Info about El Tango de la Muerte:

Official game description:
Argentina, 1923
---------------
Martita’s birthday is soon, and Luciano still doesn’t know how to do the Tango! You must help him learn to dance, and win the heart of Martita, the love of his life.  
Each song will teach you new steps that’ll help you improve your score, earn more stars, and master each song in this FAST and CASUAL RHYTHM game, set in the twilight of the Tango era.  
Features
--------
*   Easy to pick up and learn – Anyone can learn how to play the game in seconds!  
*   Move Luciano in four directions, one tile at a time, or sliding through several at a time – always following the rhythm of the song.  
*   Each new song brings a new move you can learn. Master them to increase your score!  
*   Play through an epic story full of love – and melodrama – set in the era of Tango, as no one has ever done before!  
*   A soundtrack with 13 modern day Tango songs performed by Latin American band, YIRA.  
*   Extra features include Classic Mode, and special Challenges for each song.  
*   And we can’t forget the (very annoying) cats!

Release date: Apr 24, 2018

Categories: Rhythm Game, Single-player Story, Multiple Difficulty Modes, Story-driven Gameplay, Tile-based Gameplay, Cultural Representation, Short Session Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The community consistently indicates the game is underpriced relative to its fun and content. Explicit mention of $5 as a justified price, with some saying they'd pay more. The game is short but high quality, so a fair range around $5-10 seems appropriate, with $5 as the lower bound and $10 as an upper bound given the enthusiasm.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 1.5h
  - Story completion: 1.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 9.0h
  - Reasoning: Game completion is supported by multiple reviews stating the main playthrough lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours, with one review giving a 1-3 hour range. Story completion is consistently reported as about 1 hour. Endgame is supported by a specific estimate of 8-10 hours to complete all challenge modes. No reliable evidence for session length was found.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is enjoyable from the start, with engaging narrative and addictive gameplay, though a lack of tutorial for special tiles is a minor friction.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Lack of explanation for special tiles
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Engrossing narrative; Appreciation for mastery-based gameplay; Tolerance for learning special tiles without tutorial
- Player Archetypes:
  - Tango Music and Culture Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying the tango music and cultural immersion
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, focusing on the music and atmosphere rather than high scores
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: beginner tango dancer; first-time tango listener; Latin background
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Rhythm Game Veteran and Challenge Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering gameplay, achieving perfect timing, and overcoming challenge
    - Playstyle: Focuses on timing, patterns, and high scores, likely playing classic mode
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Story and Art Appreciator (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the narrative, cultural representation, and artistic expression
    - Playstyle: Plays through the story, enjoying the atmosphere and not focusing on high scores
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: beginner tango dancer
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Casual Short-Experience Player (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxing and enjoying a short, accessible experience
    - Playstyle: Plays through the story mode casually, not aiming for perfect scores
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Gameplay is simple and engaging (weight 0.95): The mechanics are described as simple, intuitive, and accessible, yet deceptively tricky and fun. The rhythm-based gameplay is easy to pick up but remains engaging and addictive.
- Soundtrack is exceptional (weight 0.77): The music is consistently praised as spectacular, fitting the story and art style perfectly. It is considered a major highlight that enhances the overall experience.
- Story is compelling (weight 0.51): The narrative is praised for being great, engaging, and captivating, with a mix of humor and tragedy. It is considered a strong element that complements the gameplay and music.
- Unique and charming art style (weight 0.44): The cutout puppet and collage art style is described as unique, charming, and comedic. It is praised for fitting the game's tone and adding to its visual appeal.
- Innovative rhythm game experience (weight 0.34): The game is seen as innovative within the rhythm genre, offering a fresh experience with authentic music and new gameplay elements. It is recommended for rhythm game enthusiasts.
- Ideal for short play sessions (weight 0.09): The game is well-suited for short play sessions, with a duration that is considered perfect. It is concise and can be enjoyed in brief sittings.

