If you’ve spent any time in the rhythm game world lately, you know the feeling of hitting a wall. You’ve cleared every Master difficulty song in Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku. You’ve Full Combo’d "Disappearance of Hatsune Miku." Now what? For a huge chunk of the player base, the answer isn't waiting for the next event. It’s making their own levels. Using a Project Sekai chart maker has turned from a niche hobby into a full-blown subculture where fans are basically out-charting the official developers at Sega and Craft Egg.
It’s honestly wild how far this has come. Back in the day, if you wanted to make a rhythm game map, you needed to be some kind of coding wizard or have a PhD in file structures. Not anymore.
What Is a Project Sekai Chart Maker Anyway?
Basically, it’s a fan-made tool that lets you take any song you want—usually an MP3 or OGG file—and place those familiar flick notes, hold notes, and taps onto a timeline. The most famous one is Sonolus, but it's more of an engine. The actual "making" happens in editors like Ched or specialized web-based tools that mimic the game's actual physics.
Why do people do it? Because the official game is limited by what songs they can license. You’re never going to see a 300 BPM death metal track in the official global release. But with a custom chart maker? You can map your favorite obscure Vocaloid deep cuts or even meme songs.
The learning curve is steep. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It isn't just about placing notes where the beat is; it's about flow. If you place a flick note to the left and immediately follow it with a tap on the far right, you’re creating what the community calls "staircase hell" or "unplayable garbage." You’ve gotta think about finger placement and how a human hand actually moves across a phone screen.
The Tools of the Trade: From Ched to Bestdori
Most "charters" (that’s what the creators call themselves) started with Ched. It’s an open-source MIDI-style editor originally designed for Chunithm, another Sega rhythm game. Since Project Sekai shares a lot of DNA with Chunithm, the charts are remarkably similar.
However, we’ve seen a shift toward more accessible platforms. Bestdori is a huge name here. While it started for BanG Dream! Girls Band Party, it has evolved into a massive repository for fan-made charts across various games. You can literally browse thousands of custom Project Sekai-style maps there.
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Then there’s the technical side. You can't just play these in the official app. That’s where Sonolus comes in. It’s a "Mobile Rhythm Game Simulator" that can replicate the engine of Project Sekai (and others like pjsekai). It’s lightweight. It’s fast. And most importantly, it lets you test your creations instantly.
Why the "Fan-Made" Vibe is Winning
Some of these custom charts are genuinely better than the official ones. I know, hot take. But hear me out. Official developers have to cater to everyone from "casual thumb players" to "pro tablet players." Fan creators don't care about that. They can make a chart specifically for people who want to suffer.
Look at the "Append" difficulty that Sega recently added. That was largely a response to the community's desire for multi-finger gameplay, something that fan-made Project Sekai chart maker enthusiasts had been experimenting with for years before it became official.
How to Not Make a Terrible Chart
If you’re thinking about jumping in, avoid the "Expert Trap." This is where a beginner thinks that "harder" means "better." It doesn't. A good chart tells a story with the music.
- Listen to the percussion: If there’s a snare hit, there should probably be a note.
- The "Ghost" Note: Sometimes the most important note is the one you don't place. Leaving space for the player to breathe is key.
- Flick Direction: If the melody is rising, flick up. If it’s a sharp transition, flick out. It’s intuitive.
- Check your BPM: If your offset is off by even 10 milliseconds, the whole thing feels like a laggy mess.
I've seen so many people spend ten hours on a map only to realize the song's BPM fluctuates, and they didn't use a variable timing map. It’s heartbreaking. Use a tool like MixMeister BPM Analyzer or even just tap it out in Audacity before you start placing notes.
The Legal Gray Area Nobody Wants to Talk About
Look, we have to be real here. Using a Project Sekai chart maker involves using music you probably don't own. Sega and Colorful Palette have been pretty chill about it so far, mostly because it keeps the hardcore fans engaged. But this is why you don't see these tools on the official App Store.
