Impressive visuals are instrumental in making a video game attractive, but sound design is an equally vital component. Sound effects serve as potent tools in establishing a game’s atmosphere, building up its world, infusing emotional depth into its storyline, and ultimately enhancing immersion.
Sometimes, background music is simply so good that gamers take a break to vibe to it – and keep listening long after completing their journey.
Triple-A franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy are known for their masterful scores, but independent studios have been pushing musical boundaries all the same. So, let’s shed light on some indie gems with a remarkable soundtrack.
Card Shark
Card Shark is a witty subversion of the card game genre. This dashing period caper is all about cheating. The story kicks off as a mysterious count enlists a mute tavern boy as his partner in crime, with the singular objective of swindling the aristocracy of 18th-century French society.
As players fleece the pockets of unsuspecting nobles in a string of two-person grifts, their shuffling of the deck and their bending of the cards play out to remastered compositions of classical musicians such as Claude Debussy and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Arranged by award-winning composer Andrea Boccadoro and performed by a live orchestra, these reimagined classics do much to transport players back in time. The use of baroque instruments like cello and violin imbues the story with a historically accurate ambiance.
As Eugene rises from humble taverns to the Palace of Versailles, the score becomes increasingly elaborate and expressive. Funnily enough, this fledgling con artist event meets virtuoso violinist Chevalier de Saint-George, in a clever nod to a real-life figure whose compositions play in the background of this story-rich indie game.
Frostpunk
Frostpunk is a survival city builder set in a frozen wasteland, which leaves players in charge of leading the last bastion of civilization on Earth; a role that implies some heavy choices, lest citizens succumb to the icy grip or rebel against authority.
To ensure your community lives to see another day, you must develop essential infrastructure, make sure vital resources are collected and distributed evenly, research more efficient systems to implement, and keep heaters running at all costs.
To complement its gripping steampunk visuals, Frostpunk uses strategic sound design to increase tension as temperatures plummet or life-and-death decisions arise. Notably, an ominous cracking and rumbling sound signals the enactment of pivotal yet morally agonizing laws that shape the colony’s destiny.
As the game nears its end, the music gets even more intense to illustrate the dread, with tracks like The City Must Survive making abundantly clear what’s at stake. Fans of this strategy game can brace for a new chilly impact this year, as the release date of Frostpunk 2 has just been announced.
Hades
Hades is a roguelike action RPG that follows Prince Zagreus, son of Hades, in his attempt to escape the Greek Underworld and reunite with his mortal mother.
Composer Darren Korb selected ancient Ottoman instruments like the bağlama and Greek instruments such as the bouzouki to craft a score imbued with a distinctively Greek feel, albeit with an electrifying metal twist as electric guitar riffs and dynamic synth get gamers pumped at every turn.
Korb achieves an electrifying fusion perfectly suited to Zagreus’ adrenaline-fueled quest. These instrumental tracks get increasingly epic as players get closer to Mount Olympus, culminating in a climactic final boss battle against the god of the dead.
Despite its notorious difficulty, this hack-and-slash game was hailed as an instant classic upon its launch. Arguably, Hades has reignited interest in ancient Greek mythology among gamers from all backgrounds.
Even the iGaming industry took notice, with software developers rolling out Greek-infused slots like Gates of Hades, Hot as Hades, or Realm of Hades all around the world. On top platforms, gamers can browse many more free slots in South Africa.
Thousands of slot machines are readily accessible with a simple click. Exclusive promos and bonuses await newcomers willing to explore Hades’ Inferno and beyond. Additionally, players can have fun on the go with mobile-optimized slots while waiting for Hades II to drop.
Impressive graphics aren’t all there is to a video game, as music can be just as powerful a tool for storytelling. The titles above are only a tiny sample of what a gaming soundtrack can offer. If you’re a music lover, independent games like Cuphead, Undertale, or Stardew Valley might please your ears, too.
