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Game
Game2022
A Musical Story
Developer Glee-Cheese Studio
‘A Musical Story’ is a rhythm game set against a 70s backdrop. Explore the memories of Gabriel, a young man trying to come to terms with his situation through the connections to his musical memory. From the Steam store page
121 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 10, 2026 · last updated Oct 11, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
73
Fresh
78 positive · 29 negative
95% range 64–80%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 78 | 29 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
93 of 123 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
73% recommend · 81 yes, 30 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 111 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (255 of 308 positive).
Players praise the beautiful art and 70s-inspired soundtrack. [1][2][3] Some find the rhythm gameplay frustrating due to timing issues and lack of cues. [4][5][6] The story is told wordlessly through music and visuals, which many find charming. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
For a Rhythm game it really sucks. It makes you listen to part of the song, then replicate the beat with your arrow keys. Really screws up the flow. Imagine playing Guitar Hero except it makes you listen to the song 5 seconds at a time before allowing you to play the song, and if you mess up it makes you repeat those 5 seconds before it allows you to move to the next few seconds of the song.
- [1]
TL;DR: "Rythm game" is a partial misnomer for most "rhythm games", but A Musical Story is truly deserving of the title. It's an interactive 70s psych concept album with beautiful art, and that's enough for me. I think rhythm games are an underexplored genre -- I blame this largely on Guitar Hero's introduction and then popularization of many genre conventions that newer titles can't seem to shake. Guitar hero (and …
- [2]
A fantastic little game! Rhythm games aren't usually my thing, but this is far more laid back than rhythm games I've played in the past. It took me around 2 hours to reach *an* ending, but I played with assists on (I just wanted to enjoy the story and music rather than 100%-ing). I reckon I could get another 3 or 4 hours out of it by turning the assists off and perfecting each level. The music is incredible, it …
- [3]
Final Verdict: Great music & art, weighed down by the discordant gameplay I really enjoyed the narrative story to this game, plus the musical soundtrack. It definitely has a 70's psychedelic-rock, Woodstock, instrumental vibe to the whole experience. I assume that Jimi Hendrix was a huge influence on this game. Keep in mind, the narrative story is told through the music and handcrafted art-style & animations. There …
- [7]
This game has been on my wish list for months, so when I got the notice that it had launched, I immediately bought it. It is everything I wanted it to be and more. This is a perfect title for any music lover out there. The story telling through music is breathtaking. The game play is basic, but it still makes you feel like you are engaged in the story. It is not very often that a game exceeds my expectations the way …
Summarised from 34 of the 125 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
73% of the 111 Steam reviewers we collected recommend A Musical Story. The complaint that keeps coming up: rhythm gameplay feels off or unresponsive. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 121 · most liked firstTL;DR: "Rythm game" is a partial misnomer for most "rhythm games", but A Musical Story is truly deserving of the title. It's an interactive 70s psych concept album with beautiful art, and that's enough for me. I think rhythm games are an underexplored genre -- I blame this largely on Guitar Hero's introduction and then popularization of many genre conventions that newer titles can't seem to shake. Guitar hero (and many others) gamify music by asking you to hit the correct inputs as they pass…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has been on my wish list for months, so when I got the notice that it had launched, I immediately bought it. It is everything I wanted it to be and more. This is a perfect title for any music lover out there. The story telling through music is breathtaking. The game play is basic, but it still makes you feel like you are engaged in the story. It is not very often that a game exceeds my expectations the way this title has. I cannot recommend this title enough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For a Rhythm game it really sucks. It makes you listen to part of the song, then replicate the beat with your arrow keys. Really screws up the flow. Imagine playing Guitar Hero except it makes you listen to the song 5 seconds at a time before allowing you to play the song, and if you mess up it makes you repeat those 5 seconds before it allows you to move to the next few seconds of the song.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not a native English speaker,the reason why i wrote this review in English is because I really want to send this message to the develop team.I love the combination between the game and the music,but to be honest,this game is boring as hell.I think you guys totally capture the wrong point.If you want to make a game which the music is its best feature.Then you should make it easy and fun enough so that players can enjoy your well-designed soundtracks. If it wasn't for this review,I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alright, blame the Steam Rhythm Fest for this :P And as an upfront disclaimer, this review again is meant to be settled in a rather neutral region. It’s not like the game is bad, no no, so please don’t get me wrong. Actually I absolutely love the original music (great 70s tracks), the congenial rhythms and all the work that definitely flowed into the creative cutscenes. But a lot of things still were off in my opinion, so please let me elaborate my personal problems in this special case. Urgh,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dropped the game on Chapter 19 out of 24. I had enough. Cool concept with gameplay but I got really frustrated with the song selections. I'm not having fun the majority of the time and very rarely jamming with the music. There are 2 big problems I have with this game. There will be chapters where the beat you are being asked to replay will absolutely have very little background music or beat to follow. ex. Chapter 9 and 16. And the final nail in the coffin for me was Chapter 19. The beat you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Musical Story 🎶 Genuinely one of the most satisfying and beautiful rhythm games I’ve ever played. It actually feels like you’re playing an instrument and the soundtrack is incredible. I’m even more excited for @mrrecords.bsky.social now!
