- Content Playtest - 28 August 2026
TimelineEntries End: September 2nd, 2026Playtest Starts: September 4th, 2026Playtest Ends: September 10th 2026DetailsYou must own the game and be willing to give feedback at the end of the playtest! Playtest participants will be notified via discord and added to a special Discord channel in the official Vitamin Games server. So make sure you're in the server! Also please ensure you have spelled your discord name correctly and do not change it!Sign Up Nowhttps://forms.gle/2Vu6TQ2UwwU7LxZ5A
- NEW Release Date - 19 August 2026
Researchers, the 1.0 release date has been rescheduled to October 8th 2026.This is NOT a delay in the sense of something being awry, but instead a date change so that the full release of Afterbeat is as glorious as it should be. Trust me, on October 8th you’ll be raring to load up your PC to dive right into it!Business is as usual across our socials and community Discord, so you don’t have to miss a beat when 1.0 launches in October 🎵 Thanks for understanding and carrying on the support for Afterbeat, we really appreciate you all.Pidge StatementFor additional context, I needed more time for the final playtest (the game ended up being double the play time I expected) and we realized the old date cut it way way too close to allow for last minute balance adjustments... for those selected hope you look forward to the playtest next month!Join the community!To get the latest game news and ha…
- Updated Release Date - 3 August 2026
Warning: this is an older post. The release date is October 8th 2026Date Recalibrated: Afterbeat 1.0 will launch on September 1st 2026A minor change, but a necessary one! Re-mark your calendars everyone!Join the community!To get the latest game news and hang out with fellow researchers!Join the official Discord!
- THE RELEASE DATE IS HERE - 16 July 2026
Warning: this is an older post. The release date is October 8th 2026Date Calibrated: Afterbeat 1.0 will launch on August 25th You heard me, the release date is finally here – isn’t it exciting? If you missed it, here is the latest trailer that was featured in the pre-show of Convergence! Join the community!To get the latest game news and hang out with fellow researchers!Join the official Discord!
- Nonbinary Coded Games Event / Character Concept Art - 15 July 2026
Afterbeat has a 25% discount to celebrate International Nonbinary People's Day!Did you know I was nonbinary? Probably? Unsure... but for those that also don't know HAL (the cool person with white hair in the story mode's intro) is also nonbinary! Specifically agender!Some of HAL's concept designs and sketches.I love how they turned out and tbh i think the final color palette is a bit on the nose for the nonbinary stuff, but you got to admit they look quite dapper don't they? Try out my friend's new game!Join the community!To get the latest game news and hang out with fellow researchers!Join the official Discord!
- Convergence Showcase - 14 July 2026
Make sure you tune in to this year’s Convergence Showcase, where some pretty special news will be shared about Afterbeat in the pre-show. TRUST ME. You will NOT want to miss this! 📅 16th July at 18:00 UTC Watch live on the Convergence Showcase YouTube or Twitch channel 👾 https://store.steampowered.com/app/440310/Afterbeat_Project_Arrhythmia/
- STEAM SUMMER SALE! - 25 June 2026
Afterbeat has a 25% discount in the Steam Summer Sale!What are you waiting for? You only have until July 9th to utilise this deal, so I would suggest you choose Afterbeat as your game of the summer! Join the community!To get the latest game news and hang out with fellow researchers!Join the official Discord!
- AFTERBEAT - VR CHAT MEETUP! - 19 June 2026
We have a upcoming VR CHAT meetup on 21st June, where you can meet up with Pidge the developer and hang out with the rest of the Afterbeat crew. This will be on VRCHAT ON June 21st/June 20th (Depending on timecode) Here are the times its going to be with some timecodes! June 21st 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (JST) 12:00 PM - 2:00 AM (BST) OR June 20th 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (PDT) 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (EDT) 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM (UTC) Join the community!To get the latest game news and hang out with fellow researchers!Join the official Discord!
