Project OutFox is moddable, cross-platform rhythm game engine based on StepMania, featuring 20 different modes simulating different dance, sensor, instrument and key-based rhythm games. Play your way through 20+ years of community content and relive your nostalgia and try to outfox your friends!
All Reviews:
No user reviews
Release Date:
August 2026
Publisher:

Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“OutFox has grown and evolved since we started the project in 2019, and has forged it's own path to become the working game museum it is today. We have chosen to open the game to Early Access to allow for player involvement and for our community to help shape the future of the game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan to work hard on the game over the next 2 years, as we polish and stabilize the game for all the different platforms that we support and come out of Early Access around later 2023.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“We plan to polish and improve the UI and Modular system, allowing for players to select the games they wish to use, as well as the option to add new simulations in the future. This project is about game preservation and archival, so we are trying to achieve accurate simulations that you the players can help us with. These features may be added as they become available to users in future builds as the project progresses.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“We have a fully functional engine and 18 (currently) different game modes, all at varying progression. We hope to have more finessed themes for the Early access launch, which should provide a modern and much better streamlined gameplay experience.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

The game will always be free.

You can support the project through other means via DLC support or Content, but the engine will never be locked behind a paywall.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We would love the community to get involved on functions and features they wish to see, events that we can run, what online functionality and competition modes they would like to see. We are a small team of developers that care about giving the best experience we can, and hope you will embark with us on that journey. You can help development via our bug reporting repo at and discuss with other players in our discord server, where a lot of the suggested features and improvements do end up being added to the game!”
Read more
This game is not yet available on Steam

Planned Release Date: August 2026

Interested?
Add to your wishlist and get notified when it becomes available.
Add to your wishlist

Join the Project OutFox Playtest

Request access and you’ll get notified when the developer is ready for more participants.
 
See all discussions

Report bugs and leave feedback for this game on the discussion boards

About This Game

Project OutFox is a fully extensible, cross-platform rhythm game sim engine based on StepMania, featuring 20 different modes simulating different dance, instrument, and key-based rhythm games.

Its goal is to become a cross-platform “sandbox” and “working museum” for the genre, supporting nearly 25 years worth of content. It is developed by a team of community volunteers creating a game for the fans by the fans. The aim is to be community focussed and to celebrate what rhythm games have done to the world, providing an archive for future generations of players.

It has extensive chart format support across different simulated game modes;

Dance Pad Based Modes

dance (3k, 3k double, 4k, 4k double, 6k, 6k double) .dwi, .sm, .ssc, .bms - The default game type. This game type uses four lanes in the cardinal directions (left, down, up, right). It also contains a 6-lane style, adding up-left and up-right directions, and a 3-lane style using only up-left, down, and up-right.

pump (5k, 5k double, 6k (halfdouble) .ksf, .sma, .sm, .ssc - A five-lane dance game, which uses four diagonal directions and the center rather than cardinal directions.

techno (4k, 4k double, 5k, 5k double, 8k, 8k double, 9k, 9k double) .sm, .ssc - A dance game type designed for pads with nine panels, including 4-lane (similar to dance), 5-lane (similar to pump), 8-lane (using all but the center panel), and 9-lane styles in single and double versions.

smx (3k, 3k double, 5k, 5k double) .ssc - A dance game type designed by StepRevolution using a new unique pad which uses the cardinal directions plus middle (left, down, up, right and centre).

ds3ddx (4k + 4 sensor) .ssc - A dance game whose format is common among Chinese arcade dance games, which uses four diagonal foot panels, and four hand sensors around the pad in the cardinal directions.

stepstage (6k, 3k) .ssc - A dance game whose format is familiar to those that played it; it had 6 panels over 2 columns, based on a circular design.

kickbox (4k, 6k, 8k) .sm, .ssc - An obscure lash-a-soft dance pad-to-a-punching-bag mode (four, six, and eight-pad modes).