positive · AI labelView post →The game seems like a really interesting concept. There's only one problem: I'm just not having fun. I'd rather watch this as a short film than play it. Maybe you'll enjoy it. If it looks like something you like, go for it. Otherwise, watch a playthrough and save some cash. Pros: Visuals are great. I love the artist's style. The music is good. Good quality and enjoyable. Cons: The gameplay. Input registration feels off. Maybe it's just me, but I find registration to feel…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In the first of a monthly series of articles for So Many Games, the @tinygamechronicles.bsky.social hosts break down a game they featured in a previous months episode. This month, Michael takes a look at the story-rich game, A Musical Story. somanygames.co.uk/articles/tgc...
neutral · AI labelView post →The only thing disappoints me about this game is that the game has some mature elements (nudity and sexual intercourse). Was it really necessary? Now, fewer people are going to discover this game :/ It's not a criticism, i am just sad because since it has the mature tag; people will less likely to find the game. I enjoyed every second of this game, 10/10 from me
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve got no shortage of obscure indie games I can throw in here, but I’ll toss this in the ring. A Musical Story is not the best rhythm game I’ve played, but it offers a unique experience with interesting gameplay and music that’s basically a 70s concept album store.steampowered.com/app/1546100/...
neutral · AI labelView post →A fantastic little game! Rhythm games aren't usually my thing, but this is far more laid back than rhythm games I've played in the past. It took me around 2 hours to reach *an* ending, but I played with assists on (I just wanted to enjoy the story and music rather than 100%-ing). I reckon I could get another 3 or 4 hours out of it by turning the assists off and perfecting each level. The music is incredible, it remains fairly consistent genre-wise, yet it's varied enough to keep it interesting.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't have fun at all. Well maybe the first 14 minutes or so. This game is the definition of repetitiveness. You need to listen the same part of music three times even if you succeed hitting the notes at a first try. This game is short but way too long for it's simplicity. I was constantly waiting for this game to really start but it never did. There should be a mode that would go forward after trying once no matter if you fail the rhythms or succeed. There should also be some kind of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The art style is great. The sound is great. Even the slow story-telling isn't breaking this. But the "levels" are. Often you get musical phrases like a guitar track for 8 beats. But with NO drum beat as orientation. And "rhythms" that are made specifically to be un-rhythmic to spice up the difficulty. Then add a bit of "well, you clicked exactly at the correct time, but it's wrong nevertheless" (even when clicking in assist mode when the cursor is right in the middle of the circles), so that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You know how in Dark Souls, if you die at the boss, you have to go back several minutes and fight the same enemies over and over to get to the boss for another attempt? This game's idea of "perfect play" (which gives you in-game stars and achievements for playing the level perfectly) is worse than that. You can spend minutes getting every single sub-section on a level right on the first try, but if you accidentally press the last note of the last sub-section a tad too early (which is all too…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game provides an enjoyable experience in 2 hours. If you have a good sense of rhythm, the game will not be difficult for you, but you need to listen to the music played in the game well. Plus, it has cute drawings. I took 89 screenshots :) In short, if you like rhythm games, "A Musical Story" is for you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rhythm games and precision platformers are really chasing the same thing, they both ask you to trust your sense of timing and flow one perfect move at a time. Watch our discussion on A Musical Story, with special guest @thegoodsir.bsky.social 📺: youtube.com/shorts/J5M28... #indiegame #platformer
neutral · AI labelView post →Ever played a game that feels like a concept album you control? 🎧 We talk about how A Musical Story lets music carry the whole story, with special guest @thegoodsir.bsky.social 🍏: podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/t... ▶️ : youtu.be/pcoqwC2wlM4?... #RhythmGame #GameMusic #IndieGame
neutral · AI labelView post →Final Verdict: Great music & art, weighed down by the discordant gameplay I really enjoyed the narrative story to this game, plus the musical soundtrack. It definitely has a 70's psychedelic-rock, Woodstock, instrumental vibe to the whole experience. I assume that Jimi Hendrix was a huge influence on this game. Keep in mind, the narrative story is told through the music and handcrafted art-style & animations. There is no narrative text (only chapter labels) and there are no voice overs…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎮 Tiny Game Chronicles Monthly debuts on So Many Games! Each month we share a tiny but mighty game, starting with A Musical Story. 🎶 Thanks to @gmrjuk.bsky.social, Founder and Editor in Chief, for making it happen! Read here 👇 👉 somanygames.co.uk/articles/tgc... #TinyGameChronicles #SoManyGames
