Rhythm game
Also said as Music game, Rhythm action
Press in time with the music, and you are judged by how close you were to the beat. It promises the feeling of playing the music yourself, even if you cannot play anything.
A timing window of milliseconds is fair only if the game's clock really is the audio's clock. Tie the notes to frames rather than the sound, and players will fail on beats they hit.
Say it
“Time everything from the audio clock, not the frame count. Perfect is within 45 ms, good within 90 ms, and add a calibration screen for players on slow televisions.”
Where you’ve seen it
PaRappa the Rapper (1996) and Beatmania (1997) set out the idea, and Guitar Hero (2005) made it a party with a plastic guitar. Guitar Hero and Rock Band both include a calibration screen, because televisions and speakers add delay that the game has to measure.
Not to be confused with musical feedback
Any game can make its sounds fit the music. A rhythm game is judged on your timing against the music, and the music is the level.