Open Case: Busk Across Europe

About the game

Open Case: Busk Across Europe is a portrait rhythm game for phone and tablet, in development. Sam busks across Europe with a guitar and an open case. You hit the beat in three lanes and switch chords in time, and the crowd gathers or drifts away. Coins land in the case and pay for the next ticket. A city day is a morning job, two busking spots, an evening jam with a local musician, and the station. Today the Barcelona day plays from the morning job to a second day, with results after every song, settings, calibration and a tutorial day. The look is still rough and unpainted; the painted cel-shaded streets come later. Every picture on this page is concept art. The game is not in a store yet.

Features

Three lanes and a chord in hand. Hit the beat and change the chord on time. A wrong chord sounds and scores worse.
The crowd is the score. People slow down, stop and sway when the song fits the spot, and drift away when it doesn't.
Learn styles from local musicians in the evening jam. In our tests on the Barcelona charts, switching to the style the crowd wants earned more than holding one, and a switch lands on the bar line without missing a beat.
A city day: a morning job, two busking spots, an evening jam with a local musician, and then the station, where you choose a bed or the bench, then stay for another day. A trip map shows the road ahead; only Barcelona plays for now.
Every song ends with a results card, and the first day tunes up your timing. Calibration lives in Settings.
Voiced throughout. Locals and musicians speak their city's language, Sam keeps an English diary, and every caption names the speaker.
English and Swedish menus, on phones and tablets in portrait. The game starts in your device language when it can.

Concept art

Concept art explores the intended look; it is separate from captured gameplay.

Concept painting of a Barcelona street at dusk with Sam playing, three glowing lanes, a crowd and an open guitar case. — Concept artThe target look of a busking spot. Not a screenshot.

Concept painting of Sam playing guitar on an evening street beside a tram, with children dancing and coins glowing in the open case. — Concept artThe title scene. Not a screenshot.

Concept drawing of Sam with a bleached crop, an olive coat, headphones and a stickered guitar. — Concept artSam. Not a screenshot.

Concept poster of Sam busking on a cobbled street between glowing lanes, with an open guitar case. — Concept artKey art. Not a screenshot.

Concept painting of Sam playing guitar on a dusk street with three coloured lanes and a small crowd. — Concept artA painted street frame. Not a screenshot.

Story

Sam steps off a night train at dawn with a guitar and a stickered case. Every coin in the case buys the next ticket.

Manuscript

The platform

Dawn. Sam steps onto an empty platform with the guitar on his back and the case in hand. "Every coin in the case buys the next ticket. That's the whole plan."

The street

A Barcelona lane in the morning. Sam opens the case, and three lanes light up in the pavement and run to his feet. "Find the beat. Change the chord in time."

The crowd

People pass: a commuter in a hurry, a couple, tourists with a map, a kid pulling a parent along. They slow down, stop and sway, and coins arc into the case. "The crowd is the score. They stop if the song fits."

The musicians

Every city has someone who plays it better. In the evening Sam jams with a local musician and learns their style.

The station

Night. Rent, a ticket, or the bench. "Let's play."

Art direction

Cel-shaded streets with an ink outline. Orange, navy, teal, cream, and pink.

Notices

The music and spoken lines are original generated recordings. All pictures on this page are generated concept art, not screenshots.