neutral · AI labelView post →The most boring and frustrating rhythm game I've ever played. Yayks.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story was ok, the music was mid but the mechanics were unintuitive, too repetitive and frustrating at times. With low tempo music, it's hard to grasp when the note must be timed to start playing, making me miss several times the first note. At around mid game I couldnt tolerate it so I activated the assist mode to finish the game. The mechanics is the same all game, and although a short game, overstayed it's welcome. The last chapter introduced a new 'display' which was so much better…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The music and the art style are great. The problem I have is that the gameplay is incredibly repetitive and boring: it's like Guitar Hero with only two buttons and every couple seconds you have to sit through a cutscene.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finally, I beat this game. So the pros are: + atmosphere + chilly tracks Cons: -an absolute garbage storyline. since half of the storyline turns into a cringe. The feeling when you feel sorry that you participate in something coincidentally,. -it's not a game about Jimmy Hendrix as I was thinking -sometimes the buttons you need to push don't match the beat/instrument, so you rage and want to invite the developer's mom to a movie.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How do you make a rhythm game and give almost zero rhythm cues? What the actual ♥♥♥♥?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10) A Musical Story (3hrs) This game was missed by too many I think. Banger soundtrack, fun & challenging rhythm mechanics and interesting, albeit cliche, wordless narrative.
positive · AI labelView post →Interesting little rhythm game that tells a story. The story isn't overly spectacular, but music is pretty cool, even though it feels like it never gets to the good parts of each song and instead always feels like you're building up to something that never comes. I have some major complaints with the game however. There's no indication of where you are in the current part of the song, would like to have something you follow or even bars to indicate where the notes are relative to the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In some cultures playing rhythms and polyrhythms represents the hardships of life as well as the fact life will always go on. This game plays with this concept in a way no other does. The story is somewhat predictable but is charming, effective and still has its surprises. The real star is the way the events in the story play out in musical form. It's much more than an emotional piano riff when things get sad. The rhythms that are asked of you in the moment really force you to stop, listen…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know what to say, the game itself wasn't that bad and I really wanted to recommend this game to my friends so much; but the rhythm part of the game sadly doesn't really makes sense... If you are going to give this game a try, don't care about the challenge and just play it with an indicator. It's a torture on normal mode that I can say. But on easy mode this game was like a 2 hour long playlist with some good ass music and visuals.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly underwhelming. Expected a bit more from this game and it failed to deliver imo.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In my opinion, some beats didn't fit right with the rhythm, but to be honest after this game I even started doubting my own musical capabilities. Don't believe people that say this is easy, they are just beasts, some levels were pretty hardcore and chaotic for me xD In the end the game had pretty nice melodies, story line (although a few chapters left me a bit confused) and overall catchy art-style. Recommended to test your patience and just for challenging your own skills.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful rhythm game with a story. Before anything else you should know that your Bluetooth headphones will probably lag and you will miss the rhythm. You probably should be using a headphone with a jack if you want to play with headphones, as the game suggests. You play through segments of each track to unlock the story. As others have noted, the themes form a continuity throughout the sequences. You can find the soundtrack on Spotify and check it out in advance. However, know that you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Please continue to update this game, because the visuals and soundtrack are quite good (Well most of them). The current gameplay mechanics are very boring. I can activate left or I can activate right, and that is all. Not all levels are rhythm synced to inputs (Verified with the helper circle). Its almost easier to play with the sound muted and have the assist circle on.. which completely removes one of the greatest parts of this game.. The music. At least make the hit detection have a little…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Musical Story is a rhythm game about a jam band who decides to travel to play at a musical festival...but it's also about addiction, love, friendship, and the true value of music. The story itself is a rollercoaster that manages to find a sweet spot between emotional and intimate. The music to score the adventure is usually excellent, with inspiration from 60s/70s prog rock and jam bands and other icons such as Jimi Hendrix. The soundtrack is really why you take this journey, but the game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A quaint little rhythm game with an intriguing short story. The music is wonderful with relaxing jazzy vibes. It's a pretty short game overall, (Took me a few hours to finish the game and perfect the stages) but indie games like these tend to be worth it for me.