Ripple — water drops, ripples and pentatonic chimes

Ripple is a water ripple simulator and a minimal sound pond. Each tap drops a virtual stone. The ripple spreads in concentric circles and plays a note from the pentatonic scale: top = high, bottom = low. When two ripples cross, they interfere and a bright flash appears at the intersection.

How to play

Click or tap anywhere on the pond. A drop falls, a ripple is born, a note rings out. Space the drops for long breaths, or chain them to build a harmonic drone. The sound uses a PluckSynth (plucked string) with reverb and delay for an aquatic grain.

Why it's satisfying

Water rising and settling is one of the most calming sights we know. Pairing it with the pentatonic scale (always in tune, never dissonant) creates a meditative feedback loop — each click is rewarded visually and musically, with no score pressure.

The idea behind it

Ripples spread at the same speed in every direction, so each drop draws a growing circle. Where two ripples meet, their heights simply add up: crest on crest makes a higher crest, crest on trough cancels out. That is interference, the same effect Thomas Young used in 1801 to show that light is a wave. The pentatonic scale is a five-note scale with no half steps, which is why any notes from it sound fine together, whatever order you tap them in.

About

Ripple is part of Alcy, a collection of fifty free contemplative micro-games in your browser. If you like meditative audio, try Bubble Pop (musical bubbles), Pluck (harmonic strings), Chime (wind chimes) and Loop Maker (orbital voices).