Project vs Protocol
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Project
Experience an innovative music game where every tap triggers original electronic sounds. Engage in rhythm gameplay with unique multi-track challenges, diverse music styles, and customizable characters. Compete with friends and players worldwide in this visually rich experience.
- Rhythm gameplay with real-time pronunciation
- Original independent electronic music
- Multi-track music challenges
- Diverse and updated music styles
- Customizable characters and skins
- Global player competition
- Potential visual improvement for amblyopia
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Project: Muse brings music beyond listening, making every encounter meaningful. Play a wide variety of electronic music, meet characters with distinct personalities, watch them grow, and explore their personal spaces. Follow the notes at your fingertips and discover more to enjoy on a journey shared with music and characters. 【Awards & Recognition】 Recognized by the App Store with the honors “Best Chinese Indie Game” and “Best Music Rhythm.” 【Bring Music to Your Fingertips】 Every note responds to your touch in real time. Tap along with the beat and feel the melody come alive. Whether you prefer to enjoy the music at your own pace or challenge yourself with precise rhythm gameplay, there is a way to play that suits you. 【A Diverse Electronic Music Library】 Explore over 200 electronic tracks spanning a variety of styles. Most tracks are created by independent musicians from around the world. The game has featured collaborations with artists including ColBreakz, Blaver, KODOMOi, Akako Hinami, Yan Dongwei, and Sheng Yunze, with more music added over time. 【More Ways to Play】 Alongside the classic rhythm gameplay, try Piano Mode and Prism Mode for different ways to play and experience the music. Take on higher difficulties and beat your personal best. 【Meet Your Favorite Characters】 Meet over 40 characters, each with a distinct personality, and choose from a variety of themed skins. Pick your favorite character and customize their look to make every performance your own. 【Grow Alongside Your Characters】 Develop your favorite characters through the character progression system and discover more as they grow. Beyond mastering tracks, you will have new goals to pursue along the way. 【Explore Character Spaces】 Every character has a personal space of their own. Step inside to get a closer look at their everyday lives and discover more character-related content.
Protocol
Experience a unique rhythm game set in a musical hyperspace. Enjoy tense 3D note patterns synchronized with music from famous artists and popular game soundtracks. Optimized for smartphones and tablets.
- Unique 3D visual note patterns
- Music from famous artists
- Soundtracks from popular games
- Optimized for smartphone/tablet
- Tense rhythm gameplay
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The feast of rhythm and beat in the Hyperspace! New kind of rhythm game Protocol : hyperspace Diver is Released! Let's DIVE into musical hyperspace ▶ Providing unique visual and tense note pattern in 3D space ▶ Music Dive with splendid music of famous artist such as ESTi / M2U / TAK / SQUARE MUSIQ... ▶ You can play Masterpiece of music from "Dragon flight / Destiny child" - popular games of NextFloor ▶ Play newest rhythm game optimized in Smartphone / Tablet Now! * Due to latency of the sound system, beat sync would not fit perfectly with Bluetooth devices. Using wired earphone or headphone is recommended.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Protocol at none against Project's 10. Protocol also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Project's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 54). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Project sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Protocol asks for nothing beyond the download.
Project holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Project has 1.5K ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Project's written reviews are positive against 79% of Protocol's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Project ships an update monthly, Protocol every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Project | Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.5K ratings) — better | 4.2 (54 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.4% of reviews | 78.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 54 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 985 MB | 274 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rinzz Co. Ltd. | LINE Games |
Customer experience
Project
Protocol
Bugs and requests
Project
Reported bugs
4 issues- Levels/songs getting locked after updates
- Inconsistent note registration on 4-lane sections
- SOS feature not working as intended
- Progress/data loss after reinstalling the app
Requested features
4 requests- Practice mode for individual song sections
- More frequent content updates
- Ability to restore previously purchased content
- Improved calibration and note detection
Protocol
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Project
- New Journey - Coins Pack$0.99
- Green Light - Package A$0.99
- New Player Bonus$0.99
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- Unlimited Energy$1.99
- The Holy Night Expedition$2.99
- Lucky Snowy Cloud Nation$2.99
- Forest Rhapsody$2.99
- Journey To Another World$2.99
- On The Way - Coins Pack$3.99
- VIP PACK$5.99
Protocol
No in-app purchases







