Japanese rhythm game Felicity’s Door has arrived on Apple Arcade

Felicity’s Door, a new rhythm action game from a Japanese indie studio, has arrived on Apple Arcade.

Created by Tokyo-based AREA35, Felicity’s Door is described as a “premium music / rhythm game” exclusive to Apple‘s subscription service.

“Blending music, visuals, and narrative into a single interactive experience, Felicity’s Door invites players to journey through a story-driven world where rhythm gameplay is designed to feel less like tapping notes and more like performing music on an instrument,” the game’s description reads.

“Every interaction produces sound that meaningfully contributes to the composition, creating a sense of true musical participation.”

According to the studio, rather than focusing on conventional rhythm game mechanics, Felicity’s Door is designed to emphasise “flow, touch comfort, and audiovisual harmony”.

The game, which took 10 years to complete, features an entirely original soundtrack, with numerous composers contributing pieces. It can be played with touch controls (which are recommended by the developer) or with a controller.

“I am truly delighted to finally be able to deliver Felicity’s Door to players,” said AREA35 CEO and president Hiroaki Yura in a statement.

“As someone who began as a violinist and now works as a music director, this title holds a particularly special place in my heart. The starting point for this project was a simple question: could the power of music – to convey emotions that cannot be put into words and to act directly on memory – be delivered more deeply through the medium of games?

“With that in mind, we aimed to create an experience in which gameplay, visuals, and music are fully unified, allowing players to feel as though they are stepping directly into the story. In particular, we placed strong emphasis on creating the sensation that the player is actually performing an instrument.

“In terms of expression, we valued emotional nuance and lingering resonance, avoiding excessive explanation while designing the experience so players could naturally immerse themselves in the world. From a technical standpoint, we paid close attention to fine-tuned timing adjustments and performance control in order to balance the satisfaction of a music game with the feeling of truly playing music.

“We also took an approach that differs from conventional rhythm games: rather than having game planners take the lead on chart creation and level design, we placed musicians – people who actually create and perform music – at the centre of the design process. Because of this, I see this work as a ‘music game’ made by musicians and played by players who love music.”

As an Apple Arcade title, Felicity’s Door features no in-game ads, and any future DLC will be included as part of the Apple Arcade subscription.