Sonolus, for example, is often distributed via TestFlight on iOS or direct APK downloads on Android. It exists in this weird space where it's a "simulator," not a pirate tool. As long as people aren't charging money for custom charts, the industry generally looks the other way.
Community and Feedback Loops
The best place to learn is Discord. There are servers dedicated entirely to "charting" where you can post a video of your map and get roasted—I mean, receive "constructive criticism"—by veteran editors.
They'll point out things you didn't even notice. "Your lanes are too narrow for this tempo." "That hold note ends on a weird off-beat." "This pattern is physically impossible for thumb players." It’s a rigorous process. But when you finally see a YouTuber like Airi or Kira play a custom chart you made? That’s the peak.
Why Accuracy Matters in Charting
There’s a technical term called "NPS" or Notes Per Second. In a professional Project Sekai chart maker environment, you’re constantly balancing NPS against the song’s intensity.
If you’re mapping a slow, emotional ballad like "Nightly Tomorrow" and you’ve got an NPS of 12, you’ve failed. You’re over-charting. Conversely, if you’re doing a "Gigantic O.T.N" remix and the NPS is 4, it feels boring. The chart is an extension of the music's soul.
It's also about visual aesthetics. The "trace" notes—those long, winding green hold notes—can be used to literally draw shapes on the screen. Some creators make hearts, stars, or even spell out words. It’s purely visual and doesn't affect gameplay much, but it shows a level of polish that separates the pros from the amateurs.
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Technical Barriers and How to Smash Them
So, you’ve got your song. You’ve got your editor. You’ve got your coffee.
The biggest hurdle for most people is the Chart Format. Most tools export to a .sus file or a .json. Project Sekai uses a specific internal format that needs to be converted if you're trying to inject it into certain simulators.
If you're using a web-based Project Sekai chart maker, most of this is handled for you. But if you're going the "Pro" route with Ched, you’ll need a converter script. These are usually found on GitHub. Search for "sus2sekai" or similar repositories. Just be careful with what you download; stick to the ones with high stars and active contributors.
The Evolution of the "Chart Maker" Scene
In the early days (2020-2021), charts were simple. They were basically just clones of the Hard or Expert levels. Now, we’re seeing "Technical Charts" that use gimmicks. Notes that disappear, lanes that move, and speed changes that mimic the "BPM gimmicks" found in games like Maimai or Arcaea.
This is where the community is headed. We aren't just making levels anymore; we're pushing the limits of what a mobile rhythm game engine can even do.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Charters
Ready to start? Don't just dive into a 5-minute song. You'll burn out.
- Start with a "TV Size" track: Pick a song that’s 90 seconds or less. It’s manageable.
- Pick your tool: If you're on a PC, get Ched. If you want something quick and browser-based, search for Sekai Best Chart Editor.
- Learn the "Snap": Set your grid to 1/4 or 1/8 beats. Never place notes "freehand" unless you want your chart to feel like it’s stuttering.
- The Playtest Rule: If you can’t pass your own chart (even with "No Fail" on), it probably needs more work. You don't have to be a pro, but you need to understand the physical toll of the movements.
- Join the Sonolus Discord: This is the hub. It’s where the most updated "servers" (which host the custom charts) are shared.
- Study the Masters: Open an official Master-level chart in your editor. Look at how they handle transitions. Notice how they use flick notes to reset the player's hand position. It’s the best free education you’ll get.
Making a chart is a labor of love. It’s frustrating. You’ll spend three hours trying to get one three-second "trill" to feel right. But when the notes align perfectly with the music, and you feel that "rhythm" in your soul? Nothing else in gaming quite matches it.
Start small. Focus on the beat. Don't be afraid to delete everything and start over if the "flow" isn't there. The community is always looking for the next legendary charter, and with the right Project Sekai chart maker setup, that could easily be you.
Get your audio file ready, set your BPM, and start snapping those notes to the grid. The virtual stage is waiting.
Next Steps for Success:
Download the Ched editor and a sample .sus file to see how official-style patterns are structured. Once you've mapped your first 30 seconds, export it and run it through a Sonolus server to test the touch sensitivity and visual timing before committing to a full-length song.