Thumper
A rhythm game guiding a beetle through fast, punishing tracks.
Thumper, a rhythm game from the two-person studio Drool, first launched in October 2016 for Windows and PlayStation 4, with optional VR support for Oculus, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR headsets. It later arrived on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Stadia. The game was first shown at the Experimental Game Workshop during the 2015 Game Developers Conference.
Players guide a beetle-like creature down a single or multi-track through unsettling worlds. The goal is to press a button in time with the music to hit lit notes, while also bracing for obstacles, turning along curved walls, jumping over spikes, and defeating enemies. The game uses a third-person perspective with very fast scrolling. Each level is split into segments, with a score and rating after each one. The beetle can take one hit—a missed turn or crash—and can regain its shield at certain points. A second hit without the shield destroys it, sending the player back to the last checkpoint. Segments can be repeated as needed. Each level’s rhythm uses a time signature tied to its number, from 1/2 up to 9/8. After completing a level, a ‘Play+’ mode unlocks, where the player has one life (still with a shield for one hit), and dying means restarting the entire level. Speed increases with the score multiplier.
Drool is a two-person team: Marc Flury handled programming, while Brian Gibson, bassist for Lightning Bolt, composed the music and created the artwork. The design was a collaboration between them. The game runs on a proprietary engine built by Flury, and it was ported to many platforms with VR support. It was praised for rejecting object-oriented programming in favor of a procedural approach, with much of the code organized into a few large files, some reaching 6,000 lines of C++. The Nintendo Switch version came out on May 18, 2017, followed by the Xbox One version on August 18, 2017. The iOS version, *Thumper: Pocket Edition*, launched on January 24, 2018. A physical release for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch arrived on July 20, 2018. The game was a launch title for Stadia on November 19, 2019.
According to Metacritic, Thumper received “generally favorable” reviews.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Thumper
- Developer
- Drool
- Designer
- Marc Flury · Brian Gibson
- Programmer
- Marc Flury
- Artist
- Brian Gibson
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / PlayStation 4 / Oculus Go / Oculus Rift / Oculus Quest / Nintendo Switch / Xbox One / iOS / Android / Stadia / PlayStation 5
- Genre
- Rhythm
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Thumper was developed by the two-man team of Drool, consisting of programmer Marc Flury and Brian Gibson, bassist for Lightning Bolt, who composed the music and created the artwork. The design was a collaboration between Flury and Gibson. The game runs on a proprietary engine of Flury's design and has been ported to many platforms, including VR support. It was praised for its rejection of object-oriented programming in favor of a procedural approach, with much of the code organized via a small number of large files, some reaching 6000 lines of C++.
Gameplay involves guiding a beetle-like creature along a single or multi-track through unnerving worlds. The player presses a button to hit lit notes in time with the music, while bracing against obstacles, turning against curved walls, jumping over spikes, and defeating enemies. The game is played in third-person with extremely fast scrolling. Each level is broken into segments, with a score and rating after each. The beetle can sustain one hit, and can regain its shield at certain places; a second hit without the shield destroys it, restarting from the last checkpoint. Each level's rhythms correspond to a time signature related to the level number, from 1/2 through 9/8.
A secondary mode, 'Play+', is unlocked after completing a level. In this mode, the player progresses on one life (still with a shield allowing one hit), and dying requires restarting from the beginning of the level. Speed increases with the player's score multiplier. The game had a physical release for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 20, 2018, and was one of the launch titles for Stadia on November 19, 2019.
Reader's Guide
Thumper received 'generally favorable' reviews according to Metacritic. PC Gamer declared it 'one of the best rhythm games ever made.' Chloi Rad of IGN wrote that 'Thumper's trippy sights, sounds, and intense rhythm action create a terrifying VR experience I won't soon forget.' The Official UK PlayStation Magazine listed it as the second best PS VR game. The game's significance lies in its intense, fast-paced rhythm gameplay combined with VR support, earning critical acclaim across multiple platforms. Its unique development approach—a two-person team using a proprietary engine with procedural programming—and its wide release on numerous platforms from PC to mobile to VR headsets contributed to its legacy as a notable rhythm game of the 2010s.
More in Video Games of the 2010s, Part 4 1-24
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