The 20 Best Musical Games Of All Time

Crypt of the NecroDancer

A game that managed to jump from the underground indie scene to mainstream popularity due to its curious gameplay is Crypt of the NecroDancer. Imagine the classic pixelated adventure of entering a dungeon, killing monsters, and finding treasures. And the twist? Well, you can only move and attack in sync with the beat, just like all the creatures. And if you can't control your rhythm, be prepared to suffer the consequences... | © Brace Yourself Games

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

Do you remember the good times of TellTale games, like The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us? Well, imagine a visual narrative where your decisions impact not only the story but also the musical. Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is all about coexisting with Greek gods in the modern world while expressing the situation through a song. | © Humble Games

Wandersong

Nothing says "using the power of music" like taking on the role of a bard. Wandersong is an adorable, colorful adventure where you face an entire world without weapons or spells, your only means of defense being your powerful vocal cords. | © Greg Lobanov

Muse Dash

Muse Dash is a classic rhythm game where you control very kawaii characters to make them jump and hit musical notes to the beat of a song. Its large number of expansions will ensure you never get bored and promises to have the perfect jam for you. | © hasuhasu

No Straight Roads

With aesthetics, character design, and even gameplay reminiscent of Psychonauts, No Straight Roads tells the story of a two-person band using the power of rock to fight against big record corporations. And when I say using the power of rock, I mean it literally, as enemies deal and receive damage to the beat. | © Fireshine Games

Beat Saber

One of the most popular titles on our list has to be Beat Saber, which once dominated VR (and maybe still does). The concept is simple: use your katanas to destroy elements to the rhythm of the music. The best part is that it is so customizable that you can use any song to play. I can imagine more than one sweat using Through the Fire and the Flames by DragonForce... | © Beat Games

Sayonara Wild Hearts

One of the rarest and coolest titles to try is Sayonara Wild Hearts. Yes, it's an expensive game considering how short it is. But is it worth it? Absolutely! It's all about being part of the most dramatic, romantic, and musical biker gang in the industry. | © Annapurna Interactive

Rhythm Doctor

When we think of the word beat, we can't help but think of the pulsing of the heart. And as any good first aid instructor will tell you, you have to do it following a pattern. It was natural for someone to create a game where you are a doctor and have to heal your patients to the rhythm of the music. Does it sound simple? Try it then, and I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised. | © 7th Beat Games

Everhood

Imagine a scenario similar to the neck of a guitar, much like Guitar Hero, but with your character and enemies on top. Everhood is all about dodging the notes that enemies throw at you while playing a song, waiting for the right moment to give them a taste of their own tune. | © Foreign Gnomes

BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE

There are people who can hear any sound and turn it into music, and the creators of BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE decided to do this with the shooter genre. Imagine mowing down waves of enemies to the rhythm of the music, but unlike similar titles with brutal OSTs like Doom, in BPM, it’s the sound of gunshots, reloading, and projectile bursts that generate the music. | © Awe Interactive

Project Arrhythmia

One of the most beautiful and difficult games (maybe even the Dark Souls of musical games) on this list is Project Arrhythmia. Dodging in a bullet hell is already hard, but doing it to the rhythm of a song? Impossible... unless you're ready for a true challenge. Oh, and it also has an intriguing backstory, giving us the incentive to pass levels that will eliminate us over and over again. | © Top Hat Studios, Inc.

Just Shapes & Beats

Do you want more challenging games where you dodge musical notes to the rhythm of a song, but you don’t want to keep suffering alone? Just Shapes & Beats is all about dodging even literal sound waves, but this time with a friend who is ready to console you after trying the same level dozens of times. | © Berzerk Studio

Thumper

Psychedelic, hellish, and brutal. Thumper is all about dodging to the rhythm of the music to reach the finish line, but what makes it stand out is its visual aspect and phenomenal soundtrack. Although it is a bit short, it is enough to leave a lasting impression on your mind and might give you mental scrapes on your knees. Perfect for adrenaline junkies! | © Drool

UNBEATABLE [white label]

Am I recommending a game that hasn't been released yet? Well, yes and no. We are still waiting for UNBEATABLE, but its alternate story, UNBEATABLE [white label], is a free sample of what's to come. Including a DLC that further expands the repertoire of songs, this "demo" gives us a taste of the fantastic animation and band battles that await us in the future... or rather, that we already have in the present. | © D-CELL GAMES

ROBOBEAT

Imagine someone played BPM, but instead of using heavy rock or metal, they decided to use techno and electronic music. Imagine that Tron synthwave, and in fact, the same cyber world, where you keep the tempo with the sound produced by your weapons and the disintegration of your enemies. Very addictive! | © Kwalee

AudioSurf

We have to pay homage to the OG rhythm games, and none have stolen our hearts as much as AudioSurf. Think of tracks that are not just musical but also racing tracks, where every obstacle is a musical note. Impossible for those just looking for a race, but not for those who follow the rhythm of the music. | © Dylan Fitterer

DJMAX RESPECT V

If we have to recommend a game from this acclaimed franchise, we have to go with the most updated and superior of them all. DJMAX RESPECT V features some crazy collaborations, including Riot Games' "Get Jinxed." It's all about hitting the notes at the right time, very similar to Rockband, but with many DLCs that will take your hours of play to triple digits. | © NEOWIZ

Pistol Whip

What Pistol Whip does excellently is combine the shooter system with the rhythm of games like BPM and bring it into the VR world. While its concept is more than the sum of all the elements within the game, the execution creates an experience of pure fun that will have you hooked for hours inside your headset. | © Cloudhead Games Ltd.

PaRappa the Rapper

Although Sony usually produces more iconic characters and games, PaRappa the Rapper has a special place in my heart. It's a short and simple game about following the lyrics of different rap masters to create the perfect verse, but the charm of its characters and world makes PaRappa iconic. It's no wonder that those who had the luck to play it love the flow of this little dog. | © Sony

osu!

Lastly, I want to recommend a weird little game that isn't on any specific platform and is completely free, but loved and respected by all hardcore players of rhythm-based obstacle-dodging games. osu! is a passion project that has endured over the years and has been the entry point for more than one player into the high-tier community of this genre. | © osu! development team