Kalimba Ranch Keeper

A rhythm mobile game using a virtual kalimba to teach music theory through interactive farm care.

About the game

Kalimba Ranch Keeper is a rhythm-based mobile game designed to teach music in a fun and interactive way. Players care for a lively farm by playing real musical notes on a virtual kalimba, engaging with charming animals and rhythmic challenges to maintain their ranch.
With colorful visuals, intuitive gameplay, and an educational twist, Kalimba Ranch Keeper blends music theory with entertaining mechanics, making it perfect for players of all ages who want to explore rhythm and melody in a creative way.
The game is currently in development. Download for free on Itch.io 🔗

As the Lead Developer, I architected and implemented the game's core systems using Unreal Engine 5, primarily leveraging Blueprints for rapid prototyping and development. My focus was on creating a seamless, engaging, and technically sound musical experience.
Key Contributions:
- Core Systems & Audio Implementation: Developed the central rhythm mechanics, ensuring responsive note detection and timing accuracy. Implemented audio systems for synchronized music playback and interactive soundscape elements tied to gameplay events. Utilized UE5's Sequencer for initial song composition and triggering note events.
- Technical Development: Programmed core gameplay features, including the note spawning system, progression logic, and animal feedback systems using Blueprints. Designed and implemented the UI/UX flow for mobile interaction using UMG.
- Production & Vision: Guided the overall technical and creative direction, ensuring the integration of educational goals with engaging gameplay loops. Managed the development process from concept/thesis to the current prototype stage.

In 2023, during my final year at university, I faced the challenge of creating a thesis project, an opportunity to combine everything I had learned into a viable, sellable product. From the start, I knew I wanted to make a music-based game, but the form it would take was still uncertain.
The initial brainstorming phase was filled with ambitious ideas. One concept was an adventure game where players interacted with the world through music, influencing the story and environment. As I worked through these ideas, with guidance from professors and discussions with colleagues, I refined the vision, discarding concepts that lacked clarity or feasibility.

Very early Prototype, depicting the rhytm logic in action

By the end of 2023, I had developed an early prototype (as seen in the image), featuring a rhythm-based system inspired by Guitar Hero. This system allowed players to perform songs rhythmically, pressing notes in time as they appeared. Achieving this mechanic was a complex technical challenge, it required developing a robust system within Unreal Engine 5 where songs composed visually in the Sequencer could reliably trigger timed note spawns and register player input via Blueprints.
This early version validated the core idea and was enough to get approval for my thesis, but I knew it needed something more to be a compelling game.

At first, I explored a visual feedback system: when a song was played correctly, a piece of artwork or a 3D model would react, becoming brighter, happier, and more animated. However, I quickly realized that while this added some satisfaction, it wasn’t enough to engage players meaningfully.
That’s when the breakthrough happened, I decided to merge the rhythm gameplay with a farm/animal care simulation.

Early Concept art evolution made by Boneculto & me

Final Vertical Slice version of a song being played

In the final vertical slice, players care for a farm full of animals by playing them their favorite songs. The Guitar Hero-style rhythm system remains at the core, but now each successful performance directly impacts the game world:
- - Animals become happier and more active.
  - Their habitats improve, filling with decorations and vibrant colors.
  - New animals and songs unlock, encouraging progression and mastery.
This system not only makes the game more engaging but also introduces a natural learning loop. Through repetition and interaction, players internalize musical concepts and melodies, making it possible to transfer these skills to a real kalimba or other instruments.
Kalimba Ranch Keeper is still in development, but it started as a thesis project and evolved into a game with the potential to entertain, educate, and inspire players through music. This journey, from conceptual uncertainty to a refined, engaging experience, was driven by my passion for music, game development, and interactive learning.

Leveled Up farm, maxxed love with animals

UI demostrating the Rhythm gameplay

Demo of animal animation

Latest Music/Farm gameplay design concept

Very early concept of Adventure game

Early Mockups of the game UI

The music in Kalimba Ranch Keeper is a chill, lofi, Animal Crossing-inspired blend of nursery rhymes and organic instrumentation. Every track stays in the same key and BPM for smooth transitions, evolving dynamically as animals become happier.
Each song builds in 8-bar sections, adding layers like bass, plucks, and steel drums. In the final section, the animal sings along using custom soundfonts, giving each one a unique personality.
- - The main theme plays when no song is active, seamlessly transitioning when a new song begins, ensuring a fluid musical gameplay experience.
  - Sheep’s Song ("Mary Had a Little Lamb") – Soft kalimba and airy pads, with the sheep “baa”-ing along at the end.
  - Chicken’s Song ("Duérmete Pollito") – Gentle nylon guitar and warm bass, ending with rhythmic “clucks.”
  - Pig’s Song ("Old MacDonald Had a Farm") – Playful bass plucks and funky strums, with celebratory oinks.

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