Common complaints:
- Unclear mechanics and gimmicks (weight 0.42): Special tiles, gimmicks, and new elements are not well explained, leaving players confused about how they work. This leads to frustration and a reliance on trial and error.
- Rhythm and timing issues (weight 0.38): Many reviews report that the rhythm integration is flawed, with irregular timing, sync issues, and a lack of clear feedback on whether you're on beat. This makes hitting notes accurately difficult and reduces the music game feel.
- High difficulty and poor curve (weight 0.35): Players find the game very difficult, especially for beginners, with a steep learning curve and little variation in difficulty between levels. This makes it frustrating and less enjoyable.
- Lack of content and features (weight 0.32): The game lacks achievements, trading cards, windowed mode, and workshop support, which reduces replayability and overall polish. Players also wish for more songs and varied stages.
- Controls are problematic (weight 0.31): Players report unresponsive controls, keyboard issues, and difficulty with reverse keybindings. The tile-based design is not well-suited for keyboard operation, and input errors can cause cascading failures.
- Visual clarity issues (weight 0.22): Some parts are visually unclear, with choppy video examples, indistinguishable note types, and a dazzling prompt design that ruins the experience. This makes reading charts and following movements difficult.

Gameplay feedback:
- Rhythm game with tile stepping (weight 0.84): The core gameplay is a rhythm game where players move a character on tiles to the beat, stepping on glowing or yellow tiles at the right timing. It uses only directional keys and is tied closely to the music's tempo.
- Multiple difficulty modes (weight 0.38): The game offers adjustable difficulty, including easy, normal, and classic (hard) modes. Easy mode prevents failing, while classic mode is unforgiving, allowing only 10 non-perfect notes per song.
- Penalty for missing tiles (weight 0.34): Stepping on non-yellow tiles or missing yellow tiles results in red notes, which accumulate and can cause failure. Too many red notes force a restart of the song.
- Story mode with chapters (weight 0.31): The game includes a story mode set in 1923 Argentina, with six chapters and an epilogue. The story is simple and flavor-only, but new mechanics are introduced as chapters progress.
- Various note types and patterns (weight 0.3): Notes include click and slide, with no multi-press, and are non-fixed track, direction, and speed. Movement speed varies with melody and beat, and special slides end with a pose.
- Unique tile flash mechanic (weight 0.24): The game features original mechanics, including a tile flash that indicates when to step. This visual assistance is compared to falling-note rhythm games and Crypt of the NecroDancer.
- Reverse keys and keybindings (weight 0.2): The game includes reverse keybindings, particularly in chapter four, and a reverse keys mechanic. This adds complexity and is used in challenge modes.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues and lag (weight 0.29): Multiple players report performance problems, including lag on intricate songs and stuttering during gameplay. One user noted smooth performance on low-spec hardware, suggesting optimization varies by system.

Recommendations:
- Game is worth buying (weight 0.33): Multiple reviewers emphasize that the game provides good value for money and is worth purchasing, especially at sale prices. This sentiment is repeated across several clusters, indicating strong overall satisfaction with the purchase.
- Recommended for rhythm game fans (weight 0.26): The game is specifically recommended for fans of rhythm games, with some calling it a must-have for those seeking an exceptional rhythm game experience. This indicates the game's core mechanics are well-suited to the genre's audience.
- Recommended for tango music lovers (weight 0.22): Reviewers recommend the game to fans of tango and Latin music, highlighting the tango BGM as a major draw. This suggests the soundtrack is a key selling point for music enthusiasts.
- Not for relaxation seekers (weight 0.13): The game is not recommended for people who want to play a rhythm game to relax, indicating it may be intense or challenging rather than calming.

