Inspiration
I love rhythm games and wanted to fuse drawing with timing. Calligraphy felt perfect—using expressive strokes to “cut” notes in time with the beat.
What it does
InkFlow blends rhythm gameplay with calligraphy. You use bold brush strokes to destroy notes on the beat; clean hits paint satisfying ink trails and splatters, and the stage accumulates musical calligraphy words as you play. A special Lightning Note clears clusters and builds temporary shields (forgives a few misses). Multiple difficulties keep it welcoming for newcomers and challenging for seasoned rhythm players.
How we built it
Engine: Unity (C#)
Music/Timing: Koreographer for beat maps, beat/measure snapping, and event timing
Gameplay: Custom stroke paths, timing windows, Unity LineRenderer & TrailRenderer for dynamic ink
Backend: Firebase (Auth + Realtime DB) for profiles and cloud save
Monetization: RevenueCat entitlements for one-time (managed) song unlocks on Google Play
Challenges we ran into
Push notifications (OneSignal): SDK integrated but subscription flow wasn’t completing; planning a post-launch fix.
Charting/visual design: Turning notes into readable strokes that feel musical without overwhelming the player.
Difficulty tuning: Keeping early “flow” achievable while leaving headroom for mastery.
Accomplishments that we’re proud of
A distinctive, instantly understandable loop: read the stroke → hit the beat → keep the flow.
Minimal UI that lets the ink + music shine.
Rock-solid timing (snapping/latency), reliable cloud saves, and robust entitlement handling.
A generous launch library with a clear plan for ongoing content.
What we learned
What it truly takes to build a rhythm game from charting to feedback timing and how much Koreographer accelerates that work.
Small presentation details (contrast, hit effects, ink feedback) dramatically impact perceived timing and satisfaction.
A predictable release cadence can matter as much as launch scope for retention.
What’s next for InkFlow
Biweekly releases: steady mix of free + premium tracks.
Push notifications: finish OneSignal subscription flow.
Quality-of-life: user data display, song filters, full audio sliders (music/FX), left-hand and accessibility options.
Visual variety: per-song background/ink palettes (or optional randomization).
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