Ringer Game is a playable simulation of change ringing: the practice of ringing bells in continuously changing sequences. In change ringing, ringers perform a method—a predefined pattern that determines the order in which bells ring, row by row. Methods are permutation algorithms, and thousands are publicly cataloged by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR).
To play, choose a method from the CCCBR library or load a custom file. Select which bell or bells you control, press start, and the game counts you in. Ring using keyboard, mouse, touch, or microphone input. Each row creates a timing window for every bell, set by the tempo. Strikes are scored for accuracy, earning between 5 and 10 points per row.
The display can be customized to match how you play. Follow a moving cursor while reading place notation, or play from memory with minimal visual guidance. Your full setup—including method choice, settings, and high scores—can be saved as JSON or plain text. These files are shareable: others can load the same file and append their own records, turning a single setup into a live artifact built across multiple performances.
Ringer Game doubles as a musical instrument. Bells can be tuned to tonal systems such as diatonic, hexatonic, or chromatic scales, or customized individually with chords, timbre, reverb, and harmonizing background drones. Percussion and synth layers can be added, with polyrhythmic presets and phrase-building tools. Different sections of a method can be assigned distinct profiles, allowing sound and visuals to change as the method unfolds. All profile settings are stored directly in the same shareable file.