- Afterbeat in Bullet Fest - 11 June 2026
Have you ever seen a pretty game get dangerous like this?The beauty of bullets in Afterbeat can only be described as musical yet deceptive, as this tight bullet hell is sure to get your ears pumping and heart racing.Steam Bullet Fest is on now through June 15th at 10 am PT. You'll find hack-n-slashes, anime side scrollers, incremental bullet hells, and more.To celebrate, we are showcasing some other games that are participating in this bullet-infused festival:Don’t Stop, Girlypop!Spread the love! Don’t Stop, Girlypop! is a Y2K arena movement shooter where standing still is not an option. ❤ Just ❤ Don’t ❤ Stop ❤ Moving! ❤ Luna Abyssa single player story driven action-adventure with fluid platforming and bullet hell combat. Follow the journey of Fawkes, a prisoner of Luna caught between a cryptic prophecy and their prison sentence. DIESELDOME An ultra-violent Roguelite FPS that fuses move…
- Update Changelog - 26.6.2 - 5 June 2026
Version Notes for 26.6.2Hey all, here are the latest patch notes~Story ChangesAdded back in a slightly updated Sphere as an updated level.Swapped out Mothership for Granite as a second, slightly easier level for the demo.Added one additional small cutscene / VN segment.Example mod: Advanced FPS OverlayFeaturesAdded particles as a new object type, including properties for emitter shape, world/local space toggles, and color.Added built-in mod support and a new template mod for viewing object counts.Added a new quick action mod for customizing gameplay.Added annotation tools with adjustable brush sizes, smoother drawing, and a 0.1s default duration.Added a new layering system for all objects, allowing for better control over parallax and player-relative rendering.Added a new trigger to allow for multiple intro titles or to disable the intro entirely.Added an on-screen input viewer accessib…
- The level editor, the name and more - Dev Diary - 28 April 2026
Hey all! Today, I have a short dev diary covering some details of the level editor and some context on the name change! 1. We have switched from Project Arrhythmia. How do you feel about the new name, Afterbeat? Certainly a last-minute swap, eh? Yeah, there was some internal discussion about the name and how hard it was to spell, how it’s not really even relevant to the game outside of legacy and the rhythm pun, etc. In the end, I concluded it was either now or never, and I decided it was probably better to change it. Certainly divisive today, but I do hope folks realize my intent with the name change when the story drops later this year!Do expect a couple more tweaks to the branding as the game gets closer to release, but the name itself will remain. Though of course you're free to continue debating which is better 😉 2. We are talking about the level editor today! Was it something you…
- A new demo for AFTERBEAT out now! - 27 April 2026
Hal has reset the system, switching the name, but don't worry, we're still trained to calibrate to fight humanity's greatest threat.We've gone from Project Arrhythmia to... Afterbeat?Certainly a last-minute swap, eh? Yeah, there was some internal discussion about the name and how hard it was to spell, how it’s not really even relevant to the game outside of legacy and the rhythm pun, etc., etc.I basically came to the conclusion it was either now or never, and I decided it was probably better to change it. Certainly divisive today, but I do hope folks realize my intent with the name change when the story drops later this year! And with the name change, I am releasing a new demo. You can check it out on Steam now! You can also see what the Afterbeat has to offer in our new trailer below! Join the Discord to continue chatting about Afterbeat here!
- Afterbeat is in Wishlisted! - 22 April 2026
Watch on YouTube and Twitch at 1 PM PT and chat about Afterbeat live!Wishlisted is a games showcase that aims to bridge the gap between visionary indie developers and the players who love them, and with over 100+ games being shown, we are excited that Afterbeat will be one of them.Set in 207X, a mysterious disease called "LNS" has been ravaging the world. A lone AI researcher, Anna Schroeder, attempts to find the cure with her trusty supercomputer companion HAL.Join the Discord to continue chatting about Afterbeat!
