In our article "Music videogames" we talk about music video games, what makes a video game fall into this category and what are its main characteristics. In this article we will learn about the types of music video games and how to recognize them.

It is natural to think that music games should be classified like the music they use, but this is not necessarily accurate since music is classified by the way it is heard and video games should be classified by the way it is played. the way they feel, in other words, for the experience they provide, for their playability.

Without a doubt, the best known and easiest to identify as music games are rhythm games, in which the gameplay (playability) is based on capturing and maintaining the rhythm of the music through player actions. One of the most popular games of this genre is Osu !.

 

Osu!

 

 

Some rhythm games that you can enjoy right now:

Music Puzzle: City Builder on Android

Rhythm Heaven Fever on Wii

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA on PS4

 

Within rhythm games there are also dance games, which also require following the rhythm with actions of the player, but these actions usually simulate dance movements at the same time as sequences of buttons or gestures are followed. They often require special controls and technology to be played, whether by means of motion sensor cameras or arcade machines. One of the most popular games in this genre is Pump it up.

 

Pump it up

 

 

Some dance games that you can enjoy right now:

Dance Rush Stardom on arcade

Bounden on Android, iOS

Dance Central on VR devices

 

Another of the most common types of music games are memory games, whose main objective is to test the memory of the player. These games rely on the rhythm of the music, but they also integrate more elements such as musical notation, tone and volume, sight reading, among others. One of the most popular games in this genre is Fabulous Fred.

 

Fabulous Fred

 

 

Some music memory games that you can enjoy right now:

Music Puzzle: Memory on Android, iOS

Music Crab on Android, iOS

Song Quiz on Smart Speakers

 

For those who prefer to experience music in detail, there are musical puzzles, which consist of making use of the skills to solve problems focused on a musical theme, among the musical puzzles are the challenges of assembling songs based on tracks or fragments or recognizing patterns or musical sequences, among others. One of the most popular games in this genre is Music Puzzle: Jigsaw.

 

Music Puzzle: Jigsaw

 

 

Some music puzzle games that you can enjoy right now:

Music Puzzle: Jigsaw on Android, iOS

Music Puzzle: Talent Hunter on Android, iOS

Music Mash on Amazon Alexa

 

For those whose dream was always to be a music star, simulation games are perfect for this task. In them, it is intended to interpret music from one or more instruments and musical media, either digitally or physically, using special controls. One of the most popular games in this genre is Guitar Hero.

 

Guitar Hero

 

 

Some music simulation games that you can enjoy right now:

Frets on Fire on PC, Mac, Linux (compatible with music controls)

Rocksmith on PC, Mac (compatible with real musical instruments)

Party Pumper on PC and VR devices

 

But if the objective is to create our own music, there are music games that make use of sandbox mechanics in which the user is free to experiment with music and produce their own creations without rules or limits. These musical games with sandbox mechanics are known as freeform. One of the most popular games in this genre is SimTunes.

 

SimTunes

 

 

Some freeform games that you can enjoy right now:

Incredibox on Web, Android, iOS

EXA: The infinite instrument on dispositivos VR

foreverLOOPS on PC

 

The playability of many of the music games is fused with game mechanics of other genres, for which, broadly speaking, music games can be classified into two categories: generative games that allow music to be generated from the gameplay, and reactive games that determine the gameplay from the music.

A popular generative game is Otocky, whose music consists of a base rhythm and is built up from the sounds caused by the player's actions, which provides a synaesthetic experience since no game will have exactly the same music.

 

Otocky

 

 

A popular reactive game is Geometry Dash, in which the levels are designed based on the songs that are played, so each user action must be synchronized to the music to meet the objectives of the game.

 

Geometry Dash

 

 

Another reactive game is Music Puzzle: Slice Elite, which in addition to being a rhythm game when hitting the pieces according to the rhythm of the song, also has elements in the gameplay to be considered an action game when cutting the pieces and dodging those that they should not be cut.

 

Music Puzzle: Slice Elite

 

 

Some popular hybrid games that you can enjoy now:

Just Shapes & Beats on PC

Crypt of the Necrodancer on PC, consoles

Muse Dash on PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch

 

Regarding what you have learned about the influence of music and gameplay in a musical game, now you can know if the games in the last list are generative or reactive.

 

What other options do you know to play with the music? Write to us!