While it may not be the most popular genre compared to shooter, RPG, action-adventure and many others, rhythm games may bring the most positive effects. For example, rhythm games generally focus on dancing or simulated musical instrument performance, requiring players to press or stomp buttons on the screen in a predetermined order.
Therefore, it can provide cognitive benefits such as improved hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills to physical benefits such as improved fitness and coordination. Thus, with the festive period upon us and the year 2023 ending, our team has constructed a listicle regarding the five best rhythm games to play during Christmas and the holiday season.
5 Best Rhythm Games to Play During Christmas and New Years
1) Beat Saber
Starting our list of the best rhythm games is Beat Saber. Since its release in 2018, Beat Saber has taken VR by storm, and it is arguably the most popular VR rhythm experience as it helped bring the fledgling technology into the hearts and hands of many new gamers. However, when it comes to VR gaming, Beat Saber does not push the boundaries of technology as there is no need for a room-scale setup, as you slash blocks of the corresponding colour in the direction the game tells you to, like Star Wars, with nothing happening behind you.
As for the gameplay, Beat Saber is mechanically simple, as you need to hit the right block in the right direction with the right saber, with the incoming blocks colour-coordinated to match the saber. However, season rhythm games experts may find Easy and Normal mode simple, Hard and above really challenges your hand-eye coordination skills. For instance, the barrage of blocks comes at you so fast that you must look two blocks away at the line you are actually swinging to catch up and where the sword should be to hit the block with a swing in the right direction.
In terms of songs, Beat Saber provides players with a variation of original music and tracks, from big-name artists to the game’s own original soundtrack. If you are playing the PC version via Steam or the Oculus Store, you can even input custom songs of your favourite artists and maps using mods or the level editor. All in all, Beat Saber is our top pick in the five best rhythm games, as you can enjoy the experience of VR and battle for the high score with your friends and family when you have your annual festivities gathering.
2) Sayonara Wild Hearts
If you find Beat Saber repetitive, Sayonara Wild Hearts is probably your next best choice, as the game probably provides the most variety in rhythm games. For example, you can experience an entire pop album as an arcade game as you battle against giant wolves, ride motorbikes, and dance battle to the groove of an amazing custom-written pop soundtrack.
Even though the game is short, Sayonara Wild Hearts is immediately entrancing from its opening moments and rarely slows. Players will play as a young woman destined to become a hero after rushing out of her apartment in pursuit of a small fairy-tale creature and pursuing masked villains in cars, through forests, on foot, and even through virtual reality while collecting hearts scattered along the ground with upbeat soundtrack accompanying her through her journey.
Despite Sayonara Wild Hearts not being entirely a rhythm game due to its vibrant imagery, high-speed motorcycle chases, impressively seamless animations, and a pinch of magical girl anime inspirations, it makes it just right to play during the festive period as you will not know what is lurking in the next level like what your Christmas gifts actually are before opening them.
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3) Friday Night Funkin’
Third on our of five best rhythm games is Friday Night Funkin’, a more family-friendly game as the 2020 release has resonated with kids and teenagers alike. For instance, the game’s plot centres on you playing as a character called Boyfriend, who enters rap battles and singing contests in order to win over Girlfriend. To do so, he has to win a series of sing and rap battles and defeat various characters, including his father, an ex-rockstar.
Furthermore, the game resembles Dance Dance Revolution, a footpad music game we usually see in arcades. Although I can only speak for myself, I was too shy to step on the platform and play the game due to my social anxiety and lack of body coordination. Thus, Friday Night Funkin’ is the best replacement I could find on the internet, where I can sit in the comfort of my own chair and time arrow keys to battle strange, otherworldly opponents with charming visual styles and enjoy some truly ear-soothing pieces of music by timing the arrow keys to the right time.
With everything considered, Friday Night Funkin’ is a game all about love and music. Thus, get your family and friends and present this lovely rhythm game as a gift for everyone to enjoy. As Peg Bracken stated: “Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.”
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4) Thumper
Although the festive period is when you relax and enjoy bonding with family and friends, as mentioned in the nominees stated above, you can always spice things up with a little action. Ok, not that little. As the name states, Thumper is one of the best rhythm games to make your hands sweaty and your heart pumping.
Dubbed an immersive rhythm horror experience, it is a fast-paced journey through an abstract hell filled with imaginative cosmic entities and accompanied by loud bass drops, almost terrifying sound effects and dark orchestral music.
While you may ask why we recommend our readers to play such a heart-pumping game, Thumper is surprisingly sophisticated as the game emulates the satisfaction of playing a musical instrument with its input of a one-button scheme, making it extremely easy to pick up and hard to master. Although playing it in VR is arguably a little more unsettling, it is incredibly satisfying when you finally defeat the boss. What is Christmas without a bit of a fright, right?
Also Read: 7 Darkest Indie Games to Play!
5) Metal: Hellsinger
Moving on from the unique taste of horror in Christmas, we have the final nominee in our listicle regarding the five best rhythm games, which is Metal: Hellsinger. As per the name, it is a rhythm game with metal soundtracks. While it may sound not suited for Christmas, there are many famous metal songs played during the festive period, such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Dio with Tony Iommi and many others.
Therefore, we included Metal: Hellsinger, the latest entry and the most well-received in the rhythm FPS genre. Why is it so well-received? It is because the game’s premise is simple enough that you only need to time your attacks to the beat in order to inflict maximum damage on the variety of Hellspawn that want to consume you in your journey through hell, as The Unknown, a human-demonic hybrid on a quest for vengeance that takes you on a journey across the infernal planes.
In addition to the simple gameplay, the pulse-pounding metal soundtracks only get more intense the longer you stay on the beat, and you may experience an enlightening when reaching the lyrical levels. Thus, get your Christmas and New Year’s party on the road with some rock and roll and heavy metal soundtracks from legends like Serj Tankian, Tatiana Shmayluk, and Randy Blythe. If the game’s musical lists cannot satisfy your gang’s cravings, you can also download mods to expand the FPS game’s musical repertoire.
Author’s Note
Although we can go on and make our list longer to include other rhythm games such as Trombone Champ and Lumines: Remastered, we ultimately decide on these five for you, our readers, to try out during the holiday season. However, you can always voice your opinion, whether you agree or disagree on our 5 best rhythm games list, on our Facebook and Instagram, as listicle lists are subjective and are always open to debate.