Sensor Based Modes

para (5 sensor, 8 sensor) .sm, .ssc - A dance game designed for para para routines, which is typically played with five infrared hand sensors in a semicircular layout, and uses a considerably looser scoring system.

ez2dancer (3k + 4 sensor) .sm, .ssc - A game type based on the defunct arcade dance game EZ2Dancer, which uses three foot panels and a pair of hand sensors.

maniax (4 sensor) .sm, .ssc - A game type based on the defunct arcade dance game Dance Maniax, which uses four hand sensors arranged into two columns (upper and lower).

boxing (2 sensor) .ssc - A game type based on boxing moves to give you a great workout!

Controller Based Modes

be-mu (5k +scratch, 5k +scratch double, 7k +scratch, 7k +scratch double) .bms, .bml, .bme - Supports 5-key and 7-key styles

po-mu (3k, 4k, 5k, 7k, 9k, 9k double) .pms, .bme - A PMS player mode, supporting 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9-button styles, 2 player mode, and the ability to load PMS/BME po-mu files.

kbx (1k to 19k) .bms, .bml, .bme .chart, .dwi, .dtx, .gda, .ksf, .mc, .mid, .osu, .osz, .pms, .qua, .qp, .sma, .sm, .ssc, .tja - A 1 to 19 lane game type designed primarily for keyboard play, being able to play songs from any mode using the smartGen system. This is an OutFox-specific game type that does not simulate any specific game.

Instrument Based Modes

gddm (6k, 9k, 10k) .dtx, .gda, .g2a - A drum mode supporting six-part (five drums and one pedal), nine-part (seven drums, bass pedal, hi-hat pedal), and 10-part (“Real”) styles, played with MIDI electronic drum kits.

gdgf (3fret, 5fret) .dtx, .gda - A guitar mode supporting three-fret and five-fret styles, often played with a guitar style controller.

gh (5fret, 6fret) .chart, .mid - A five-fret guitar mode simulating the mechanics of once-popular console games originating from North America.

rb (rb drums, gh drums, rb pro drums) .chart, .mid - A drum mode simulating the mechanics of once-popular console games originating from North America.

taiko (1 drum - 4 hitpoints) .osu, .osz, .tja - A popular game often played with a drum controller.

bongo (2 bongos - 4 hitpoints + clap) .tja - A popular game often played with a bongo drum controller.

Experience a new feature rich editor allowing for new charting experiences, whether you want to create standard charts or something more exotic to outfox your friends, it can all be done with a new online mode, pitting your skills against others around the world, or just to claim bragging rights on the new leader boards!

Featuring keyboard, control pad, midi instrument, controller, dance mat, touch support, and full controller support for SteamDeck, there is an extensive way to play your way, and with the included mods and gimmick options the possibilities are almost endless!

System Requirements

Windows
macOS
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows 7
    • Processor: A Processor from 2003 or later
    • Memory: 512 MB RAM
    • Graphics: 3DFX Voodoo 2 or later
    • Storage: 350 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Sound Blaster AWE 16 or later
    • Additional Notes: The game supports hardware from 2003 or later, but your play experience will be affected the further back you go. You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
    Recommended:
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: A Processor from 2010 or later
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Supporting OpenGL 2.1 or greater
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 450 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Windows Compatible Sound Card
    • Additional Notes: You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.
    Minimum:
    • OS: 10.12 - Sierra or later
    • Processor: Intel: from 2009 or later, M1: 2020 or later
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Storage: 350 MB available space
    • Additional Notes: You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
    Recommended:
    • OS: 10.15 Catalina or later
    • Processor: M1: 2020 or later / Intel: 2015 or later
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Storage: 450 MB available space
    • Additional Notes: You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
    Minimum:
    • OS: Ubuntu 14.04 era or later
    • Processor: A processor from 2003 or later
    • Memory: 512 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Supporting OpenGL 1.5 or greater
    • Storage: 350 MB available space
    • Sound Card: ALSA/Pulse/Pipewire/JACK compatible
    • Additional Notes: You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
    Recommended:
    • OS: Ubuntu 18.04 era or later / SteamOS 3
    • Processor: Core 2 Duo T7600 or later
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Supporting OpenGL 2.1 or greater
    • Storage: 450 MB available space
    • Sound Card: ALSA/Pulse/Pipewire/JACK compatible
    • Additional Notes: You will need extra space for content that you create or share.
There are no reviews for this product

You can write your own review for this product to share your experience with the community. Use the area above the purchase buttons on this page to write your review.