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Music 10/10 Story 10/10 Rhythm Game Mechanic 8/10 The rhythm game can be fixed if there is an option to correct the timing/delay! Otherwise its quite the experience! The instrument variety, mood and tempo changes, along with the rhythm integration in the silent story is all top notch!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An Incredible Jimi Hendrix Inspired Lo-Fi 70's Psychedelia Rhythm Adventure? i tried MUSCIAL STORY today in VR via vorpX (immersive screen mode, ambient=off) and it was awesome! The soundtrack of this game is as nice as you would expect it to be after listening to the trailer. The gameplay is really simple but still challenging at times. It never gets frustrating though since the built-in assist will slowly start to help if you fail too often. Did i mention that the soundtrack is awesome?!?! It…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Musical Story soundtrack is an exception to my vinyl purchases. I don’t usually listen to video game soundtracks; buying is even further away 😁 Appreciate you thinking of me 💙
positive · AI labelView post →This is called 'A musical story'. I expect the story to pay off just as much as the musical elements like the title suggests. This is more like 'A musical slog'. The story is too slow for the gameplay. You slowly unlock story scenes by playing rhythm sequences correctly. But sometimes you will be playing a very difficult rhythm, listening multiple times, and then your story scene will be: a guy peeing, or people laying down, or a person driving. Or even less interesting things than this.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Musical Story, developed by Glee-Cheese Studio and published by Plug In Digital, is an unusual and emotionally expressive rhythm adventure that tells its story entirely through images and music. It follows the fragmented memories of Gabriel, a young musician lying unconscious in a hospital bed, as he struggles to piece together how he arrived there. Instead of dialogue or text, the game relies on visual storytelling, mood, and its 1970s-inspired soundtrack to guide players through Gabriel’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This actually was such a good experience to play this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Art direction is amazing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The art, the music, and the story are excellent. The gameplay mechanic is a mix of a "memory game" and a rhythm game, and can get very hard especially midway in the story when the rhythms get very complex and sometimes practically just random effects without any underlying rhythm. That by itself wouldn't be a huge issue, except the devs also decided to do this very cruel design choice: "Play every song perfectly to unlock a hidden chapter". This means perfecting everything on first try, with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a nice little rhythm game with very nicely done visuals. However, the first half feels easy and the second half starting chapter 16 is just a button mashing mess with off beat hits and tempo changing melodies. I mean a lot of people probably fine it just fine, but the game gets challenging for the sake of it, rather than actually incorporating those tracks into the full melodies as it does in the earlier chapters, which I find less interesting because of. Restarting tracks (in hopes to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautifully made, interesting story, great intuitive and simple rhythm mechanics. highly recommend!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unique and beautiful game, where you follow the story of forming band of musicians, pursuing their musical dream to escape factory, with wonderful Art Direction and obviously musical. The gameplay is rythm related, where you successively play as different instruments, in time, with some lenght notes, pauses, beats, etc. This game has both A soul and THE soul.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are a couple of solid tracks in the game but the gameplay is just lackluster. It's more of a stylistic Simon says game with 3 buttons: left, right and both arrow keys together. Riff plays with arrow keys once and you have to mimic it perfectly, else it loops. If done correctly, the audio will loop in the background and the process will repeat with a new instrument loop. Do this multiple times per chapter (24 in total /2 hoursish). The lack of combinations note wise makes it extremely…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mr Records is the latest game from Glee-Cheese, the team behind A Musical Story and Headbangers Rhythm Royale.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just finished A Musical Story by Glee Cheese studios - bitesize, 3 hour rhythm game that's absolutely worth the time. Got me visualizing the ways that music is constructed in a really intuitive and intimate way, and has one of the all time great video game sex scenes. Very good!
