7 of the Best... Music and Rhythm Games in Dreams

We have a soft spot for rhythm games. There's something so appealing about feeling the music, getting ever closer to that perfect score. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that we can barely even touch a keyboard without playing with the DJ settings.

Either way, it seems our coMmunity also harbour a love for this genre, as the music game section of the Dreamiverse is packed with ridiculously rhythmic experiences for you to enjoy.

There's something for everyone, from chill visualiser experiences, to rhythmic boxing action, and challenging beat based platformers. Whatever takes your fancy, you'll be happy to know that by reading this article you too can become a god of rhythm. Prepare to get your divine groove on with some of the best rhythm games in Dreams!*

*[Disclaimer: you are not guaranteed to get godly powers in any sense from reading this article.]

Musicalum#

by Nicco555 and Computer_Cat

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Musicalum sits somewhere at the intersection of rhythm game, visualiser, and an absolutely banging game kit. That's right: not only is this a fully fledged rhythm game in its own right, but it also includes a full kit for building your own rhythm game creations as well. But whilst the offering to creators is incredibly generous, the game itself is a joy in its own right. Notes fly out from the middle of the screen and by hitting one of the six buttons on the outer ring when it crosses over, you boost your score. It quickly becomes a compulsive high score chasing rhythm game, and it doesn't hurt that the tunes you're jamming along to are fantastic as well. Musicalum features tracks in a variety of musical genres, from electro beats to classical tunes that ya boy Beethoven would be proud of. Nicco555 and Computer_Cat have really gone above and beyond with this creation, featuring smooth yet challenging rhythm gameplay, and music that you'll be humming for days on end - all created in Dreams.

Twin Stick Symphony#

by Enigma_0123

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Twin Stick Symphony is a fiendishly simple concept. Using the two joysticks on your controller, you simply move them around to hit the notes as they come in. Sounds easy, right? Trouble is, moving two different sticks in different directions independently of each other is trickier than it seems, and soon you'll be deep into a blue and red stick nightmare musical equivalent of attempting to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. Who knew that doing two things at once could be so difficult? If you're after a music game that will really test your sense of rhythm, your brain and your coordination, get your thumbs around this one.

Pet Café#

by Mezzyartiist

Estimated playtime: Replayable

If we'd known that running an animal cafe was as simple (and downright adorable) as tossing croissants at hungry cats and dogs, we would have set one up years ago. Nevertheless, Pet Café allows us to live this dream through throwing pastries at pets to the beat. It's your first day on the job at the titular café, and whilst you might expect to be performing monotonous tasks like sweeping up animal fur, and maybe making the odd coffee, it turns out that priority numero uno is keeping those little floofballs well-fed in time with the lo-fi background music. And just as you get to the point where you feel that you've got the knack of feeding cute kittens, the dogs come flying in. The rhythm action here is as simple as pressing a single button, but it's the beautifully stylised cartoon visuals, charming sound effects and stunning colour palette that really make this huggable hospitality sim a standout, cementing it as one of the best music and rhythm games in Dreams.

Beat Runner#

by shadow124900 and Bella_Iris

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Beat Runner is hard. Beat Runner is also very fun. What starts as a gentle-enough objective - running from left to right and jumping in time to the music and obstacles - quickly becomes an intense trial by fire, as you leap and dodge to stop yourself pancaking across the level. Happily, it's also a game that rewards your success and progress, as new layers of soundtrack reveal themselves the longer you stay in the groove. With every section you pass, a new beat gets added to the music, and the rhythmic sprint gets more intense. It immediately becomes a one-more-go endless loop of running, jumping, and dying as you get closer and closer to each finish line - and the combinations for levels quickly become fiendishly tricky. And who knows? Maybe, unlike us, you'll actually be able to get past the first level.

JAM with 1 Button#

by Elca_Gaming

Estimated playtime: Replayable

This really is a classic case of 'does what it says on the tin' - JAM with 1 Button finds its place as one of the best rhythm games in Dreams with its unique control scheme. Your controllable circle protagonist hurtles down a stylish black and white corridor at speed, and your job is to hit X every time it overlaps with another circle. But you must also move the circle round the corridor as you go by tilting the controller, which complicates the action. It becomes a frantic yet thrilling experience, as you rely solely on your reactions and ability to sense the beat. Pleasingly, the music also shifts and reacts to how well you're doing, with successful notes increasing the volume, and missed notes muddying the audio, so you get real-time feedback of your successes. In summary: Press X to jam. The funky jam. The jam is so very funky. We are all citizens of the jam.

Dreamwaver: A Synthwave Rhythm Game#

by Faraam76

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Dreamwaver occupies a somewhat unique spot as one of the best rhythm games in Dreams, due to it being a game that basically runs off pure vibes. Cruising down the highway to some chill lounge music, Dreamwaver conjures up a mellow mood, with a pixel synthwave aesthetic and lo-fi beats to drive to. As you put the pedal to the metal, notes pop up along the road, and timing collecting them just right provides a satisfying feeling of continuing your synthwave adventures down the freeway. (The equivalent of this in the UK would probably involve getting stuck behind tractors, which admittedly doesn't sound nearly as fun as this creation.) Regardless, playing Dreamwaver made us want to don our Hawaiian shirts and dust off that fedora - which, if anything, just goes to show how scarily effective this creation is at fulfilling the roadtrip fantasy.

Heavy Bag Beatdown#

by Cassius_Creed

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Heavy Bag Beatdown is a game you can feel. Every note you hit, every bag you punch, every bead of sweat dripping from your fluffy muscles. This is a furiously fast game, giving you only two seconds to complete each objective before an ever-resetting timer runs out. Pleasingly, the punches are timed with the music. Why are you doing all of this, you ask? Only to defend the honour of your little brother, who has been beaten up by unnamed assailants. Listen, we're not encouraging the act of bulking yourself up in the boxing gym in order to attack the bullies that assaulted your brother, but if you were going to do that, this seems like a pretty good way to go about it. Alternating moving across the screen and hitting the next punching bag is fiendishly tricky, but what makes the stakes feel sky-high is that the game is super responsive - so any mistakes made are on you. Just like a real gym, the game demands the best from you. This is rhythm without mercy, and that makes it one of the best music and rhythm games in Dreams.

Has the rhythm taken you over completely? You can out more in our music and rhythm playlists in game. Check out Dreams By Genre on the front page of DreamSurfing, then head into Music & Rhythm to find your new favourite tunes.

Alternatively, here are all of our music and rhythm game playlists in one simple collection if you'd like to add it to your Play Later queue.

Go on, go catch yourself a healthy dose of disco fever!