Overview

Friday Night Funkin' is a rhythm game where players must match arrow inputs to the beat of the music. Notes scroll upward on the right side of the screen (the player's side), and players must press the corresponding arrow key when the note reaches the judgment line at the top. The opponent's notes play automatically on the left side.

The screen is split into two halves: the left showing the opponent's notes and the right showing the player's notes. A health bar runs along the bottom center, with Boyfriend's icon on the right and the opponent's icon on the left. The player's goal is to hit notes accurately to keep their health up and survive to the end of the song.

Controls

The game uses four directional inputs corresponding to the four note lanes:

Direction	Primary Key	Alternate Key	Color
⬅ Left	← Arrow Left	D	Purple / Magenta
⬇ Down	↓ Arrow Down	F	Blue / Cyan
⬆ Up	↑ Arrow Up	J	Green
➡ Right	→ Arrow Right	K	Red / Pink

Additional controls include Enter to confirm selections, Escape to pause or go back, and 7 to access the chart editor (debug mode).

Scoring & Note Judgments

When you hit a note, the game evaluates your timing accuracy and assigns one of four judgments. Each judgment gives a different score and affects your combo and health differently:

Judgment	Timing Window	Score	Health Effect	Combo
Sick!!	Within ±45ms	350 points	+ Good gain	Continues
Good!	Within ±90ms	200 points	+ Moderate gain	Continues
Bad	Within ±135ms	100 points	+ Slight loss	Continues
Shit	Within ±160ms	50 points	- Health penalty	Breaks
Miss	Not pressed	0 points	- Large penalty	Breaks

Note: Hold notes (sustain notes) require you to press and hold the key for the duration of the held note. Releasing early will cause you to miss the remaining ticks, resulting in health loss.

Health System

The health bar is the central survival mechanic. It's displayed at the bottom of the screen as a horizontal bar that shifts between green (player) and red (opponent). Here's how it works:

• Gaining health: Successfully hitting notes fills the bar toward your side (right). Better accuracy gives more health.
• Losing health: Missing notes or pressing keys when no note is present drains health. Ghost-tapping (pressing keys with no notes) causes a small penalty.
• Game Over: If the health bar reaches the opponent's side completely (far left), you get a Game Over. Boyfriend will collapse, and you can either retry the song or return to the menu.
• Health Icons: Both the player and opponent have animated health icons. When one side is winning, their icon shows a confident expression, while the losing side looks nervous or distressed.

Difficulty Levels

Every song in the game can be played on three difficulty levels:

Difficulty	Description	Note Density	Recommended For
Easy	Simplified note charts with fewer notes and slower patterns. Long sections may have no notes at all.	Low	Newcomers to rhythm games
Normal	The intended experience with balanced note patterns that follow the music closely.	Medium	Most players
Hard	Dense note patterns with jacks, trills, and fast streams. Requires strong timing and finger dexterity.	High	Experienced rhythm gamers

Game Modes

Story Mode

Story Mode is the main campaign. Players progress through seven weeks, each containing three songs that must be completed consecutively without a Game Over. The health bar carries over between songs in a week. Dialogue cutscenes play between certain songs, advancing the narrative.

Weeks are initially locked and must be completed in order, though players can select any unlocked week and choose their difficulty before starting.

Free Play

Free Play mode allows players to play any individual song they've unlocked at any difficulty. This mode is ideal for practicing specific songs, trying to improve scores, or just enjoying the music without the pressure of consecutive songs. The complete tracklist is available here, organized by week.

Tips & Tricks

• Use both hands: Use DFJK or the arrow keys with two hands for better reach and speed. This is especially important on Hard difficulty.
• Watch the notes, not the characters: Focus on the note highway and judgment line rather than the character animations.
• Practice in Free Play: Use Free Play to practice tricky songs before attempting them in Story Mode.
• Start on Normal: Easy mode is too simplified to build real skills. Normal mode is the best learning difficulty.
• Don't spam keys: Ghost-tapping (hitting keys with no notes) causes health penalties. Be precise with your inputs.
• Hold sustain notes fully: Releasing hold notes early costs health. Keep the key pressed until the note trail ends.
• Learn the songs: Familiarity with the music helps anticipate note patterns. Listen to the soundtrack outside the game.
• Stay calm during tough sections: Panicking leads to missed notes. Keep a steady rhythm even during fast patterns.
• M.I.L.F and Stress are the hardest: These songs have notoriously difficult Hard charts. Don't be discouraged if they take many attempts.

Pro Tip: The game was initially developed in HaxeFlixel/OpenFL. If you're interested in modding or exploring the source code, the game is fully open-source on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 License.