Music games cover quite a lot of ground these days. Some are rhythm games where every press of the button matters. Others are games entirely based on popular songs and artists.

If you’re looking for something new to play this year, these are some of the titles worth checking out.

Beat Saber

Beat Saber is still one of the most popular rhythm games available. You slash incoming blocks using virtual sabers while music plays around you. The idea is simple, but some of the songs can get pretty difficult. There are plenty of music packs available, including tracks by artists like Lady Gaga. It’s also one of those rare games where you can tell yourself you’re exercising while playing video games for hours.

Crypt of the NecroDancer

While Crypt of the NecroDancer is a dungeon crawler, everything happens to the beat of the music. Moving, attacking, dodging. Miss the rhythm and things can fall apart pretty quickly. The random dungeon layouts help as well, so every run feels completely different.

Trombone Champ

Not every music game is trying to make you feel like a professional musician. Trombone Champ is mostly about having fun. You’re sliding notes around on a virtual trombone and trying to keep up with the music. Sometimes it sounds good. Most of the time it doesn’t.

Guns N’ Roses

While some games use original soundtracks, others borrow from well-known musicians.

The Guns N’ Roses slot by NetEnt is all about the band. The game includes some of the band’s best-known tracks, including Paradise City, Welcome to the Jungle, November Rain, and Sweet Child O’ Mine. Fans already know every guitar solo, so the soundtrack does most of the work here.

At this point, it feels like almost every successful artist or classic song has become an online slot game, giving fans another way to interact with music they already know by heart.

Danger! High Voltage

Electric Six released Danger! High Voltage back in 2003. If you remember the track, you’ll probably remember the music video as well. The high-volatility slot version brings the same energy. The song plays while the reels spin, and if you’re already a fan of it, that’s probably reason enough to give it a try.

Club Tropicana

Club Tropicana is built around nostalgia, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Wham!’s hit still sounds great decades later. The game knows exactly why people are interested and doesn’t try to overcomplicate things. Sometimes a familiar song is enough, though a 95.07% RTP and a maximum win of 4,000x might also help.

Deadmau5 and Gaming

Deadmau5 has crossed into gaming more than once. The DJ has his own themed online game featuring some of his music and symbols inspired by his famous mask. Fans will recognise it straight away. He’s appeared in DJ Hero 2 and even Goat Simulator, which sounds a bit random but is worth checking out.

A Few More Music Games Worth Trying

There are a few other titles that come up when people talk about music games.

Metal: Hellsinger mixes rhythm mechanics with a fast-paced shooter. Timing still matters, even when things get chaotic.

Geometry Dash is popular because it’s simple. Every jump needs to sync with the soundtrack. Jump at the wrong moment and you’ll have to start over. Then you’ll want to try again immediately.

Thumper is all about speed and pressure. Once it starts moving, it doesn’t slow down much.

Muse Dash keeps things more relaxed. The controls are straightforward, but there are enough tracks and challenges to keep players busy for a long time.

Something for Every Type of Music Fan

Music games come in all sorts of forms now. Some focus on rhythm and precision. Others rely on familiar songs and artists. A few manage to combine both.

From Beat Saber and Crypt of the NecroDancer to Guns N’ Roses, Club Tropicana and Deadmau5, there are plenty of music games worth spending some time with this year.