Summary
- Indie games like Hotline Miami, Outer Wilds, and Cult of the Lamb have earned praise for their phenomenal soundtracks.
- Celeste and Baldur's Gate 3 offer emotional experiences with music that perfectly complements their stories and gameplay.
- Undertale, Hades, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 showcase that indie games can have memorable soundtracks that enhance the overall player experience.
The soundtrack of a game can either make or break the experience for players. Even when a player isn't actively playing a game, many are likely to listen to the soundtracks of their most enjoyed experiences due to how catchy or relaxing the music was while playing.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33: Best Songs On The Soundtrack
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's soundtrack is packed with tremendous songs that will stay with the player even when they're away from their screen.
From boss battles that can take countless hours to the music that plays in the background as a player explores, music can be found in both AAA titles and Indie games. Independent games are likely to use more underground artists, who have created some of the most phenomenal soundtracks that players have continued to remember.
8 Hotline Miami
Some Of The Best Synthwave Ever Made
Hotline Miami
- Released
- October 23, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Dennaton Games
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Android, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Starting strong with a catchy classic indie title, Hotline Miami has an assortment of songs from both the synthwave genre and from the 80s that fit perfectly with the arcade theme that makes up the shooter title, Hotline Miami. With each action-packed mission in this much-loved title having its own great music to play alongside it, players are sure to have picked out a favorite while playing.
The soundtrack of this shooter was created by multiple artists who all follow a similar theme while adding their own personality to the soundtrack, as well as fitting each moment in the game perfectly, from flashbacks to fighting.
7 Outer Wilds
Relaxing And Thought-Provoking Tunes
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Outer Wilds has earned its place as one of the indie games with the best soundtracks due to the abundance of acoustic guitar songs that make up the background music of this amazing adventure title. With the touching story to be uncovered within Outer Wilds, each song produced by Andrew Prahlow helps push the story along as well as being rather relaxing while traveling through space in a constant loop.
Thankfully, songs like Timber Hearth, which is the most popular song of the soundtrack on Spotify, is one of many songs that players have no complaints about having on repeat both in and out of the game due to how relaxing they are.
6 Cult Of The Lamb
Praise The Lamb With A Bop
Cult of the Lamb
- Released
- August 11, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood, Violence.
- Developer(s)
- Massive Monster
- Genre(s)
- Roguelite, Indie Games, Simulation
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Innovating the gameplay of both roguelites with management titles, Cult of the Lamb has already interested those looking for the chance to start a cult of adorable animals while also facing various dangerous foes in the hopes of one day freeing their god. River Boy had to create a soundtrack that could fit both the intense battles of Cult of the Lamb, while also being able to make songs that relax players while they manage their cultists.
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Thankfully, River Boy was able to produce a soundtrack that does this perfectly, that continues to follow a theme throughout. Out of all the songs in the soundtrack, Start a Cult is considered one of the most popular according to Spotify, with plenty of plays under its belt.
5 Celeste
The Songs Progress Like The Game Does
Celeste
- Released
- January 25, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Extremely OK Games
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Celeste is an indie title that uses its music perfectly to make the player feel their emotions fully as they push themselves to the summit. Although this platformer can be quite a challenge, the music that accompanies the player's adventure perfectly fits the struggle of Celeste, both in gameplay and story.
Lena Raine has made great songs for games in the past, with Celeste being no different. Those that have sat and listened to the soundtrack while playing Celeste would have noticed how the music progresses alongside the adventure, pulling themes from previous songs into later ones, with Resurrections being one of the most loved songs out of all of them.
4 Baldur's Gate 3
Players Are Down By The River
Baldur's Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
Games with deep stories and adventures, such as Baldur's Gate 3, have some of the best soundtracks available. Some players may be surprised to see BG3, though Larian Studios is considered an indie company, and Baldur's Gate 3 boasts a soundtrack that could rival many AAA titles of the past and present.
Unsurprisingly, the most popular song of the soundtrack by Borislav Slavov is the song that has been stuck in every player's head while exploring the world of Baldur's Gate 3, and that is Down by the River. Players will likely find themselves humming along to this song while playing BG3, and then continuing to listen to it on their favorite music streaming service when they don't feel like playing the RPG.
3 Undertale
A Simple Yet Intense Soundtrack
Undertale
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Toby Fox proves that the best soundtrack a game could have doesn't need to be fancy, as well as proves that those creating their own indie game don't need to be a professional coder or musician to make an addictive title. Undertale is the perfect example of an indie game with a brilliant soundtrack, as although the songs aren't as detailed as some, each song perfectly fits each battle and location the player is likely to face.
The battles of this RPG are some of the most challenging, with boss music that perfectly fits the terror that comes with attempting to avoid the lethal attacks of characters like Sans. Even with the worry of beating a foe like Sans, Megalovania is a brilliant addition to the fight, with some players even enjoying it without the struggle of battling.
2 Hades
Music That Matches The Theme Of Greece
Hades
- Released
- September 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Roguelite
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC
Theming the soundtrack around the time period of the game is one of the best ways a title can make a brilliant soundtrack. As is expected of the indie title Hades, the music, although it has modern twangs, is heavily based on Ancient Greece to combines the instruments that made up that period of history, while also mixing in electric guitar as well as other things to make the boss battles of this roguelite hit hard.
Darren Korb achieved this perfectly with Hades and continues to show great promise with Hades 2 as he once again creates the soundtrack for this incredible roguelite title. With plenty of great songs to listen to, one of the most popular of Hades has been In the Blood, with No Escape being a close second.
1 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Songs As Memorable As The Game Is
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Out of all the indie games that have been released over the years, one of the games with the best soundtrack is the phenomenal RPG experience given to players by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Not only did this title amaze players with its astounding story, but also for its unbelievable soundtrack too, which was produced by Lorien Testard.
Each song from Lorien for Expedition 33 has truly captured the emotions of some of the most gut-wrenching moments in the RPG, as well as the hilarious ones, too. With Lumiere being the most popular song of the soundtrack on Spotify, many players have continued to listen to this mesmerizing soundtrack even when they aren't playing the game.
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