Tempopo: Crafting Your Own Melodies in the Musical Garden

Last month, oh man, did we get a surprise! Tempopo hit us like a breeze on a hot day. Witch Beam, ever heard of them? Anyway, they also did Unpacking, which I guess is kind of a big deal in the gaming world. So yeah, Tempopo’s here, and it’s this musical puzzle thing. Not to sound too rehearsed, but there’s this feature in it – Melody Garden? It’s, like, genuinely pretty wild.

Now, what’s up with this Melody Garden? You finish the Spring part, and – boom – it’s unlocked. It’s like reading music, kinda. Or maybe drawing? Ah, who knows, but you can make tunes with it! Might sound nuts, but I’m all in for quirky stuff like this.

Okay, basics first, I guess. Collect these musical flowers (honestly, they’re cuter than they sound). Plant them, move them around, drag here and there. You can even make chords. Told you it was wild! Oh, and switch the tempo up down left right.

Then there are these flower… instruments? Why do we call them that? No clue. Anyway, here’s what they do:

• Rose: Sings. Angela – my wife, obviously, does the voice. Sweet, right?
• Drumbo: Drums, because of course, it does!
• Toots: Horn. Why Toots? Maybe the name’s just sticking.
• Jazz: Flute, saxophone. Think smooth vibes, like a lazy afternoon.
• Lavender: Harps, guitars, bells, basically a multitasker.

Seasons, thoughts? Kinda adds some flair, if you ask me. The flowers change sounds, but Drumbo, nah, he’s chill in his own groove. Let’s see…

• Spring: Flutes, harps, all sweet and gentle.
• Summer: Guitars, more sax, laid back vibes.
• Autumn: Horns change up, bass gets deep.
• Winter: Muted hums and bells, cozy by the fire sounds.

Not too sure why seasons matter, but I’m digging it!

Scales are a thing too. Diatonic mode is like hitting all the right keys without trying too hard. Chromatic goes all black keys. If any of that makes sense, you’re ahead of me.

And then there’re these save slots, eight of them, to be exact. You can play around, store bits of music here and there. Could stitch them together or go totally solo. Whatever floats your musical boat.

All these quirks, seems like the game just wants you to have fun. Create your own mini symphonies or mess around recreating stuff, you do you.

Right, so Tempopo’s here, and accessible from whichever gadget you fancy. There’s just something about getting lost in this… chaotic garden of tunes, right? Why not give it a try? Who knows what jams are waiting to be found?