Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This student-made game was created in Fall 2024 by students in Cohort 34, as part of SMU Guildhall's Team Game Production I curriculum.
Rizu: Stage! is a 2D rhythm dungeon crawler for Android tablet where you move and attack on the beat. Help intergalactic idol Rizu explore 6 different venues, reclaim her microphone, and get back to the stage to perform. Enjoy the game’s adorable hand-drawn anime art style, bubbly music, and six levels. Kill enemy haters that get in your way, rack up a high multiplier and higher score, and go for the best rank for each level!
Rizu: Stage! was developed by Free Fall Studios, a 4-person development team made of programmer and composer Ayden Machajewski, level designers James Parker and Steven Fan, and artist Shuyi Shi. They were given approximately four months—from September through November—to create a tablet game from scratch using the Unity game engine. The game started as a series of brainstormed iterations of rhythm games. Shuyi created a drawing of an idol for an early prototype, and Rizu was born. From there, the team was excited about the variety of possibilities and development began proper.
Developing a rhythm-dungeon hybrid game presented several challenges but exciting opportunities to explore mechanics and control schemes. Some beloved designs had to be cut, but it was ultimately for the betterment of the game. The greatest challenge was teaching players to stay on rhythm; this took several hours of iteration and refinement to perfect. By the end of development, the team had learned how to refine their user experience to keep the players focused on the game scene and having fun. While challenging, development was extremely rewarding. The development team aims to continue working together in the future!
This student-made game was created in Fall 2024 by students in Cohort 34, as part of SMU Guildhall's Team Game Production I curriculum.
Rizu: Stage! is a 2D rhythm dungeon crawler for Android tablet where you move and attack on the beat. Help intergalactic idol Rizu explore 6 different venues, reclaim her microphone, and get back to the stage to perform. Enjoy the game’s adorable hand-drawn anime art style, bubbly music, and six levels. Kill enemy haters that get in your way, rack up a high multiplier and higher score, and go for the best rank for each level!
Rizu: Stage! was developed by Free Fall Studios, a 4-person development team made of programmer and composer Ayden Machajewski, level designers James Parker and Steven Fan, and artist Shuyi Shi. They were given approximately four months—from September through November—to create a tablet game from scratch using the Unity game engine. The game started as a series of brainstormed iterations of rhythm games. Shuyi created a drawing of an idol for an early prototype, and Rizu was born. From there, the team was excited about the variety of possibilities and development began proper.
Developing a rhythm-dungeon hybrid game presented several challenges but exciting opportunities to explore mechanics and control schemes. Some beloved designs had to be cut, but it was ultimately for the betterment of the game. The greatest challenge was teaching players to stay on rhythm; this took several hours of iteration and refinement to perfect. By the end of development, the team had learned how to refine their user experience to keep the players focused on the game scene and having fun. While challenging, development was extremely rewarding. The development team aims to continue working together in the future!
