Synaesthete

About

Synaesthete is a shooter where you battle waves of enemies while reacting to a pulsing music track. You control a central character firing in all directions as the screen fills with obstacles timed to the beat. Each level mixes reflex challenges with rhythm-based mechanics you have to adapt to on the fly. The action never slows down and the controls are simple but precise. Made by students at DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2007 this PC game has a cult following for its bold genre mashup. The single player mode focuses on high score chasing with leaderboards tracking your progress. While short on story it makes up for it with tight pacing and a soundtrack that drives the gameplay forward. The developers packed in enough variety to keep each run feeling fresh despite the compact design.