I don't write too many reviews, but I had to jump in here after seeing all the negative reviews. Guys, the name of the game is "FourChords Guitar Karaoke." 4 chords and karaoke, basically. Who would possibly think that this would involve anything other than simple guitar chords to sing along with? Honestly, who would think that from the title?

The game delivers exactly what it promises. Some songs are more fun simply because beginner chords and strumming along actually sounds like the tune. Other songs, not so much. In either case, the game delivers what it promises. The chords are way too easy for me. I play Rocksmith all the time.

However, sometimes I just want to sing and play around with my acoustic. This game is perfect for that. Just think of having fun and relaxing.

OK here goes, As an avid rocksmtih fan I was not really expecting much from this but I have to say I absolutly love it. The reason is just its simplicity and it is ideal for those times I just want to grab my accoustic and play a bit without setting up cables and alike.

If you are a fan of Justin Sandercoe then simply I think you will love this and it has the one thing rocksmith is missing which is what I would describe as campfire type playing.

I don't normaly do revues but this just seemed to tick all the right boxes for me.

This piece of software provides no feedback to tell you if you are playing correctly. The basic functionality is barely more than Fender's free website. I would recommend Rocksmith 2014 over this

This is all about learning a handful of chords and using those chords to play a whole lot of songs. There are no riffs or any complicated stuff so it's really ideal for anybody just starting on guitar. The app shows you how to position your fingers to produce the sound of a specific chord and when to play that chord as the song goes on. The app also shows how to put some rhythm in your playing by strumming.

Now, before i bought this, i knew most of the "Basic" chords and can play some of the songs already. I had no idea there are stuff like strumming patterns for creating a specific rhythm. I've always thought guitar players just make up the rhythm as they go along, but there are lots of different patterns that each produce a very distinct rhythmic feel. The app lets you practice these in a separate popup view while showing when to strum up or down.

What really got me going is the "Pro" chords mode, where you play the same songs using slightly different versions of the chords. At first i thought that pro chords are more difficult chords, but they're actually just a bit different and you don't need like 6 fingers to play them. It's difficult to describe exactly what a pro chord sounds like, but playing Sweet Child O' Mine first with just the basic chords and then, in pro chords mode, hitting the special chords every once in a while, really puts you in there. I also learned Suzanne Vega's Luka and was pretty amazed by how you can switch from chord to another simply by lifting a finger or pressing one and play through the whole song like that. It's actually easier than with the basic chords, once you memorize the the pro versions for the 3 of the 4 chords used in that song. This is great stuff!

There are many other features i haven't gotten too deep into yet. One thing i just found is the ability to hide all songs that contain chords i don't like to play. This is cool as there are some chords i can't seem to get comfortable with. Not yet sure how i'm going to use that - is that a bit like cheating? Anyways i suppose it's a great help if you're just learning the basics.

It's really nice to play along the backing instruments. The app plays guitar too, which is ok so you get a better idea of how you're supposed to play the song, but i recommend you turn that off as soon as you get the hang of it, as it's pretty amazing to fill in the guitar with your own playing.

updated DEC 2016 waaaaaaaay over priced for extra songs ;-(
Added strum traner Nice .

Its fun but I am not a beginner.
Runs great and stays in time :thumsup:
Its not bad but not really a learning thing its just what it says it is karaoke.
The stumming thing takes you to Justinguitar for his lessons on strumming in the APP but goes nowhere here right now.
Yea. Justin

Would be worth the price if you got to pick the the 100 songs from their 1500 +song bank in the app.
I could not find how much or where to get additional songs from.
If I could pick my own 100 starting song book I would pay 20$ for this.
They do a good job explaining the APP in their"About this game"
But its Just an app despite being able to use it on you PC
But hey Justin Recomends it so who am I ;-)

Till the Pricing thing is sorted out.and made available.
I really cant recommend it right now.
Was gonna refund But ill keep it and see where it go's
Just because Justin has gave a lot to the guitar and music community

I got no answer from the DEV on pricing.
I played the android free version it is the same but you get no free songs and is 35.00 a year at 40% off right now or 4.99 a mo. kinda steep IMO. So lets hope they dont go that way
There is no real instraments or sounds all electronically generated.<Not a

thankfully Steam lets you return stuff now. I tried this, played about 5 or 6 songs and every one of the was wrong. The Judas Priest stuff that's in there isn't even remotely close. Plus you will not learn actual riffs for songs that anyone would recognize, only a highly simplified version of the song. If you don't need acuracy and you don't care about playing a song that anyone would actually acknowledge as the song you're playing then this game may be for you. If you actually want to play real music that your friends will recognise maybe look at rocksmith.

In defense of FourChords...

Firstly: Everyone is comparing this with Rocksmith and in all honesty that's somewhat unfair when you consider the fact that a multi-million (Billion?) dollar company (Ubisoft) produced that game. The reason I say it's unfair is because this game has something that the other one hasn't and that's charm.
Rocksmith is like the trainer who says, "Do 60 push ups and you'll eventually be an athlete".
FourChords is like the friend who says, "Do 20 push ups and I'll pay for the pizza".

