Beatspell — Rhythm Heaven Groove RPG Mode
The series' first rhythm-RPG mode: medal unlocks, the diamond chart, and how spells work.
Beatspell is Rhythm Heaven Groove's new rhythm-based RPG mode, and Nintendo confirms it is a first for the series. It isn't on the menu from the start — you open new chapters by earning medals in the regular rhythm games. Inside a chapter, you tap commands in time as the beat travels around a diamond chart, and those well-timed inputs become spells you cast in battle.
How You Unlock Beatspell
Beatspell is gated behind medals, the same reward you chase in the main game. Clear a rhythm game well enough to earn the "Amazing" rating and you walk away with a medal. Bank enough of them and the next chapter of Beatspell becomes available. In other words, the better you play the normal minigames, the more of the RPG story you unlock — the two halves of Groove feed each other.
This medal-gated structure is confirmed from Nintendo's June 9, 2026 Direct and Treehouse: Live showcase, and from June 2026 hands-on previews. Exactly how many chapters Beatspell runs, and how long the whole mode lasts, has not been detailed yet — expect that to be clear at launch on July 2, 2026.
How Beatspell Plays — the Diamond Chart
A Beatspell battle is still pure rhythm. The beat moves around a diamond-shaped chart, and you press the right button as it lands on each point. Nail the timing and the command goes off as a spell; miss it and nothing happens. There's no separate "attack menu" to scroll through — your moment-to-moment button choices, made on the beat, are the whole combat system, which is why previewers compared it to freestyling.
Different inputs cast different spells. Hitting B then A casts a Flame, an offensive spell. Pressing Down casts a Cure, which restores health. You weave attacks and heals together in time with the music to win the fight and push the chapter forward.
Confirmed Spell Inputs
| Input | Spell | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| B → A | Flame | Offensive spell — cast on the beat to deal damage. |
| Down | Cure | Restorative spell — heal up on the beat. |
Flame (B→A) and Cure (Down) are the two spell inputs confirmed in June 2026 hands-on previews. Beatspell's full spell list has not been published — these are the confirmed examples, not the complete set.
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