Dirge Drummer
Play Dirge Drummer free online. Tap three chapel lanes in time with a ghostly organ dirge, hit Perfect notes, build long combos and keep the spirit meter alive.
How to Play Dirge Drummer
In an empty chapel, the old pipe organ has started playing on its own, a slow minor-key dirge that never ends. Three lanes run down past the pews, and notes fall down each one in time with the music. Tap a lane just as its note crosses the glowing red line.
Each lane has its own note shape: a red skull on the left, a white diamond in the middle and a gold bell on the right. A tap right on the line is a Perfect, a little off is Great, and a bit further off is Good. Tapping when nothing is there breaks your combo.
The spirit meter on the left starts full. Every miss drains it, and every hit fills it back up a little. When it runs dry, the organ falls silent and the game ends. Long combos raise your bonus: ten notes in a row double your points, twenty-five triple them and fifty make them four times as big.
The dirge begins at a slow walking pace and speeds up a few beats per minute every sixteen beats. As it does, off-beat notes appear between the main beats, and sometimes two lanes need to be hit at the same moment.
Controls
Touch
- Tap anywhere in a lane. For double notes, tap both lanes at once with two fingers.
Mouse
- Click the lane as its note reaches the line.
Keyboard
- Left, Down and Right arrows, or A S D, or J K L play the three lanes. P or Escape pauses, M mutes.
Tips and Tricks
- Play with sound on. The drum beat underneath tells you when notes are coming better than your eyes can.
- Rest a finger over each lane, or two fingers and a thumb on the keys, so you never have to move to reach a lane.
- Do not tap to be safe. Stray taps break your combo and drain the meter.
- If you fall behind, let one note go and catch the next on the beat rather than rushing.
- Watch the beats per minute number on the right. Each jump in speed is a warning to focus.
About the Game
Dirge Drummer is a three-lane rhythm game whose music is made live in your browser. The organ chords, the drum and the melody you play as you hit each note are all generated by the game, so it never needs to load a song. Every hit adds a note to the dirge.
The chapel has a red rose window and rows of tall organ pipes that pulse with each beat. It is made for a phone held upright but plays very well on a keyboard. Your best score is saved in this browser and can go on the Top 10 board.
Dirge Drummer FAQ
Does Dirge Drummer work without sound?
Yes. Every note is shown on screen. Sound makes the timing much easier though, so turn it on if you can.
Why did my combo reset when I hit a note?
Combos also reset when you tap a lane with no note near the line. Only tap when a note is arriving.
How fast does it get?
It starts at 90 beats per minute and rises by 4 every sixteen beats, up to 150.
Where does the music come from?
The game makes it in your browser as you play: organ chords, a drum on every beat, and a note for each hit.
What ends the game?
The spirit meter on the left emptying. Misses drain it, and hits fill it back up.
