Best Rhythm Games on PC
Rhythm games have been an enduring, if niche, genre of gaming for decades now, with the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band finding mainstream success in the 2000s and even influencing other genres.
While rhythm games have evolved over the years, incorporating Music into gameplay, it’s also true that many action games and shooters are also rhythm games. Shooters are rhythm games because of how music factors into the gameplay – from the timing of headshots in Counter-Strike to the way Overwatch’s hero skins change based on the music you’re listening to. It’s also worth mentioning that there are several rhythm games that allow you to use your own library of music to personalise your gaming experience. Here’s our list of the best rhythm games for PC.
PaRappa the Rapper
Released back in 1996, PaRappa the Rapper is one of the oldest rhythm games on this list and also one of the best. The game stars a rapping dog who wants to impress his dream girl, Sunny Sugar, by becoming a cool fighter. To help him achieve this, his friends teach him how to fight using rap. It’s a weird and wonderful game that has gained a cult following over the years.
Vib-Ribbon
Vib-Ribbon is a rhythm game developed by SCE Japan Studio and released on the PS3. In the game, players control Ribbon, a pink blob that has a love for music and for its owner, a young girl named Aoto. Aoto has grown distant from Ribbon due to a case of amnesia, but Ribbon’s music is the key to solving their dilemma.
Osu
Osu is one of the most popular rhythm games, and has been around since 2007. Osu is a free-to-play game that has a heavy focus on community-created content. Players can create their own beatmaps and compete against top players’ scores while listening to their own music.
Players can create their own beatmaps and compete on the game’s global leaderboards, or play custom-made charts to their favourite songs. If you have a large music library and are looking for a way to get more use from it, Osu is a good choice.
Malody
Malody is another rhythm game on this list that allows players to create their own music charts. The game, which was released in 2018, has a large community that creates and shares beatmaps of beloved songs. Players can also create their own beatmaps and compete against other players on the game’s global leaderboards.
The game also has a multiplayer mode where you can show off your rhythm gaming skills. If you are looking for something similar, our guide to the best music games is a good place to start.
Beat Hazard
We’re going from one music-based shoot-em-up to another. Beat Hazard is a shoot-em-up game that mixes the best of Rez, Geometry Wars, and Guitar Hero to create something truly unique. As you shoot down enemies, their attacks and the game’s overall speed are affected by the music you play from your own music library.
The sequel, Beat Hazard Ultra, released in 2019 and allows players to stream music through the game instead of using songs from their own music library. Check out our Beat Hazard Ultra review to find out more about this game.
Symphony
Symphony is a shoot-em-up music game that is similar to Beat Hazard. Instead of using your own music collection, Symphony asks you to use weapons from your own music collection to save your music from corruption. As you fight through the game’s levels, you’ll come across corrupted blocks of music that you can destroy using your weapons.
The game has different difficulty levels and a leaderboard that rewards using less powerful weapons. Symphony is a lesser-known music game but is well worth checking out.
Audiosurf
Audiosurf combines aesthetics from music visualizers popular in the 1990s and early 2000s and puts them in a unique, sci-fi-influenced arcade game. Instead of making music the focus of the game, players control a futuristic vehicle as it collects blocks and scores points, with the game using your music library as part of the soundtrack.
With the sequel now available on PlayStation, it’s a good time to look back at the original Audiosurf and see how it stands up to its successor. You can also read our Audiosurf 2 review to get our thoughts on the sequel.
Beat Saber
VR has brought new life to the rhythm genre, with games like Beat Saber finding success in the virtual reality space. Beat Saber is a rhythm game where you wield a lightsaber and slash blocks that match the beat of the music.
