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Quickstart

Get osu! up and running quickly and start playing your first beatmap.

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Download and install

1

Choose your platform

Select the appropriate download for your operating system:

Windows

Windows 10+ (x64)

macOS

macOS 12+ (Intel & Apple Silicon)

Linux

Linux x64 AppImage
Mobile versions are also available for iOS (TestFlight) and Android.
2

Run the installer

After downloading, run the installer for your platform:Windows: Run install.exe and follow the installation wizard.macOS: Extract the zip file and drag osu!.app to your Applications folder.Linux: Make the AppImage executable and run it:
chmod +x osu.AppImage
./osu.AppImage
3

Launch osu!

Start osu! for the first time. The game will:
  • Perform initial setup and download required resources
  • Guide you through basic configuration (audio, graphics, input)
  • Prompt you to create or log in to your account
4

Create your account

Sign up for a free osu! account to:
  • Save your scores and statistics
  • Compete on global leaderboards
  • Play multiplayer with others
  • Track your performance over time
You can play offline without an account, but scores won’t be submitted to leaderboards.

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Play your first beatmap

1

Browse beatmaps

Click Play from the main menu to open the song selection screen.If you’re new, you can download beatmaps directly in-game:
  1. Click the Download beatmaps button
  2. Browse or search for songs you like
  3. Click to download and import
2

Select difficulty

Each beatmap has multiple difficulty levels:
  • Easy: Perfect for beginners
  • Normal: Standard difficulty
  • Hard: Challenging gameplay
  • Insane/Expert: For experienced players
Start with an Easy or Normal difficulty to learn the basics.
3

Start playing

Press Enter or click the beatmap to start playing.Basic controls (osu!standard mode):
  • Click circles with Z and X keys (or mouse clicks)
  • Follow sliders by holding down the key
  • Spin spinners by moving your cursor in circles
You can customize key bindings in Settings → Input → Keyboard.
4

View your results

After completing a beatmap, you’ll see your:
  • Score and accuracy
  • Combo count
  • Grade (F, D, C, B, A, S, SS)
  • Performance points (PP) if you’re playing ranked beatmaps
Your score will be submitted to the leaderboard if you’re logged in and playing a ranked map.

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Try different game modes

osu! includes four distinct game modes. Try each one to find your favorite!

osu!standard

Click circles, slide sliders, and spin spinners

osu!taiko

Hit the drum to match the rhythm

osu!catch

Catch falling fruits with your catcher

osu!mania

Press keys when notes reach the judgment line

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Next steps

Installation guide

Detailed platform-specific installation instructions

Game modes

Learn about all four game modes

Beatmaps

Understand beatmap structure and difficulty

Mods

Customize gameplay with modifiers

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Need help?

Join the osu! Discord server for community support, or check out the wiki for detailed guides.

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