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Game mode

osu! has four built-in game modes with different mechanics, originally inspired by other rhythm games:

To switch between modes, click the Mode button at the bottom of the song selection screen for osu!(stable), use the buttons on the top of the screen for osu!(lazer), or use these key combinations:

  • Ctrl + 1 for osu!
  • Ctrl + 2 for osu!taiko
  • Ctrl + 3 for osu!catch
  • Ctrl + 4 for osu!mania

Mode selection interfaceMode selection interface in osu!(stable)

Mode selection interfaceMode selection interface in osu!(lazer)

osu!

Main page: osu!

osu! is the default mode, where players are expected to tap circles, hold sliders, and spin spinners to the beat of the music. It is based on the original iNiS' rhythm game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. osu! has its own mascot called pippi, a pink/black-haired girl.

Gameplay of osu!osu! gameplay

osu!taiko

Main page: osu!taiko

osu!taiko simulates the process of playing a real drum, where players make use of a keyboard or drum kit to hit differently-coloured circles on a single conveyor. It is based on the Taiko no Tatsujin game series produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment. osu!taiko's mascot is Mocha, a green-haired girl in a kimono holding drumsticks.

Gameplay of osu!taikoosu!taiko gameplay

osu!catch

Main page: osu!catch

osu!catch is a game mode where players control a catcher character to collect fruits falling to the beat from the top of the screen. It is loosely based on the "Catch It!!" minigame in the early builds of rdm/rhythm-it1, a Beatmania simulator for PC, which by itself is derived after the EZ2CATCH mode from the EZ2DJ arcade system. osu!catch's mascot is Yuzu, a blue-haired boy.

Gameplay of osu!catchosu!catch gameplay

osu!mania

Main page: osu!mania

osu!mania is a vertical scrolling rhythm game (VSRG) mode designed as a piano simulator. It was chiefly introduced and implemented by woc2006, and is based on a variety of conveyor-type rhythm games (namely Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania). osu!mania's mascots are the twins Mani and Mari, both with purple and light purple hair.

Gameplay of osu!maniaosu!mania gameplay

Custom game modes

In osu!(lazer), it's possible to manually install custom game modes (also called custom rulesets) via .dll files. They introduce a new way to play the game using the beatmap library that osu! offers. Custom game modes, like the main modes, are often inspired by other rhythm games.

The full list of playable custom game modes can be found in this GitHub discussion.

References

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