Arcaea

During gameplay, players must keep track of two sets of notes moving across the screen, and tap the screen or press controller buttons when the notes intersect with the guiding lines.

The game has 5 difficulties: Past, Present, Future, Eternal,{{Cite web |date=29 February 2024 |title=Arcaea on X: "To further improve the early experience of Arcaea and to make progressions smoother to people of all skill levels, 5.4 delivers a 4th new difficulty: Eternal (ETR)." |url=https://twitter.com/arcaea_en/status/1763353447892406524 }} and Beyond{{Cite web |date=28 May 2020 |title=Arcaea on X: "The long-awaited hour has finally come. Introducing Arcaea's fourth difficulty level: Beyond." |url=https://twitter.com/arcaea_en/status/1266244822303518720 }} (shortened to PST, PRS, FTR, ETR, and BYD). It has a difficulty scale of 1-12, with 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 having + variants (e.g. Future 9+).{{Cite web |date=29 February 2024 |title=Arcaea on X: "With the introduction of the 4th new difficulty "Eternal" in v5.4, song level ratings have been adjusted to clarify progression at intermediate levels." |url=https://twitter.com/arcaea_en/status/1763353948902109661 }}

File:Arcaea_Arc_mechanic_screenshot.png

The game includes characters that give various beneficial effects while playing the rhythm game, and they gain experience points when selected for gameplay.

Arcaea began as a single-developer project by Anton Prydatko, inspired by Japanese arcade rhythm games.{{cite web |last=Lawton |first=Tilly |date=29 June 2022 |title=Arcaea reaches a crescendo with its 'momentous finale' |url=https://www.pockettactics.com/arcaea/interview |website=Pocket Tactics}} Prydatko founded Lowiro in the United Kingdom, though many of the musicians working on Arcaea are Japanese indie or doujin composers, and the majority of its players are also Japanese.{{cite web |title="Players really appreciate having constant access to what they’ve paid for" |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/79250/arcaea-lowiro-players-appreciate-having-constant-access-to-what-theyve-paid-for/ |website=Pocket Gamer}}

It was important to the developers that the game's monetization method allow players to "own" their purchased content. Players can buy "packs" of songs and play them an unlimited number of times, unlike the "stamina" model commonly used in mobile game monetization, which restricts play time.

Eric Ford of TouchArcade says that it has "an awesome art style combined with very up-beat songs and a nice twist to the traditional rhythm formula". But he also mentioned that some of the gameplay elements could make the game potentially difficult.{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=Eric |title=Futuristic Rhythm Game 'Arcaea' Looks Not For the Faint of Heart – TouchArcade |url=https://toucharcade.com/2017/02/23/arcaea-trailer/ |access-date=21 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223185456/https://toucharcade.com/2017/02/23/arcaea-trailer/ |archive-date=February 23, 2017 |language=en |date=February 23, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Digitally Downloaded{{'}}s Mike S. praised the game's aesthetic and music, and described its character art as "impeccable", though not memorable compared to other rhythm games. He disliked the game's requirements for unlocking new songs, considering them to be inappropriate for the game's paid release on the Nintendo Switch.{{cite web |last=S. |first=Matt |title=Review: Arcaea (Nintendo Switch) |url=https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2021/05/review-arcaea-nintendo-switch.html |website=Digitally Downloaded}}

Dani Maddox of Siliconera said the game's music was "just amazing", with a large range of songs and genres. However, she found the game's story mode to be poor, and encountered issues with controls in the Nintendo Switch version, such as the console's size when playing in touchscreen mode and the game being "finicky" with a controller.{{cite web |last=Maddox |first=Dani |access-date=31 May 2021 |title=Arcaea’s Nintendo Switch Port Holds Up, Somewhat |url=https://www.siliconera.com/arcaeas-nintendo-switch-port-holds-up-somewhat/ |website=Siliconera}}

{{Timeline of release years

| subtitle = Main Story packs bolded
Side Story packs italicized

| title = Arcaea Song Packs (mobile)

| 2017a = Arcaea

| 2017b = Eternal Core

| 2017c = Crimson Solace

| 2017d = Memory Archive

| 2017e = Dynamix Collaboration

| 2017f = Ambivalent Vision

| 2017g = Vicious Labyrinth

| 2018a = Lanota Collaboration

| 2018b = Binary Enfold

| 2018c = Luminous Sky

| 2018d = Tone Sphere Collaboration

| 2019a = Groove Coaster Collaboration

| 2019b = Absolute Reason

| 2019c = CHUNITHM Collaboration

| 2019d = Adverse Prelude

| 2019e = Sunset Radiance

| 2020a = Black Fate

| 2020b = Extended Archive 1: Visions

| 2020c = Ephemeral Page

| 2020d = Ephemeral Page: The Journey Onwards

| 2020e = O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration

| 2021a = maimai Collaboration

| 2021b = CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2021c = Esoteric Order

| 2021d = Esoteric Order: Pale Tapestry

| 2021e = Esoteric Order: Light of Salvation

| 2021f = WACCA Collaboration

| 2021g = Binary Enfold: Shared time

| 2021h = Divided Heart

| 2021i = Muse Dash Collaboration

| 2022a = Lanota Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2022b = Final Verdict

| 2022c = Final Verdict: Silent Answer

| 2022d = O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2023a = Extend Archive 2: Chronicles

| 2023b = maimai Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2023c = CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 3

| 2023d = Cytus II Collaboration

| 2023e = Cytus II Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2023f = Lasting Eden

| 2023g = Severed Eden

| 2023h = Lasting/Severed Eden: Shifting Veil

| 2023i = WACCA Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2024a = World Extend 3: Illusions{{Cite web |url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arcaea/id1205999125 |title=Arcaea on the App Store |website=apps.apple.com |archive-date=2024-11-28 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241128024601/https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arcaea/id1205999125 |url-status=deviated |quote=Version History. }}

| 2024b = Groove Coaster Collaboration Chapter 2

| 2024c = Absolute Nihil

| 2024d = Rotaeno Collaboration

| 2024e = Lucent Historia

| 2024f = O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 3

| 2024g = CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 4

| 2025a = maimai Collaboration Chapter 3

| 2025b = UNDERTALE Collaboration

| 2025c = DJMAX Collaboration

}}

{{reflist}}

{{portal|video games}}

• {{Official website}}

Category:2017 video games

Category:Indie games

Category:Music video games

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom

Category:Android (operating system) games

Category:IOS games

Category:Nintendo Switch games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Video games featuring female protagonists

Category:Rhythm games