# Arcaea

Arcaea is a rhythm video game developed and published by Lowiro (stylized as lowiro). The game was released on iOS and Android mobile platforms on 9 March 2017. A single-player version of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch on 18 May 2021.

## Gameplay

During gameplay, players must keep track of two sets of notes moving across the screen, and tap the screen or press controller buttons when the notes intersect with the guiding lines.
The game has 5 difficulties: Past, Present, Future, Eternal, and Beyond (shortened to PST, PRS, FTR, ETR, and BYD). It has a difficulty scale of 1-12, with 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 having + variants (e.g. Future 9+).
The game includes characters that give various beneficial effects while playing the rhythm game, and they gain experience points when selected for gameplay.

## Development

Arcaea began as a single-developer project by Anton Prydatko, inspired by Japanese arcade rhythm games. Prydatko founded Lowiro in the United Kingdom, though many of the musicians working on Arcaea are Japanese indie or doujin composers, and the majority of its players are also Japanese.
It was important to the developers that the game's monetization method allow players to "own" their purchased content. Players can buy "packs" of songs and play them an unlimited number of times, unlike the "stamina" model commonly used in mobile game monetization, which restricts play time.

## Reception

Eric Ford of TouchArcade says that it has "an awesome art style combined with very up-beat songs and a nice twist to the traditional rhythm formula". But he also mentioned that some of the gameplay elements could make the game potentially difficult.
Digitally Downloaded's Mike S. praised the game's aesthetic and music, and described its character art as "impeccable", though not memorable compared to other rhythm games. He disliked the game's requirements for unlocking new songs, considering them to be inappropriate for the game's paid release on the Nintendo Switch.
Dani Maddox of Siliconera said the game's music was "just amazing", with a large range of songs and genres. However, she found the game's story mode to be poor, and encountered issues with controls in the Nintendo Switch version, such as the console's size when playing in touchscreen mode and the game being "finicky" with a controller.
Arcaea Song Packs (mobile)Main Story packs bolded Side Story packs italicized :
| 2017 | Arcaea |
| 2017 | Eternal Core |
| 2017 | Crimson Solace |
| 2017 | Memory Archive |
| 2017 | Dynamix Collaboration |
| 2017 | Ambivalent Vision |
| 2017 | Vicious Labyrinth |
| 2018 | Lanota Collaboration |
| 2018 | Binary Enfold |
| 2018 | Luminous Sky |
| 2018 | Tone Sphere Collaboration |
| 2019 | Groove Coaster Collaboration |
| 2019 | Absolute Reason |
| 2019 | CHUNITHM Collaboration |
| 2019 | Adverse Prelude |
| 2019 | Sunset Radiance |
| 2020 | Black Fate |
| 2020 | Extended Archive 1: Visions |
| 2020 | Ephemeral Page |
| 2020 | Ephemeral Page: The Journey Onwards |
| 2020 | O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration |
| 2021 | maimai Collaboration |
| 2021 | CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2021 | Esoteric Order |
| 2021 | Esoteric Order: Pale Tapestry |
| 2021 | Esoteric Order: Light of Salvation |
| 2021 | WACCA Collaboration |
| 2021 | Binary Enfold: Shared time |
| 2021 | Divided Heart |
| 2021 | Muse Dash Collaboration |
| 2022 | Lanota Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2022 | Final Verdict |
| 2022 | Final Verdict: Silent Answer |
| 2022 | O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2023 | Extend Archive 2: Chronicles |
| 2023 | maimai Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2023 | CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 3 |
| 2023 | Cytus II Collaboration |
| 2023 | Cytus II Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2023 | Lasting Eden |
| 2023 | Severed Eden |
| 2023 | Lasting/Severed Eden: Shifting Veil |
| 2023 | WACCA Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2024 | World Extend 3: Illusions |
| 2024 | Groove Coaster Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| 2024 | Absolute Nihil |
| 2024 | Rotaeno Collaboration |
| 2024 | Lucent Historia |
| 2024 | O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 3 |
| 2024 | CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 4 |
| 2025 | maimai Collaboration Chapter 3 |
| 2025 | UNDERTALE Collaboration |