Look, let's be honest: the current obsession with AI is reaching a fever pitch. Once a digital nuisance that struggled to answer even the simplest queries, AI has transformed into a universal tool—a Swiss Army knife for creating art, music, reports, and code. While the concerns regarding its side effects are far from trivial, we are rapidly approaching a future where life without AI seems almost unthinkable.

And here are the folks attempting to marry AI with the rhythm genre. The indie team MandU is currently crafting 'Noise Canceller', a narrative-driven rhythm game. The hook? They are utilizing AI platforms like Udio and Suno for select tracks. I had the chance to sit down with team leader Kang Min-wook to discuss the composition process and how they are integrating these tools.

MandU, the studio behind Noise Canceller, operates under the motto of 'creating content that resonates through music', with a mission to share the power of sound with the world. The six-member team is led by Kang Min-wook, with main developer Kim Ki-hong, visual director Yu Ha-neul, sound artist Kim Da-hee, assistant game designer Kim Won-dam, and assistant visual artist Yu Su-hyeon.

Kang Min-wook grew up with titles like Portal, Half-Life, and Dead Space, which nurtured a dream of game development. After picking up the documentary 'Indie Game: The Movie', Kang was moved by the arduous yet rewarding process of completing a game, and started working toward that dream in the third year of middle school.

Kang Min-wook noted, 'Despite being a small team, we have faced no major hurdles. For specialists in different fields to create synergy, the team leader must be systematic and efficient in operations and scheduling. In short, I just had to do my part well.'

Noise Canceller places storytelling at its core. Players experience the protagonist's tale chapter by chapter, hitting buttons in sync with the beat. Occasionally, 'noise cancelling' effects disrupt the screen, changing how notes fall or shifting the direction of play. Each chapter consists of multiple stages, with a unique song assigned to each.

The first chapter features a college student named Milo, who wants to confess feelings to a friend named Sierra. As the plot progresses, an AI feature is updated that analyzes the player's emotions to generate music in real-time. Milo uses this to listen to rock music—a genre Sierra loves—to sort through personal feelings before the confession. Some protagonists were inspired directly by team members; Kang Min-wook explained, 'Adapting the lives of team members makes the narrative feel natural and realistic, and serves as a great motivator for the team.'

As chapters change, so do the protagonists and themes. The second chapter features Sierra, moving away from the love-centric narrative of the first. The music genres are also set to shift: rock for Chapter 1, EDM for Chapter 2, and hip-hop for Chapter 3. Kang Min-wook explained, 'Chapter 1 is about romance, while Chapter 2 explores the story from Sierra's perspective. From Chapter 3 onwards, we plan to adopt an omnibus format covering diverse themes.'

The controls are uniquely mapped to the F and J keys, a concept reflecting the experience of using two earphones—the left earphone corresponds to F, and the right to J. Kang Min-wook remarked, 'Since earphones are the core of the game, I wanted the controls to mirror the act of listening with both ears to heighten immersion. Of course, we will support remapping for players who find this setup unfamiliar.'

Noise Canceller features intricate pixel art and distinct visual cues. As the story unfolds and the music plays, the game introduces dynamic changes. For instance, in the first stage of Chapter 1, Milo listens to music with both earphones until Sierra starts a conversation, leading the character to remove one. At that moment, one of the two note lanes disappears.

During the game, the camera may zoom in or lanes may shift based on the protagonist's movements, breaking away from standard rhythm game norms. Kang Min-wook stated, 'The core experience is enjoying the story while playing the rhythm game, so we added emotional resonance. Rather than ramping up difficulty through speed or complexity, we chose to disrupt the player with gimmicks and visual effects to encourage adaptation.'

This ties into the in-game lore: the prototype AI malfunctions when the user's emotions run high. This causes the 'noise cancelling' to toggle unexpectedly, mixing ambient noise with the music and altering lane directions. Kang Min-wook explained, 'Narratively, when a character feels the need to isolate from the world and block out complex external factors, the AI recognizes this and initiates noise cancellation.'

While the demo only features basic noise cancelling, future versions will include gimmicks like visual effects fading due to unstable connections, or forcing the music into a mono channel, merging the lanes. They are also considering surround sound and equalizer effects. Kang Min-wook added, 'We put a lot of work into the visuals to convey the story, hand-crafting many details. I hope players either become the protagonist or root for them while playing.'

A unique aspect of Noise Canceller is that some music tracks are generated by AI like Udio and Suno, followed by human post-production. This aligns with the game's concept of AI generating music in real-time based on emotional input. However, not all tracks are AI-made. Kang Min-wook clarified, 'From the second chapter, songs composed purely by our in-house composers will also be included.'

Of course, even with AI assistance, human labor is vital. The team creates prompts tailored to the narrative, adds musical characteristics, and requests output from the AI. They generate dozens of tracks, select the best candidates, and hold internal discussions. The chosen tracks are then mixed, remastered, or edited in a DAW—isolating stems, adding instruments, or removing elements as needed.

Once the music is finalized, note charts are added to build the stage. The charts were created personally by Kang Min-wook, an avid rhythm game fan. The overall difficulty is geared toward beginners. Kang Min-wook said, 'Our target is newcomers and casual rhythm game players; I hope they enjoy the rhythm alongside the visuals and the story.'

Noise Canceller first showcased its demo at PlayX4 this past May. The response from gamers was encouraging. Kang Min-wook recalled, 'Many people mentioned it reminded them of Rhythm Doctor, which I personally enjoy. One couple was so invested that they reacted loudly to every single effect, and I was truly grateful for that.'

Development began in earnest this past February and is currently around 40% complete. Despite the rapid progress, there have been challenges, particularly regarding difficulty balancing. During the PlayX4 demo, feedback highlighted that players found it confusing when lanes shifted or visual gimmicks occurred. Kang Min-wook noted, 'I realized we need to refine the level design or add visual cues to help players recognize the beats better.'

Developing a rhythm game also brings unique technical hurdles. Every note must hit the beat perfectly in both visual and auditory terms, and adjusting the 'Perfect' window is a complex process. Kang Min-wook remarked, 'Even tiny imperfections can ruin the fun of a rhythm game. We are scrutinizing every detail to ensure high quality.'

Noise Canceller is targeting an Early Access launch on Stove Indie this September, followed by participation in the Steam Next Fest in October. Kang Min-wook concluded, 'Many people fear the rhythm genre, but there is no need to be intimidated. Noise Canceller is definitely not a scary game, so please relax and enjoy it.'