This new video game by independent US studio Holy Wow has created a real buzz online, so much so that its developers are overwhelmed by the success of their creation.

The idea is simple: amateur trombonists just have to slide their mouse up and down to quickly adjust the pitch of their virtual instrument. At the same time, they also have to press various keys on their computer keyboard to match the melody they hear.

At first, it’s not uncommon to miss all the notes. Then, by concentrating better on the music, you really get into the game, and soon start thinking you’re the next Fred Wesley, Daniel Zimmermann or Melba Liston.

Add to that a few puns and jokes about the music, and it appears to be a recipe for success!

Internet users quickly seized on this musical game, which was released on Sept 15 on the Steam platform – so much so that Dan Vecchitto and Jackie Lalli, the two developers behind Holy Wow, say they are overwhelmed by the hype.

“Holy Wow is mostly a one-person operation. And it’s not even our primary gig! We work full-time jobs and built this whole game on nights, weekends and holidays… so, it’s going to take us a few weeks to get our lives in order and deal with the huge demand this game generated,” they said on Twitter.

The gameplay and the almost child-like – if not to say kitschy – graphics of “Trombone Champ” go a long way in explaining why it is so popular with gamers, whether seasoned or not. This phenomenon is not unlike the huge craze around “Guitar Hero” in the 2000s.

And it’s likely that “Trombone Champ” will follow the same destiny as its predecessor. Indeed, Holy Wow is currently working on developing a Mac-compatible version of the game.