The Most Effective Video Game Soundtracks

Whether you love a simple soundtrack with a pared-back theme tune or a complex orchestral soundtrack that stands up to individual listening, the chances are there’s a video game soundtrack that you love.

We’re going to dive into some of the most effective video game soundtracks ever written.

Some are classics, some are more modern, and some might even surprise you. So, let’s hop to it.

Skyrim: Jeremy Soule

If you’ve not yet played the mythical adventure game Skyrim, then I suggest you treat yourself to a copy. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a beautiful video game set in the Nordic wilderness.

You travel throughout the land, encountering dragons as you go. It’s already a deeply immersive game, but the soundtrack only adds to this.

The composer, Jeremy Soule, chose to combine orchestral and choral music to great effect.

This creates a soundtrack that has a vast scale and depth that’s rarely seen in the world of video games.

The Nordic influence is clear, with various Viking influences. So well received was the soundtrack that it was released as a four-disc set in the same year of its release.

Immersive Roulette: Evolution Gaming

The live casino genre is a unique proposition for score designers.

While in some games the music can be slightly chaotic or distracting, this is a genre where it’s paramount that players can concentrate fully.

One of the most popular games in the genre is Evolution Gaming’s Immersive Roulette, which is mentioned as one of the top live casino games in this review by Oddschecker: https://www.oddschecker.com/casino/games/live-casino/live-roulette

This game features a smooth lounge soundtrack, perfect for unwinding and focusing.

Super Mario: Koji Kondo

Even if you’ve never played the games, chances are you know the iconic Super Mario theme tune.

Soundtracks from this generation of video games are particularly captivating because the composers had so little to work with.

At the time, composer Koji Kondo only had the NES platform to work with, which had extremely limited technical abilities.

Simple waveforms and very limited sound channels meant that Kondo had to be creative to come up with a memorable and enjoyable soundtrack.

To do this, he focused on a bright and bouncy tune, integrating the soundtrack seamlessly with the actions of the game.

This paved the way for this style of integration in countless other video games, making this soundtrack and Koji Kondo himself a true pioneer of video game music.

Ori and the Blind Forest: Gareth Coker

If you’re looking for the video game equivalent of a sound bath, then you’ll love Ori and the Blind Forest.

This game is best known for its stunning soundtrack, which was composed by Gareth Coker.

It’s an emotional listen, with a mixture of incredibly serene tracks as well as some more dramatic pieces.

The overwhelming feeling of each section of the video game is mirrored perfectly in the soundtrack.

Like Skyrim, some of the tracks feature an orchestra, but the most captivating feature of the soundtrack has to be the stunning vocal performance by Aeralie Brighton.

Her haunting voice is incredible to listen to, adding an ethereal quality to the music.

The soundtrack was nominated for the BAFTA Game Awards in 2015 thanks to this vocal performance.

Stardew Valley: Eric Barone

It’s rare to see a video game that’s created by one person go on to be a great success, but it’s vanishingly rare to see that happen when the creator also composed all of the music himself.

However, that’s the case with Stardew Valley and its brilliant soundtrack.

Eric Barone is the creator of literally everything in this game. He focused on creating a relaxed, almost meditative soundtrack that has a distinctive melody for each of the four seasons in the game.

The four seasons each have their own distinct feeling, with a still and almost pensive track for winter, a joyful track for summer, and so on.

The ambient sounds that Barone uses in various parts of the game add to the player’s immersion.

You’ll hear birds chirping, bushes of dry leaves rustling, and even waves lapping against the shore.