Icon of program: Frets on Fire

Frets on Fire for Windows

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Editors’ Review

Download.com staff

Frets on Fire is a basic but fun music game that's similar to Guitar Hero. Although users seeking a full-featured guitar game will likely find this one lacking, we thought it was very good for what it is.

The program's interface is attractive but simple. There are no fancy graphics to be found here; users see the frets with the notes coming at them, and that's about it. A brief tutorial explains how the game is played and gives a few practice exercises. The game supports the use of guitar-style controllers, but we just used our keyboard. The default controls are arranged in such a way that users can hold the keyboard upside down like a guitar, which is fun, but the game can also be played using the keyboard in the standard position (good news for laptop users). We suspect that the thing about Frets on Fire that users are most likely to be disappointed in is the song selection. The game only comes with three songs, and while they're good, it didn't take long before we wanted others. The game allows users to import Guitar Hero songs, which is great if you already have that game, and users with an adventurous, do-it-yourself streak won't mind digging through the various Frets on Fire message boards to find additional songs. The game also includes a song editor for those who want to create their own. But users who just want to sit down and play a variety of songs are going to find Frets on Fire more trouble than they bargained for.

Frets on Fire is free. It installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program to all users.

What’s new in version 1.3.110

Version 1.3.110 includes concise instructions for building and installing the game; removes runtime SVG support so that all images must be pre-rasterized as PNG graphics now. This also removes the dependency on Amanith, making the game simpler to build and package; Adds textured fretboard strings and bars; and updates the translations.
Icon of program: Frets on Fire

Frets on Fire for Windows

Download now

Used Frets on Fire for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL
Release
Latest update
Version
1.3.110
OPERATING SYSTEMS
Platform
Windows
Operating System
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 98
  • Windows XP
  • Windows ME
  • Windows 2000
Additional Requirements
Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
POPULARITY
Total Downloads
615,581
Downloads Last Week
2
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Program available in other languages

Last Updated

User Reviews

3.4/5

71 User Votes

Developer’s Description

By Unreal Voodoo
Play a guitar accurately using your keyboard.

Frets on Fire is a game of musical skill and fast fingers. The aim of the game is to play guitar with the keyboard as accurately as possible. Frets on Fire is open-source and includes: a unique inverted keyboard gameplay style; support for guitar controllers and generic joysticks; a song editor for making your own tunes; the ability to compete with others on the World Charts; hundreds of songs composed by the community; and support for importing Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II songs.

Introduces new World Charts, an enhanced song-chooser filter, and audio performance and stability fixes. This version is the first release on CNET Download.com.

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