine this with the banger tunes and funny story, and you have something pretty much anyone can enjoy.”
- “It's a funny rhythm game; I liked it a lot, even though I had already watched a longplay before.”
- “The story is very funny and complements the gameplay that will bring you so much nostalgia!”
- “Basic rhythm game buried under a ton of deeply unfunny writing.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and nostalgic references to older game franchises, creating a visually engaging experience. Many reviewers highlight the captivating art and fun visuals that complement the gameplay, although some note that the humor can be hit or miss. Overall, the visuals are described as enjoyable and well-executed, enhancing the overall appeal of the game.
- “Fantastic soundtrack, flexible difficulty settings, captivating art style—absolutely adored it all!”
- “A charming pixel art rhythm game, with visuals that make you smile and say 'what the heck' at the same time.”
- “The gameplay is sound and visually satisfying; it definitely gets trickier the further you go, and the soundtrack and the aesthetic are golden.”
- “The visuals are cute enough, plenty harking back to older games which made me roll my eyes, yet sometimes smile with what they picked.”
- “The soundtrack is not always rhythmic, meaning you can't really feel out a lot of the arrows and have to look at the screen's visuals instead.”
- “The game has a bit too much dialog for my liking, I'm sure most would agree, especially during songs, where the game will stop for a moment to give you a dialog message about the background visuals you weren't paying much attention to.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability through its arcade and Chicken Republic modes, despite the main campaign being relatively short at under two hours. Players appreciate the level design and additional content that enhance replay value, along with the potential of multiplayer features. Overall, the combination of modes and extra content provides enough incentive for players to return.
- “Fantastic soundtrack, tons of replayability in the arcade and Chicken Republic modes.”
- “The game is just a little bit too short for my liking, being able to beat the main campaign in under 2 hours, but the addition of multiplayer (which I haven't gotten to try but will assume is good) and arcade add enough replayability to appease me.”
- “The levels have a good length, perfect for replayability, and there's extra content after the main story.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's optimization is hindered by shared screen mechanics in multiplayer mode, which can obscure individual performance feedback amidst chaotic on-screen action. While the pixel art and clever dialogue are praised, the overwhelming visuals can detract from the player's ability to fully engage with their performance metrics.
- “Sometimes there's a lot going on on the screen, so you can't really appreciate the fact that what's happening is tied to your performance. The pixel art is amazing, and the dialogue and action are very clever.”
- “Your performance here is rated, and there’s also multiplayer; however, the screen is shared, so the feedback is messed up.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic commitment akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the lack of feedback on button presses, which diminishes the emotional engagement and connection to the game, making interactions feel insubstantial and disconnected.

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77%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Old School Musical is a arcade puzzle game.

Old School Musical is available on PC, Phone, iPad, Steam Deck and others.

Old School Musical was released on September 13, 2018.

Old School Musical was developed by Plug In Digital.

Old School Musical has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its grinding.

Old School Musical is a single player game with local co-op support.

Similar games include The Metronomicon, Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets, Rift of the Necrodancer, Lofi Ping Pong, Before the Echo and others.

Old School Musical

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