Mehter is a rhythm game in which you march a mehter band through the streets of Istanbul to the beat of the drum. The band steps on every beat by itself; you tap only on the heavy beats, the düms. When an arrow glows, tap that side to turn the band, and when STOP appears, wait.
The story has 6 chapters and 24 stages: apprentice drummer Selim marches from the Mehterhane to the Okmeydanı Festival. On this page we explain the beats, the uneven meters, spirit, stars, points and the two modes.
Goal: bring the band to the square
Every stage starts with a few count-in measures: first Get ready, then the beat numbers. Then the band sets off. When it reaches the square at the end of the road, the stage is over and you earn 1, 2 or 3 stars depending on your accuracy.
The Spirit bar at the top shows the band's mood. It starts at 70 and goes up to 100. If it drops to zero, the band falls apart and you try the stage again.
Controls and the rhythm strip
- Phone: tap the left or right half of the screen.
- Computer: the ← and → keys, or A and D.
- Esc or the cross at the top right: back to the map.
The rhythm strip at the bottom carries the coming beats from right to left; the moment a box reaches the vertical line is the beat. The düm boxes you must tap are light with a gold dot. A turn box shows the direction of the arrow, a STOP box shows STOP. When walking straight it does not matter which half you tap; the side matters only in turns.
The düm beat and uneven meters
The düm is the drum's heavy beat: the start of the measure, the start of the long group and, in 4/4, the third beat. On the light beats in between (tek) the band walks by itself and you do not tap.
- 4/4: four equal beats, the first and third are düm.
- 7/8 aksak (2+2+3): "one-two, one-two, one-two-three". The last group is long, so the düm comes a little later.
- 9/8 aksak (2+2+2+3): three short groups and one long group.
Rushing is the most common mistake in uneven meters: wait for the düm of the long group.
Timing, spirit and stars
A tap within 0.065 seconds of the düm counts as Perfect, within 0.13 seconds as Good, and within 0.2 seconds as Early or Late.
- Perfect: spirit +3. Good: +2. Waiting on STOP: +2.
- Missed düm: -8. Wrong turn or tapping on STOP: -10. Early or late: -3. Stray tap: -1.
At the square your accuracy is calculated: a perfect hit counts fully, a good one 0.6, an early or late one 0.3. With 90% or more you get 3 stars, with 72% or more 2 stars, otherwise 1 star.
Points and the streak multiplier
A perfect hit is worth 100 points, a good hit 60, an early or late hit 20. In turns, perfect and good hits are worth one and a half times as much; waiting on STOP gives 50.
Clean hits build a streak. Every 10 hits the multiplier rises by one, up to ×4; when the streak breaks, it drops back to ×1. When the streak reaches 10, 20 and 30, a celebration appears. Each stage keeps its own best score.
Chapters, the map and second chance
Each of the 6 chapters has 4 stages, 24 stages and 72 stars in total: the Mehterhane (4/4 and the düm), Eyüp and Fatih (turns), the Grand Bazaar (STOP), Beyazıt (7/8), Sultanahmet (9/8) and the Okmeydanı Festival (rising tempo, changing meters). Stages unlock in order; in every chapter a musician joins and the band grows from 3 to 9.
When the band falls apart you are offered a Second chance once: after an optional short ad you continue from 1.6 seconds earlier with spirit 50. Slow tempo in the menu plays story stages more slowly; Audio delay setup measures the delay between sound and tap on your phone.
Parade of the Day and Endless Parade
The Parade of the Day unlocks after chapter 1. It is a 24-measure parade (about 45 seconds), the same for everyone each day; the meters change between 4/4, 7/8 and 9/8 and the tempo speeds up. Your best score of the day goes to the daily leaderboard, and days finished in a row form a streak.
The Endless Parade unlocks after chapter 3. It lasts at most 200 measures; the tempo keeps rising and the meters and makams change. Spirit slowly drains, faster as the parade goes on, so only accurate hits keep the band going. When the band falls apart, your score goes to the main leaderboard.
Common mistakes
- Tapping on every beat. Tap only on the düm beats; the band walks by itself on the light beats, and stray taps cost spirit.
- Not waiting for the long group in uneven meters. In 7/8 and 9/8 the last group is three eighths long, so the düm comes late.
- Tapping on a STOP box out of habit. Tapping on STOP costs 10 spirit; lift your finger and wait.
- Tapping the wrong half in a turn. If the arrow points right, tap the right half; if it points left, tap the left half.
- Watching the screen instead of listening. If your phone has a delay, do the Audio delay setup first.
- Panicking when the Endless Parade speeds up. Keeping the streak multiplies your score up to ×4; one tap on time beats two hurried ones.
Frequently asked questions
How many stages does Mehter have?
There are 24 stages in 6 chapters, 72 stars in total. Stages unlock in order. After the story you can keep playing the Parade of the Day and the Endless Parade.
What is the düm, and do I tap on every beat?
The düm is the drum's heavy beat: the start of the measure, the start of the long group and, in 4/4, the third beat. You tap only on these; on the rhythm strip they are the gold-dotted boxes.
How are stars calculated?
Reaching the square gives at least 1 star. With 72% accuracy or more you get 2 stars, with 90% or more 3 stars. A perfect hit counts fully, a good hit 0.6 and an early or late hit 0.3.
How are points calculated?
Perfect is 100, good 60, early or late 20 points. Turns are worth one and a half times as much, and waiting on STOP gives 50. Every 10 hits in a streak raise the multiplier by one, up to ×4.
What happens when the spirit runs out?
The band falls apart. Once, with an optional short ad, you can take a second chance and continue from 1.6 seconds earlier with spirit 50. Otherwise you try the stage again.
When does the Parade of the Day unlock?
After chapter 1, that is, the 4 stages of the Mehterhane. The parade changes every day and is the same for everyone during the day; your best score of the day goes to the daily leaderboard.
How does the Endless Parade end?
It ends when the band falls apart or when it reaches 200 measures. The tempo keeps rising and the spirit slowly drains. Your score goes to the main leaderboard.
Can I play with the sound off?
Yes. The drum follows the Sound effects setting and the zurna melody the Music setting. With both off you play by the rhythm strip and the pulse at the screen edge.