Other player notes:
- Game is short but satisfying (weight 0.55): Multiple reviews highlight the game's short length, ranging from 1 to 3 hours, but many find it fulfilling and perfect for its price. The brevity is seen as a positive aspect, offering a concise and intense experience.
- Authentic Argentine cultural representation (weight 0.37): The game is praised for its authentic Argentine DNA, capturing the culture, setting, and era, including the use of lunfardo and Argentine slang. It is set in Buenos Aires in 1923 and reflects a real situation in Argentina.
- Excellent value for price (weight 0.32): Players consistently praise the game's affordability, calling it a steal and worth the cost, especially with discounts. The low price combined with the quality and length makes it a great purchase.
- Supports multiple languages (weight 0.23): The game offers official Chinese localization and Japanese support, with fluent translations. However, one review notes that the Chinese font is not well matched, which could affect readability.
- Developer passion and responsiveness (weight 0.22): The developers put passion and dedication into the game, and the developer is responsive, planning to add a song selection page and more chapters. This indicates active development and community engagement.
- Inspired by real stories and films (weight 0.09): The story is inspired by a real story and is compared to films like Scent of a Woman and The Godfather, as well as the Tropico series. These references highlight the game's narrative depth and cultural influences.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.21): Players consistently praised the engaging story, excellent soundtrack, and fun, addictive gameplay. The game's cultural authenticity and unique tango rhythm mechanics were also highlighted as key sources of enjoyment.
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Frustration stemmed from high difficulty, unclear mechanics, and technical issues like lag and stuttering. Specific complaints included hard-to-read charts, uncomfortable reverse keybindings, and punishing recovery systems after mistakes.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Players appreciated the game's authentic Argentine cultural representation, beautiful art style, and passionate storytelling. The music quality and the game's overall charm were frequently cited as standout features.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Satisfaction came from the game's well-paced short length, challenging but fair gameplay, and excellent soundtrack. Players also enjoyed the satisfying feeling of hitting notes perfectly and the game's overall polish.
- Love (weight 0.05): Players expressed love for the game's cohesive blend of art, story, and music, which created an immersive and charming experience. The game's cultural authenticity and addictive nature were also major factors.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement was driven by the fresh experience of playing a rhythm game with authentic South American music and the thrilling climax sequences. Players were also excited about upcoming content and the developer's responsiveness.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration was expressed for the game's creative genius, particularly the innovative transformation of the dance floor into gameplay keys. Players also admired the developer's soul and the game's cultural representation.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Players found the game funny due to its humorous performance, comedic art style, and entertaining Argentine phrases. The game's ability to make players laugh and cringe was a notable source of amusement.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise came from the unexpected fusion of tango with other genres and the overall pleasant surprise of enjoying a tango rhythm game. The quality of the music was also a surprising highlight.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Players expressed a desire for more content, specifically more songs and features to increase replayability. The game's short length left players wanting more.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight was experienced through the game's immersive atmosphere, beautiful aesthetics, and unique art style. Players felt transported to a ballroom and appreciated the game's craftsmanship.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Interest was sparked by the game's innovative mechanics within the rhythm genre and its striking collage art style and cultural setting. The nonsensical but interesting story also contributed.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm was generated by the game's captivating story, fantastic music, and fun, original mechanics. Players found the game promising and engaging from the start.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation was fueled by the promise of a sequel, additional chapters, and upcoming story content. Players were eager to see what the developer would add next.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players expressed gratitude towards the developer for creating and bringing the game to fruition. The appreciation was for the overall experience and effort put into the game.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Approval was given for the game's remarkable quality, with players stating it deserves to be played. The story, soundtrack, and mechanics were all positively received.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity was piqued by the story being based on real events, leading players to wonder about the protagonists. The historical and cultural elements sparked interest.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was evoked by the animation style, which reminded players of Monty Python's cutout animation, and the characteristic use of lunfardo. These elements created a sense of familiarity and fondness.
- Liking (weight 0.01): Players liked the game's presentation of passions through Tango and its music and art style. The overall aesthetic and thematic execution were well-received.
- Disappointment (weight 0.01): Disappointment arose from the game feeling unpolished with gameplay issues, and from it being a disguised visual QTE game rather than a traditional music game. These aspects fell short of expectations.}