---
key: mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time
type: mechanic
id: phone-microphone--family-time
lang: en
title: 'Time, rhythm and pauses'
summary: >-
  An app uses sound onset, duration and gaps. The player sustains a voice input
  or reproduces a required event sequence.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time.md
aliases:
  - 'Timing, rhythm and pauses'
tags:
  - Phone microphone interactions
  - Mechanics catalog
sourceIds:
  - source-f8d1cacd47b7c58b
  - source-d5b7ed9f3ea34a9b
sources:
  - id: source-f8d1cacd47b7c58b
    title: 'Android: Audio Capture and Input Processing'
    url: 'https://developer.android.com/media/platform/mediarecorder'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-d5b7ed9f3ea34a9b
    title: One Hand Clapping - OHC
    url: 'https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: phone-microphone
    id: family-time
    title: Phone microphone interactions
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/phone-microphone/#family-time'
    categoryIds:
      - section-1
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: 'Timing, rhythm and pauses'
    description: >-
      An app uses sound onset, duration and gaps. The player sustains a voice
      input or reproduces a required event sequence.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/sensor-one-hand-clapping-1.webp
      width: 1280
      height: 720
      game: One Hand Clapping - OHC
      sourceUrl: 'https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple126/v4/f1/c4/ab/f1c4abe8-d24a-e0d7-173d-b2285473fa1a/60ee6b32-9e9f-4eca-ac38-820ffcaaa605_OneHandClapping_Screenshot_02_2208x1242.jpg/1280x1440bb.jpg
      credit: THQ Nordic Mobile GmbH
      rights: >-
        © THQ Nordic Mobile GmbH. Developer-distributed App Store screenshot.
        All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: 'One Hand Clapping: vocal performance follows a target contour'
      alt: 'One Hand Clapping: vocal performance follows a target contour'
      markers:
        - x: 52
          'y': 30
          label: The glowing points define the performance contour
    tips:
      - >-
        Account for microphone latency separately from the gameplay timing
        window.
    examples:
      - title: One Hand Clapping - OHC
        url: 'https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on
  2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are
  preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire
  classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and
  editorial review.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/phone-microphone
---
# Time, rhythm and pauses

id: phone-microphone--family-time
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/phone-microphone--family-time/

An app uses sound onset, duration and gaps. The player sustains a voice input or reproduces a required event sequence.

## At a glance

![One Hand Clapping: vocal performance follows a target contour](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/sensor-one-hand-clapping-1.webp)

[One Hand Clapping - OHC](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4) · © THQ Nordic Mobile GmbH. Developer-distributed App Store screenshot. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. The glowing points define the performance contour

- Account for microphone latency separately from the gameplay timing window.

- [One Hand Clapping - OHC](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4)

## How it works

The moments of beginning, end and intervals between events are estimated. For accurate rhythm, a delay setting is needed.

## Variants

### Variants and applications

<a id="family-time-variants"></a>

- Short and long signal. Signal: Duration of one sound. Application: Jump with a short sound, charge an enhanced jump with a long sound. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-009"></a>
- Number of pulses. Signal: Number of events in the window. Application: Select the first door with one clap, the second with two, the third with three. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-010"></a>
- Rhythmic password. Signal: Sequence of intervals. Application: Open the lock using a familiar knocking pattern. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-011"></a>
- Getting into the share. Signal: Deviation of the beginning of the sound from the beat. Application: Clap or pronounce syllables in a musical game. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-012"></a>
- Tempo as a regulator. Signal: Frequency of repeating events. Application: Accelerate transport with a series of clicks or hits on the table. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-013"></a>
- Pause of a specified length. Signal: Interval between sounds. Application: Allow time before responding to disarm the trap. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-014"></a>
- Reaction on signal. Signal: Time until first response. Application: Check the response with a clap after a flash or sound prompt. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-015"></a>
- Repeat and transform. Signal: Drawing of durations and pauses. Application: Repeat a heard rhythm, play it in reverse or continue the series. Access level: Signal analysis. <a id="variant-mic-016"></a>

## Context and limits

Author's design map for mobile games and interactive applications. 144 techniques in 18 groups, including basic signals, rules and combinations. Applications are design ideas and not a list of released games.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.

- [Android: Audio Capture and Input Processing](https://developer.android.com/media/platform/mediarecorder) (id: source-f8d1cacd47b7c58b)
- [One Hand Clapping - OHC](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-hand-clapping-ohc/id1524426643?uo=4) (id: source-d5b7ed9f3ea34a9b)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors