Pulse Lanes
Four lanes, six original songs and one rule: hit the note when it crosses the line. You play the melody.
Pulse Lanes is a free rhythm game you can play instantly in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no sign-up. Tap the four lanes in time with the music. Every note you hit plays the melody of one of six original songs.
- Genre
- Rhythm, Music, Arcade
- Controls
- Tap the lanes, or D F J K
- Plays on
- Phone, tablet and computer
- Price
- Free, no account needed
How to play Pulse Lanes
Notes slide down four coloured lanes. Tap a lane, or press its key, just as a note reaches the white line at the bottom. The drums, bass and chords play on their own, and every note you hit plays its part of the melody, so a good run sounds like a real song. Miss a note and the melody drops out.
The bar at the top is your pulse. Misses drain it and hits refill it. If it runs out, the song stops. Reach the end of the song to clear it.
Timing and scoring
| Judgement | Timing | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect | Within 0.05 seconds | 300 |
| Great | Within 0.095 seconds | 200 |
| Good | Within 0.14 seconds | 100 |
| Miss | Too late, or no tap | 0, and your combo resets |
Your combo adds a bonus of up to double points. Accuracy sets your grade: S at 95% or more, then A, B, C and D. Clearing a song earns one star, 85% accuracy earns two and 95% earns three.
Songs and difficulty
There are six original songs, from the relaxed Tidal Waves at 96 beats per minute to Thunder Step at 148. Each one has three difficulties:
- Easy: slower notes, mostly on the beat, and misses drain little of your pulse.
- Normal: faster notes and more off-beat rhythms.
- Hard: the fastest notes, sixteenth-note runs and two-note chords in the chorus.
Charts are built from the music itself, so the notes always follow the chords and the beat. The same song and difficulty always gives the same chart, so you can practise it and beat your score.
Controls
| Lane | Colour | Key |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pink | D (or A, ←) |
| 2 | Yellow | F (or S, ↓) |
| 3 | Green | J (or ↑) |
| 4 | Blue | K (or L, →) |
On a phone or tablet, tap anywhere in a lane. Use two fingers for chords. Turn your sound on: the game is much easier when you can hear the beat.
Tips
- Listen as well as watch. Notes land on the drum beats, so tap with the kick and snare.
- Rest your fingers on the keys. Keep one finger on each of D, F, J and K.
- Learn each song on Easy first. The notes come slower and mostly on the beat, so you can learn the song before moving up.
- Use headphones if the sound lags. Some Bluetooth speakers add a delay that makes notes feel late.
Questions
Is Pulse Lanes free?
Yes. It is free in your browser on phone, tablet and computer, with nothing to download. Your stars and best scores are saved in your browser.
Where does the music come from?
We wrote the six songs ourselves, and your browser plays them live with its built-in sound engine. There are no audio files to download, so the game loads instantly.
Is this like Guitar Hero or Piano Tiles?
It is the same kind of game: notes fall towards a line and you hit them in time. Pulse Lanes is our own game, with its own songs and charts.
More arcade games: Meteor Storm, Brick Breaker, Helix Drop 3D and Word Guess.