The Rhythm Towers Demo Has Been Quietly Evolving

The Rhythm Towers Demo launched on Steam at the end of July 2024. Since then, it’s received 35 updates.

Until now, those updates haven’t really been documented in one place. This post is here to do that, and it’ll be updated alongside future demo updates.

Thanks to everyone who’s played the demo and shared feedback. Whether it came through Steam reviews, Discord, email, or in person at events, your input has directly shaped what we’ve prioritised, fixed, and improved.

Why the Demo Gets Updated So Often

We treat the demo like a free early-access slice of Rhythm Towers.

It’s where we:

• Iterate quickly

• Fix problems before they ever reach full release

• Learn what works (and what doesn’t)

• Improve the experience in response to real player feedback

That fast feedback loop has been invaluable — especially as this is our first game. You can see your feedback turn into real changes, often within weeks rather than months. That approach isn’t changing.

What’s Changed So Far

Below is a high-level overview of the kinds of changes that have gone into the demo so far.

Performance & Stability

• Faster loading and reduced shader compilation stutter

• Demo size reduced from 3.8GB to 1.8GB

• Improved performance on older hardware

• Support for DLSS (with Frame Generation & Reflex), AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS

• File and network operations moved to fully asynchronous systems

Audio & Rhythm

• Music stem synchronisation rewritten to prevent desync

• Latency adjustment added to the options menu

• Improved rhythm timing windows

• Subtle pitch variation added to footsteps and hit sounds

Visuals

• Major visual pass to better match the intended art direction

• Stylised line-art up close with painterly depth at distance

• Real-time key art added to the main menu

• Motion Blur and HDR toggles

• Optional cloth physics and foliage interaction on PC

UI & Readability

• Mini-map redesigned with clearer visuals

• Vertical Rhythm Matching mode (top-to-bottom note flow)

• Rhythm Matching UI rebuilt as a proper overlay

• Creep path visualisation toggle

• Fully hideable HUD

Modes & Content

• Multiple difficulty modes affecting timing, scoring, and enemy behaviour

• Split-screen co-op with drop-in / drop-out support

• Mouse & keyboard + controller split support on PC

• New level: Glacial Mirage

• Photo Mode

Bug Fixes & Polish

• Creep pathfinding and movement rewritten

• Fixed rare stalls that could block level completion

• Improved projectile collision and Note pickup handling

• Numerous split-screen and UI fixes

• Tutorial failure conditions corrected

• …and a lot more polish across movement, balance, controls, and edge cases

Going Forward

If you’ve played the demo recently, you’ve already seen many of these changes. If it’s been a while, it’s worth checking out again.

We may not announce every single tweak, but the demo will continue to receive frequent updates, and we’ll do a better job of documenting what’s changing as we go.

Thanks again to everyone helping shape the Rhythm Towers Demo.