- Update Changelog - 26.1.1 to 26.3.9 - 30 March 2026
26.1.1 - 26.3.9 a/b Includes: 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.1.3, 26.1.4, 26.1.5, 26.2.2, 26.2.3, 26.2.4, 26.2.5 a/b, 26.2.6 a/b, 26.2.7 - 26.3.4, 26.3.5, 26.3.6, 26.3.7, 26.3.8, 26.3.9 a/bif Version Notes 26.1.1 First update in heaps ages... 26.1.5 I'm back and relatively healthy again the update lol. 26.2.2 You're not insane, we skipped 26.2.1 but it's cause it was simply only for QA testing. Hope you like the new patch log format. Messing with it since it's required for the new QA testers anyways~ 26.2.3 Snapping is actually good now? 26.2.4 Snapping is even more good now!? And some bug fixes~ 26.2.5 a/b More tweaks and bug fixes. You can tell it's a B cause of the dot next to the .5 on the menu btw~ 26.2.6 a/b Wow triggers are wild now. You can tell it's a B cause of the dot next to the .6 on the menu btw~ 26.2.7 - 26.3.4 Tons of new bugs patched and performance improvements! This update will l…
- Story Mode Boss Playtest - 24 February 2026
TimelineEntries End: February 28th, 2026Playtest Starts: March 2nd, 2026Playtest Ends: March 16th, 2026Playtest Feedback Ends: March 23rd, 2026DetailsYou must own the game and be willing to give feedback at the end of the playtest! Playtest participants will be notified via Discord and added to a special Discord channel in the official Vitamin Games server. So make sure you're on the server! Also, please ensure you have both spelled correctly! You should hear back by the 1st (ish).There will be no story segments present in this playtest, so don't worry, it only spoils bosses 1-3 not the final boss...but maybe there's an extra...Sign Up Nowhttps://forms.gle/jyBAsNy8fTSMefWFA(Please sign up again even if you've already been added to the tester channel, that way I can better keep track of everything.)
- Future Plans & Holiday Cheer - 19 December 2025
Holiday SaleFirst, for those unaware, Project Arrhythmia is on sale for the rest of the month and into the new year. So if you're still looking for a gift for your friend... You may wanna consider picking it up at 25% off! New PublisherI have exciting news! I found a new publishing partner for Project Arrhythmia! Kwalee has stepped up to help me bring the game to its 1.0 release! They have demonstrated strong interest and support for rhythm games, and I'm very excited to begin working with them. I hope you'll welcome them with open arms in 2026!Some of their published rhythm games... Story Update / General UpdateNovember's playtest was a huge success, with substantial feedback and a very positive reception. Story mode is progressing according to schedule, and I expect another playtest a bit into next year, so keep your eyes peeled for those who want more than just levels! I'll also be g…
- Story Mode Playtest - 18 October 2025
TimelineEntries End: October 26th, 2025Playtest Starts: October 31st, 2025Playtest Ends: November 23rd, 2025Playtest Feedback Ends: December 7th, 2025DetailsYou must own the game and be willing to give feedback at the end of the playtest! Playtest participants will be notified via email and added to a special Discord channel in the official Vitamin Games server. Please ensure you have both spelled correctly! You should hear back by the 26th (ish).There will be no story segments present in this playtest, so don't worry, it only spoils non-boss levels.Sign Up Nowhttps://forms.gle/Zvhub3xzqcfEU1As7
- Top Hat Studios Parts Ways with Project Arrythmia - 14 October 2025
Joint StatementIt is no secret that over the past 5 years, the development of Project Arrythmia has changed substantially, and in turn, so has the trajectory and schedule of the game. During this time, Top Hat Studios & Vitamin Games have worked mutually to deliver the best possible experience to as many players as possible. As we come up to the halfway point in the decade, both parties have decided to re-evaluate their relationship. When they first started working together, the game was in a vastly different state, and the roadmap for development looked very different. Over time, this roadmap changed substantially; consequently, the two parties' collaboration became contingent on a vastly different plan from what they had mutually set forward nearly half a decade ago when they first started working together. In that time, the publisher has grown to mostly work with a different category…
- Community Spotlight: Aug 25–Sep 08, 2025 - 8 September 2025
Community SpotlightAug 25–Sep 08, 2025Here are the top 5 new(ish) trending workshop levels! While Abandoned really wowed with its clean/crisp gameplay and meticulously created set pieces. I think each level in this set has something neat/different to offer. So happy to see a mix of old and new creators! I recommend you check them all out~ Close to Me (Red Moonrise Mix)Fun reimaging of the titular blue cube boss from JSAB, now with hat! NightfallThis boss rush level shows a truly incredible showcase of animation talent! AbandonedA perfect mix of gameplay and spectacle, truly a fantastic level! wingA fun, more "classic" PA level, the color palette makes me wanna eat the level! Nano Love(Onyx)Another cat to add to the growing glaring of PA cats!
- Community Spotlight: Aug 11–Aug 24, 2025 - 24 August 2025
Community Spotlight Aug 11–Aug 24, 2025Here are the top 6 trending Workshop levels from the last 2 weeks! Definitely check them out, some of these are simply amazing~ JupiterMaze of MayonnaiseWebpunkBarcode ValkyrieAuroraSystems
