It’s simple, music makes video games better. There’s as much excitement around who’ll be on the next EA Sports FC or Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtracks as there is about what new gameplay feature will be added, while the likes of The Legend Of Zelda, Animal Crossing and Final Fantasy have all made great tunes a central pillar of their experience.
Some go even further, with developers crafting entire narratives or shaping the gameplay around sound. It doesn’t matter if it’s your typical, arcade-style rhythm button-masher or a bizarre genre blend, these titles have always acted as a gateway to the wider world of gaming. Below, you’ll find a list of the 15 best music-based video games of all time.
Beat Saber (2018)
There are a lot of reasons to love VR gaming, and Beat Saber is top of that list. A rhythm game that arms you with a pair of lightsabers, Beat Saber encourages players to hack their way through floating blocks in time to anthems from Daft Punk, Queen, Billie Eilish and Green Day. It’s the perfect upgrade to arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution.
Platform: PS5, Oculus Quest, PC
Play this if you enjoy… Star Wars
Brütal Legend (2009)
Sitting somewhere between The Lord Of The Rings and Spinal Tap, Brütal Legend is an action-adventure game that tasks players with saving the world from a mob of demons who want to enslave humanity. Armed with an electric guitar and a wardrobe full of leather, “super roadie” Eddie Riggs heads out on an epic rock & roll adventure. Jack Black voices Eddie, and he’s joined on the cast by a rogues’ gallery of metal legends including Lemmy, Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne.
Platform: PS3, PC, Xbox 360
Play this if you enjoy… guitar solos and headbanging
Crypt Of The NecroDancer (2015)
Rhythm games are pretty flexible in terms of melding them with other styles of gameplay, but for Crypt Of The NecroDancer, Brace Yourself Games really pushed the boundary. Part furious beat-matching game, part roguelike dungeon adventure, Crypt Of The NecroDancer’s tile-hopping battle system revolves entirely around music, making each puzzling encounter a glorious dance-off. An active modding community and continued updates have kept Crypt Of The NecroDancer an essential title.
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Play this if you enjoy... Spotify’s Halloween Essentials playlist
Dance Dance Revolution (1999)
One of the most iconic arcade games ever made, Dance Dance Revolution was a crossover phenomenon that everyone got involved with. The premise was simple enough, with players stamping on a grid in time to the music and occasionally flailing their hands around – but there was real skill needed to make that look remotely cool. The series is still going strong, with Dance Dance Revolution World releasing earlier this year. Fun fact, rockstar DJ Porter Robinson reportedly started making music because of DDR.
Platform: Almost all of them
Play this if you enjoy… working up a sweat
Donkey Konga (2003)
Nintendo has always done things a little differently. While PlayStation and Xbox users were readying themselves for the release of Guitar Hero, Gamecube fans were drumming up a storm in Donkey Konga‘s percussive paradise. Armed with a pair of plastic bongos, players had to tap, slap and hit their way through a library of pop-rock classics as well as iconic scores from across Nintendo’s back catalogue – all while Donkey Kong cheered them on.
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Play this if you enjoy… air-drumming
Fortnite Festival (2023)
After hosting a series of virtual events for some of the biggest names in music, Fortnite launched its own rhythm-based world. Fortnite Festival includes a number of different musical games, while a constantly evolving soundtrack and collaborations with the likes of Metallica, The Weeknd and Coachella has kept the whole thing feeling fresh.
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Play this if you enjoy… the communal chaos of a festival, without the worry of sleeping in a tent
Guitar Hero (2005)
Another breakout game, Guitar Hero empowered players to live out their rock star dreams from the comfort of their own bedrooms. Like most rhythm games, Guitar Hero is built around hitting buttons in time to music – but with a guitar-shaped controller and a catalogue of adrenaline-fuelled anthems, a certain swagger was encouraged. The franchise wound down in 2020, but fans are hoping for a reboot.
Platform: Xbox 360, PC and PS3
Play this if you enjoy… Dragonforce
Hi-Fi Rush (2023)
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based action game in which you take control of “future rock star” Chai. Due to botched experimental surgery, they’ve got a music-player lodged in their chest and can now see the world differently. However, the corporation behind the procedure aren’t happy with how things turned out – and want to cover-up their mistake (using violence if necessary). Cue a musical battle to take down The Man. With a soundtrack featuring Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy, this acclaimed video game is an entertaining masterpiece – and an unlikely sequel might be in the works.
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Play this if you enjoy… raging against the machine
Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory (2020)
The most-recent addition to the beloved Kingdom Hearts franchise, Melody Of Memory features the best of the action role-playing series, but with a rhythmic twist.The soundtrack boasts jazzy, theatrical flourishes as well as plenty of Disney classics, so it’s perfect for newbies and longtime fans.
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One
Play this if you enjoy… Kingdom Hearts’ glorious soundtracks
Metal: Hellsinger (2022)
First-person shooters are known for their brutality, but Metal: Hellsinger really amps it up. Taking inspiration from classic adrenaline-pumper Doom, Metal: Hellsinger tasks players with slaughtering demons in time to a disgustingly heavy soundtrack. Inhouse band Two Feathers worked with everyone from System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian to Trivium’s Matt Heafy on the music. “A joint celebration of metal and arcade shooters, Metal: Hellsinger – to put it simply – shreds,” said our four-star review.
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Play this if you enjoy… brutal riffs and slaying demons
PaRappa The Rapper (1996)
PaRappa The Rapper is an icon. Without this hip-hop loving puppy dog, the rhythm-game genre might never have gotten off the ground and this would be an incredibly short list. As well as breaking new ground, PaRappa is also a straight-up brilliant game. Over six stages, players have to help the funky pup keep in time with the beat to deliver a steady stream of lyrics in order to win the heart of Sunny Funny. There’s also a teacher character who is a sentient onion, but that’s far from the strangest thing in the colourful world of PaRappa.
Platform: PlayStation
Play this if you enjoy… hip-hop bangers
Rock Band (2007)
Building on the success of Guitar Hero, Rock Band added drums, vocals and bass to the instrument pool and created a number of ramshackle living room bands in the process. With a catalogue of over 2000 songs available to shred/drum/screech through, Rock Band offered something for every taste while retaining the giddy joy of nailing a song alongside your mates. The original Rock Band spawned six sequels, with Rock Band 4’s online multiplayer still going strong today
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
Play this if you enjoy… being in a rock band, but don’t have the time to learn an instrument
Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019)
Dreamy arcade game Sayanora Wild Hearts provides a little bit of everything. Giving players the chance to dash about on a skateboard, bust-a-move in dance battles or practise their quick-draw in laser-gun fights, it’s a giddy hodge-podge of different styles, held together with care and a killer soundtrack.
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC
Play this if you enjoy… pop escapism
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (2023)
A musical theatre game about the Gods of ancient Greece is one hell of a sell, and luckily Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical lives up to any and all expectations. With gorgeous graphics, a soaring soundtrack and a whole lot of choice, it’s an enthralling title.
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Play this if you enjoy… the thought of Glee going Greek
Wax Heads (TBC)
A cosy game about running a record store, players have only experienced Wax Heads in demo form but it’s already shaping up to be great. The whole game revolves around the player recommending great music to a series of colourful potential customers, with this puzzler rewarding exquisite taste. Easy, right?
Platform: PC
Play this if you enjoy… BBC Radio 6 Music