A piece of music can bring a game's scenery back to mind. Art and sound become distinctive memories when they connect with what you do, rather than only what you watch.
These nine picks focus on that connection. Alongside quiet journeys are busy action games and puzzles. Consider whether you want to linger in a place or move with its music.
Journey
Developer: thatgamecompany · Official / store information
Walk through deserts and ruins, glide over sand, and soar through the journey. Scenery and music help carry each moment. The appeal is the connection between looking at a place and moving through it yourself.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy movement through expansive landscapes
- When to play
- When you want space to absorb scenery and music
Gris
Developer: Nomada Studio · Official / store information
Move through delicate artwork and music, using new abilities to open paths. With little text, animation and surroundings leave room for interpretation. Puzzles and platforming make it a world you move through rather than simply a sequence of images to watch.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy reading emotion through visual expression
- When to play
- When you want to take in quiet art and sound
Abzu
Developer: Giant Squid · Official / store information
Swim through an ocean of fish, ruins, and changing scenery. Creatures moving around you give the setting a sense of life beyond a still image. It is a strong fit when the act of looking around while moving is the experience you want.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy observing marine life and scenery in motion
- When to play
- When you want to feel immersed in an underwater world
Sable
Developer: Shedworks · Official / store information
Travel across stylized deserts on a hoverbike and climb their ruins. Japanese Breakfast's music gives the journey another layer of atmosphere. Moving toward something spotted in the distance becomes time spent appreciating the world as well as exploring it.
- Best for
- Players drawn to distinctive lines and broad fields of color
- When to play
- When you want music alongside a journey toward the horizon
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Developer: Wishes Ultd. / Greg Lobanov / Alexis Dean-Jones / Lena Raine / Madeline Berger / A Shell in the Pit · Official / store information
Add your colors to a monochrome world while painting also powers puzzles. Lena Raine's score accompanies the adventure. Its distinctive pleasure is contributing to what you see, treating each experiment with color as part of playing.
- Best for
- Players who want to add their own marks to a game world
- When to play
- When you want to enjoy painting without chasing a perfect result
Hi-Fi Rush
Developer: Tango Gameworks · Official / store information
Characters, scenery, and combat move with the music. Paying attention to the beat changes how you participate in the presentation. Choose it when you want to act as part of an energetic audiovisual sequence, rather than quietly observe one.
- Best for
- Players drawn to animation and action moving with a beat
- When to play
- When you want to join an energetic audiovisual performance
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Developer: Moon Studios GmbH · Official / store information
Explore a hand-painted world through platforming and action, accompanied by an orchestral score. The small spirit's movement against expansive surroundings is part of the attraction. It suits players who want engaging movement alongside a world to absorb.
- Best for
- Players who want fantasy scenery and involving platforming
- When to play
- When you want to concentrate on an adventure with expansive music
Tetris Effect: Connected
Developer: Monstars Inc. / Resonair / Stage Games · Official / store information
Moving pieces and clearing lines connect with music, backgrounds, and visual effects. The Zone mechanic adds a way to pause falling pieces and plan. Familiar puzzle rules become a framework for actively participating in each stage's changing presentation.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy puzzles connected with sound and visual effects
- When to play
- When you want to focus on a puzzle surrounded by music
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Developer: Simogo · Official / store information
Ride, skate, and fight through changing arcade sequences set to an original pop soundtrack. Chasing scores gives you a way to participate in the music's flow. Choose it for the feeling of moving through a performance rather than lingering in a landscape.
- Best for
- Players who like pop music and rapidly changing visual sequences
- When to play
- When you want to rush through a continuous musical experience
Beauty can come from detailed scenery or from a few carefully chosen lines and colors. Looking at how that presentation connects with play can help you understand your own preferences.
Choose nine games around the scenes and music you remember, and you may find connections across genres. Think about what you were doing in those worlds as well as how they looked.