Cadence of Hyrule: How To Disable The Beat & Play Like A Traditional Rogue-Like

Sick of matching the beat in Cadence of Hyrule? If you’ve got no rhythm, or just want to play the game at your own pace, there’s an option for that in the pause menu — it doesn’t really change the gameplay at all, it just removes the ticking clock, which itself is actually pretty optional in the grand scheme of the game.

Cadence of Hyrule is a unique spin-off based on Crypt of the Necrodancer, a top-down turn-based rogue-like with randomly generated dungeons. Cadence of Hyrule follows the same rules as that game — there’s a beat at the bottom of the screen. Every time you move, the enemies move too. If you don’t move, everything stand still, even attacks! Following the beat gives you bonuses — you’ll get twice as many crystals, better item drops, and more. But, the beat really isn’t required. You can disable it with a simple toggle if the timer isn’t what you want in a Zelda game.

More Cadence of Hyrule guides:

• Cadence Of Hyrule: How To Get The Hibiscus Potion | Revive Zelda & Link Guide
• Cadence of Hyrule: How To Navigate The Lost Woods | Tingle’s Dowser Guide

How To Disable The Beat & Play Like A Traditional Rogue-Like

To disable the beat, open your Inventory and go to System -> Options -> Gameplay -> Fixed-Beat Mode. You can also change this setting in the Main Menu before starting your game.

What does ‘Fixed-Beat Mode’ do? It changes the game into a regular rogue-like! If you’re unfamiliar with this style of game, it basically means that enemies will only move when you move, and you don’t need to follow a rhythm to play. You can play as slowly (or quickly) as you want. Naturally, that makes this game a lot easier if you’re frustrated by the beat — you can play at your own pace, even if that’s slow!

You won’t get the bonuses that the beat gives you, but you won’t be penalized either. This is also one of the easier rogue-likes, you’re not meant to fail constantly — and even if you do fail, you won’t lose all your progress. The game world is only randomly generated once, and you keep any key items you collect. Only certain items like gear can be broken, and that’s easily replaceable.

It’s an awesome little game, and if you’re turned off by the rhythm mechanics, you can still play and enjoy. It’s worth the extra effort.