Editors’ Choice celebrates the very best apps and games—handpicked by App Store Editors around the world.
Music flows from your fingertips in Beatstar, a dazzling made-for-mobile rhythm game that lets you play along with your favorite songs. Tap and swipe to the beat to set high scores in one of gaming’s most euphoric grooves.
We knew we loved it: Right when we hit the catchy chorus of our very first track, “Hey Ya!” by Outkast. Beatstar’s supersmooth controls make jamming along to guitar, vocals, synthesizer, and more (you’ll play parts of every line) an absolute blast. And the more songs you play, the more you unlock. With a collection spanning rock, hip-hop, country, dance, and other popular genres, Beatstar’s a playable jukebox.
Our favorite discovery: The fantastic note-charting. Because songs are divided into five stages—each adding more notes and trickier sequences—even slower, simpler tracks build to an energizing payoff. We especially adore the way the game playfully handles certain lyrics—like the way you swipe up and down in a leg-swinging motion as The Proclaimers croon about a long walk in “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”
Biggest surprise: All the incredible updates! Beatstar’s playlist has steadily climbed to more than 500 collectible songs—and it regularly features multiplayer competitions with cool prizes. The game even occasionally debuts tracks, like “Don’t You Worry” (Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, and David Guetta), turning an already-great rhythm game into a can’t-miss musical event.