Secondly: After a long day or a tough workout, I don't want to see a complicated layout showing the exact pattern of how to play a song. No, I just want to strum along with the chords I already know and this game does that. Sometimes you have to "Downgrade" your skills to experience the magic in music and this is what FourChords does.

My point is, Rocksmith can be intimidating with all its features and that affects the passion you have for something. FourChords doesn't ask anything, play a song and switch chords until you strum something that sounds somewhat like the song you want to play.

Cons
*The same background image of the girl holding the guitar, maybe add some creativity/animations to motivate the player.
*It doesn't have a feature where it can detect your chords, it has a strange point system which says, "I don't even know how you played but I'll pling your points anyway"...PLING!..."You're a Level 2 Amateur Club Rocker!".
*Computer generated music, it's not the original songs that you strum to so it might turn you off when it comes to sound quality. (Note: This is a pro also)

Pros
*The computer generated tones helps with strumming, playing along with skilled guitarists will mask your own faults and cause sloppy muscle memory.
*The straightforwardness makes you play songs without much effort, which is the reason we start playing guitar in the first place. Counter this with Rocksmith and you practice more than you play.
*Its charm makes me want to strum along with the guitar, giving it this organic feel with a variety of strumming patterns. (Which leads to the most important aspect)
*When it comes to learning rhythm then it beats Rocksmith by a landslide because you don't play to rack up points, hoping it will detect the sound. You listen to your strumming so that your beat is on point.

In conclusion, if you just want to become the guy who can strum a guitar around the fireplace then you don't have to know how to play 'Thunderstruck'. There's no need for that when it comes to the average Joe, you're still just as charming with a few basic chords and proper rhythm.

P.S. Don't use it to play charaoke with your family, the cringe caused by such an event will lead to the forming of an awkward black hole implosion, possibly causing the death of humanity as we know it.

Initially I was torn between FCGK and Justin Ssndercoe's version on Android and Apple. Justin is undoubtedly one of the best on-line guitar teachers out there today. Much of what he offers is free and I wholly recommend his site and app to any beginner who is serious about playing guitar.

For FCGK, you should be a wee bit further along than at the absolute beginnery stage - that's not to say a beginner can't learn from this software. I would rate myself somewhere between beginner and intermediate. I have my open chord changes down pat and can move quickly between chords. I can play a handful of barre chords and I'm working on the scales. Strumming is coming along nicely and I rarely drop my pick anymore!

At my modest level, the app is fun and enjoyable. It's easy to jump right in and start playing straight away. No need for any cables or amplifiers. The app does not hear you play so no judging performance. It's karaoke! Your family, friends, neighbors, and pets may be more judgemental.

The overall song selection isn't particularly my cup of tea - I'm more of an "oldies" guy.

Aside from the basic chords, the app also provides the choice to use pro-chords which are aimed at an intermediate player. The tempo can be slowed down so you can practice the chords changes then speed up as you become more fluent. Another nice touch is the app provides strumming patterns that you can incorporate into your practice and playing.

FCGK does not provide a "tuner" but again this is a karaoke app. Justin Sandercoe's version of this app does feature a tuner and it works quite well. There are guitar tuner apps a-plenty on Android and Apple.

The backing instruments sound like the band that played at the Holiday Inn, but hey it's karaoke. You're not getting Keith Richards here. Since I don't have jam-buddies, I at least have something I can play along with.

I play along with FCGK using an electric guitar plugged into a Yamaha THR modeling practice amp. The Yammy is 10 watts and will run off the wall or off batteries. It gets plenty loud and has plenty of features that allow for noodling with the sound output of my guitar. Play with an acoustic if you're short on the jingles.

The Steam Link may let you take your karaoke out-of-the-closet and on-the-road to the living room! (Update: 7/11/17: FCGK does indeed work with Steam Link however I'd recommend a "hard-wired" setup. The distance between the Steam Link and my router is too great to go "wireless").

Overall I'd give this app five out of five guitar picks for ease of use, simplicity and most of all FUN. Please check out Justin's version on Android and Apple as well. I plan to purchase his app too because I want to support his work and Justin's app features some training techinques you won't find here. Plus the rumor is Justin plans to tweak his version which may include more intermediate instruction next year.

Guys I have been playing guitar since I was 14 I am now 59 I have loads of guitars and equipment but this just hit the spot!
So simple but just a go to smile experience. Wish it was around when I was 14 ....... so if you are just play :)

This is a fun game that is great to teach you cords. For me it is the only time that I use my amp as I typically play Rocksmith. This is also nice if you like Karaoke or with multiple people at the same time. I have a friend with an acoustic guitar who wants to learn how to play it and I will use this game to get him started. Good price point and a lot of DLC available. Understanding what this game is and not trying to be it is just wonderful. My only complaint is that they should be focusing on traditional, classic acoustic music as those songs would really make this game stand out more.