15 Hidden Video Game Design Secrets That Are Total Genius

5. Thumper's Level Number Mimics Its Musical Time Signature

Now this is just plain brilliant. The already-spectacular rhythm violence game Thumper is a fantastic mesh of button-timing and cerebrally challenging imagery, but its pounding, industrial score actually changes in time signature as you advance from level to level.

Designed to mimic progression through the game and provide a sense of challenge, it boils down to having more notes per measure - or in gameplay terms, more complex arrangements for you to land on, evade or combo together, to get through in one piece.

What that looks like, is each time signature IS the level number, so 1/4 for the first, 2/4 for the second, 3/4 for the third and so on. Many of your favourite songs will most likely be in 3/4 or 4/4 if you want a simple comparison, but once you start getting into the polyrhythmic delights of 7/4 and beyond, well, you'll see how much timing can mess with your mind.