positive · AI labelView post →A lovely little game that doesn't overstay its welcome, even if you are tone deaf like me it can be completed in 3 hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Music: 10/10 Art: 10/10 Story: 10/10 (? I've not finished all endings, too much work...) Mechanic: 8/10 Amount of work: 11/10 (help) This game is good, especially because I got it on a 75% discount, what a steal!! I love the music, the art, and the story. If there is anything to critic, it will be the game mechanic. Arguably speaking, it is not difficult. Instead of having Bad, Good, Great, Perfect, they make all of them Perfect ==> As long as you click when the assist circle touches the note…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best games I've played lately, and a big surprise. In short, this is a very different take on a rhythm game, with great emphasis (and success!) on narrative. It's like a playable concept album, with very tasteful layering of tracks, and the music perfectly fits and changes with the mood of the scenes. It also presents a uniquely challenging use of rhythm - not as a deviously fast sequence of inputs, but as an interplay of different rhythms and long silences that requires you to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I suck at rhythm based games. Signal sent from my brain has a 60% delayed response chance to reach my finger and I always felt jealous towards people who are good at them. Just last friday on my commute I saw some soyjack looking guy playing Hatsune Miku Project Manhattan or whatever on his fancy foldable smartphone. I literally couldn't see his fingers moving. I was in awe. He eventually managed to perfect a track while balancing himself on a rough subway ride with nothing to support him but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting rhythm game. Challenging to get "perfect" scores because you only hear the set of notes once and then must replicate them perfectly without a timing indicator. There is a bonus level if you ace all of the levels in the game, which is great, but I'll never see it because I do not have the patience to keep repeating the levels. 70's style music is good. Has both rock ("normal" sequences) and synth ("tripping" sequences). I like how the music helps convey the emotion of the story,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very annoying game, but the idea is good.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a real, real shame. The art is beautiful, the music absolutely stellar, and the storytelling is wonderful and creative. Unfortunately, the gameplay itself fails it atrociously. The simple mobile rhythm game set up works fine for early, simple tunes and charts, but it becomes a nightmare once it starts introducing more complex, syncopated rhythms on top of rubato tempos and at times completely inaudible beat. With no markings to track beat and/or measure, some songs become an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute little rhythm game. Fun to play and follow along with the story. 9/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one night four twenty
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a kernel of a delightful game buried in here, but the storytelling is so incoherent and dull that it feels like an absolute slog to get through. The joy of the game should come from seeing the story of compelling characters unfold when you nail a difficult track, but instead it's more of a loosely connected and highly repetitive slideshow. The rhythm mechanics are so simple that I can't see hardcore fans of that genre playing it for the gameplay alone, and I got nothing out of it as…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A short but sweet rhythm game driven by relaxing music and visual storytelling. High praises for accessibility; this game's "easy mode" includes a visual aid that helps players that can't listen closely to the music without doing all the work for them. An excellent game to buy in a bundle or on sale - it's so short that you know you'll get around to completing it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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