The best rhythm and musical games for PC that you should play in 2023 – The Full List | LevelUp

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Over the years many rhythm games have been developed, and we probably all remember at least one musical game that captivated us and we played non-stop. Nowadays, there are many well-known titles that many people tend to play frequently, while others try some of the newer titles that are usually very good indies.

There are also the games that give the great challenge of surpassing themselves with tests, which are almost impossible for most players, but somehow manage to be overcome by many.

One Hand Clapping

There is a wide variety of rhythm games, we can find titles that opt for unique gameplay, others bring a beautiful art style with a good story, and others give us a complex and entertaining gameplay style that gives us a great sense of immersion. Some create a set of songs by themselves and resonate with a large part of the community.

This category of video games is very wide and unique, and that’s why we want to bring you a wide selection of rhythm and musical titles for you to try during 2023. As a recommendation, you can save this article in your favorites to come back later in the year and check which games you haven’t finished yet.

Free-to-play titles

Some of the most popular games that have been played very frequently by the community have been free games. You may already know some of them but here we bring you 4 titles that you can’t miss:

Unbeatable

An indie title released May 7, 2021, provides a similar gameplay to Muse Dash and is possibly more complicated. It has a beautiful art style and an immersive story.

Osu!

It is one of the most-played rhythm games worldwide so you may have heard about it before. This rhythm game is very user-friendly. You can play it with your all-time favorite songs -if available- and you can always play at your own pace.

Friday Night Funkin’

This cartoon rhythm gaming excellence is so popular that 58,561 backers pledged $2,247,641 to help bring “Friday Night Funkin’: The Full Ass Game.” You can still play the free version on Newgrounds and then get to play the full game version in the future if you liked it.

Titles that must be purchased

The vast majority of titles in this category require purchase, nonetheless, some have a very affordable cost, while others may be better with a discount. Some have a demo available, so you can try them first and know with confidence if you want to buy them. Don’t forget to take a look at each title and save the ones that catch your eye to your wish list:

Muse Dash

This one gets discounts very often, so it might be easy to acquire it any time at a comfortable price. You only need to use two keys to play it, so it all depends on how much you get to master the game and even get to pass all songs with the highest difficulty.

A Dance of Fire and Ice

As stated on Steam’s page, “A Dance of Fire and Ice is a strict rhythm game. Keep your focus as you guide two orbiting planets along a winding path without breaking their perfect equilibrium.”

This title may be slightly difficult for new players that are starting into rhythm games, so it is recommended to play the demo before you buy it.

Super Hexagon

This is a minimal action game by Terry Cavanagh, with music by Chipzel. This is a classic indie game that is focused on surviving while non-spot figures come your way. If you stay still for a second, you lose.

Rhythm Doctor

With overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews, Rhythm Doctor is a game in which you heal patients by defibrillating in time to their heartbeats. Its pixel art is great and gives a vibe to classic games of the Super Nintendo era.

Everhood

This title takes inspiration from well-known indie Undertale and turned it into a fighting RPG where instead of hitting the right notes, you must evade them.

Trombone Champ

Another game with overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews. The Steam page describes it as “the world’s first trombone-based rhythm music game. Unlike most music games, you can freely play any note at any time. You’re not just following along with the music, you’re actually playing the music!”

One hand clapping

This beautiful title is unique in the sense that you need to sing or hum to the microphone so you can solve 2D puzzles while finding confidence in your voice.

Melatonin

“Melatonin is a rhythm game about dreams and reality merging together. It uses animations and sound cues to keep you on beat without any intimidating overlays or interfaces.” It also has hand-drawn beautiful art that makes it stand out from other similar rhythm games.

Just Shapes & Beats

The game developer Berzerk Studio already explains it perfectly. It “is a chaotic co-op musical bullet-hell based on three simple things: avoid Shapes, move to the kick-ass Beats, and die, repeatedly.”

Crypt of the NecroDancer

As said on the Steam page, “Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award-winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Move on the beat to navigate an ever-changing dungeon while battling dancing skeletons, zombies, dragons, and more.”

Rocksmith 2014 Edition – Remastered

Over three million people have learned to play guitar with the award-winning Rocksmith method that the title provides. This one is perfect if you have a guitar and still don’t know how to play your favorite songs.

