When we play a game, it doesn’t matter if it’s a AAA game on the console or a mini game on a phone, music is always going to play a significant role. This experience isn’t just about what we see, it’s about what we hear. With this in mind, we wanted to take a moment to appreciate music and talk a little about how it influences our experience of gaming. 

Upping the Ante

One of the most important ways music influences the gaming experience is by building the tone and atmosphere – and in doing so, heightening the tension and upping the ante. This is not only a positive when it comes to engagement, but it can also be beneficial for increasing your focus and win-rate. 

When you’re playing a game of blackjack or online poker, for example, a fair amount of tension is going to be present anyway, but the music only works to boost that suspense by heightening your emotional responses. This in turn can increase your focus, while also making you more aware of the risks at play. 

As the game progresses, faster tempos and shifting melodies can create a sense of urgency, keeping you on edge as the stakes rise, and ensuring your focus remains at the highest level – the more focused you are, the more in the game you feel, which means there’s less chance that you’ll miss a winning opportunity. 

Strengthening Emotions

Has a movie ever made you cry? If you’re anything close to human, the chances are at least one has, and there’s a good chance that music was behind your reaction. It’s long been known that music deepens the emotional impact of key movie moments, and the same can be said for games. In 2024, especially, many AAA games have become more cinematic and ‘film-like’. 

Take Red Dead Redemption 2, for instance. Released in 2018, this game took players on an emotional rollercoaster, culminating in a scene that’s described as the saddest scene in gaming history. The music in the game was crucial for strengthening this emotional reaction – working to mirror the heartache players feel, amplifying the sorrow and leaving a lasting emotional imprint. Just like in a powerful film, the music turned a sad scene into something unforgettable, and far more emotional than it would have been without it.

Building Game Identity

While music is great at upping the ante, building focus, and amplifying emotion, it’s also an important part of what makes certain games iconic. Let’s think back to those old 90s arcade games for a moment. While it’s hard to remember every aspect of those games, one of the things that nearly everyone will remember is the soundtrack. 

Oftentimes, the theme of certain games creates a sense of nostalgia and lasting identity for a game, working to cement it in our minds and become part of the culture. Some soundtracks even gain recognition outside the gaming world, making them a part of pop culture as well as gaming culture, and this just proves how influential they can be for lifting a game up and making it something more than it would have been without it.

Conclusion

The next time you’re playing a game, take a moment to think about the music and what it is doing to enhance your experience. How focused are you? How engaged are you feeling in the game’s storyline and emotional beats – or if it’s an online game, how well are you performing and is the music contributing to that success? Most of the time, you’ll find that music is playing a bigger role than you assumed.  It has steadily become a crucial part of the gaming experience, and long may that continue.