No Straight Roads: Encore Edition

This game brings a stunning art style and mixes it with a rockin’ action adventure that mashes together rhythm-infused third-person combat with a kick-ass soundtrack!

BPM: Bullets Per Minute

If you like Doom-like games, BPM is a must-have! “It is a rhythm-action FPS rogue-like where you must shoot, jump and dodge to the beat of an epic rock soundtrack.”

Thumper

In Thumper you are a space beetle that travels through a “hellish void and confronts a maniacal giant head from the future.” Everything with the help of the rhythm.

Metal: Hellsinger

If you remember the title BPM: Bullets Per Minute mentioned above, it has the same play style with the difference that you must “slay to the rhythm of metal and vengeance on an infernal journey through the eight Hells.”

The feature that makes it more unique is that every track has been created specifically for the game by composer duo Two Feathers, with vocals by metal icons such as Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), and many more.

DJMAX Respect V

The game developers NEOWIZ state that this 2020 installment comes from the critically acclaimed DJMAX rhythm franchise. “Experience tracks from popular artists such as Marshmello, Porter Robinson, and Yukika, exclusive Full HD Music Videos, online multiplayer, new game modes, and more.”

Titles to be released

There are games that we can’t enjoy yet, but most of them will be available during 2023. Remember that some titles have a demo available, which will help you decide if you should buy them. Let’s start now:

Afterlove EP

The game developers at Pikselnesia accurately describe Afterlove EP as “a slice-of-life adventure about love, loss, and music. Explore modern Jakarta as Rama in his journey to learn about himself, create music, find love and come to terms with the loss of his girlfriend Cinta, whose voice still lives on in his head.” It is planned to be launched sometime in 2023.

God of Rock

Modus Studios brings a refreshing play style that combines Street Fighter’s sense of fighting with the rhythm display inspired by the highly acclaimed Guitar Hero series.

Its planned release date is April 18, 2023. And we recently wrote an article covering some of its features and you can read it by clicking here.

Rift of the NecroDancer

If you remember the title Crypt of the NecroDancer listed above, this is its brand-new installment developed by
Brace Yourself Games and Tic Toc Games. “Help Cadence navigate the modern world while repairing the rifts that have torn her life apart. Do rhythmic battle via rift mode, minigames, and boss battles.”

There is no release date announced yet, so be sure to add it to your wishlist to be notified!

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost

This title is a rebuild of the “Touhou Danmaku Kagura” rhythm mobile game. Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost as a stand-alone version with a completely new storyline.

There is no date announced for its release so be sure to add to your wishlist to be notified!

Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets

Rhythm Sprout is an adorable “fast-paced rhythm action with original music and a wacky story mode. Step to the rhythm, fight to the beat, remix levels with modifiers, follow a quirky self-aware story in between.” You can try its demo to discover the amazing and unique gameplay and music it offers. The planned release date is Q1 2023.

Bits & Bops

This amazing title is inspired by the Nintendo DS’s highly acclaimed game Rhythm Heaven Fever. And the Steam page describes it as “a collection of original rhythm mini-games. Featuring over 20 mini-games filled with catchy music, snappy gameplay, and gorgeous, hand-drawn animation.”

It has a demo available in case you want to give it a try. The launch date is yet to be announced.

Gun Jam

If you remember the titles BPM: Bullets Per Minute or Metal: Hellsinger listed above, then Gun Jam could be another “jam” to enjoy. Jaw Drop Games, the game developers, describe it as “a rhythm first-person shooter where the player must shoot to the beat to survive. It features a unique beat-pattern shooting mechanic and firefights synced to the original soundtrack in a vibrant world.”

And don’t worry about choosing the weapons to use within the game, it happens automatically if you hit notes accurately. It also has a demo available in case you want to give it a try. The launch date is yet to be announced.

Personal recommendations

Even though you have reached the end of the list, we would like to also mention some of the titles above that can be considered a must-have in your library. The games are: Unbeatable, One hand clapping, Metal: Hellsinger, God of Rock, Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets, and Bits & Bops

If you want to recommend your all-time favorites, you are welcome to do so in the comments section below!