Before we talk about indie game soundtracks this year, let’s talk about the top gaming soundtracks this year. As predicted every year, the big studio houses Nintendo and Epic dominated the 2023 gaming market with their big budget soundtracks.
Take Super Mario Bros. Wonder or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for example. The former is full of catchy tunes, whether it is the “Title Screen” playing in the main menu or the “Athletic Theme” playing while you run through the level, the music keeps playing in your head even days after you finish the game. Whereas Tears of the Kingdom‘s score is very essential to the game from the saxophone solo in the “Main Theme” to the creepy sounds of “The Depths”. Hi-Fi Rush is another remarkable mention. A rhythm based game, it uses everything from Nine Inch Nails’ “The Perfect Drug” to “Invaders Must Die” by The Prodigy perfectly to deliver a brilliant adventurous storytelling.
On the other side, the year also saw some indie games which deserves a mention because of the remarkable work: the doughy funk house sound of Pizza Tower, the nostalgic Tamil pop songs of Venba which wonderfully compliments the personal story of a South Indian family immigrating to Canada or the smooth windy ambient music of Terra Nil. These soundtracks which keep you hooked to stay with you even after days you have stepped away from the screen!
1. Dave the Diver
The word “indie” is definitely not the first thing that would come to your mind when we are talking of the video game world and that adds to why Dave the Diver, an adventure game developed by Mintrocket should be mentioned here. This game has a lot of elements to it if we analyse it deeply, even though it might just be an aquatic adventure RPG on the surface. It’s a hunting game, a restaurant sim, as well as a quest that doesn’t seem to end.
Extensively well detailed visuals, whether it be the pixelated shark attack or the sushi ordering, along with the dreamy relaxing soundtrack. Whether it be the sweet ukelele chords with the lulling steel guitar melody in “Seals and Dolphins”, the suspenseful sound in “Darker Trenches” or the thumping beats in “Serve, Sushi, Serve!” that can’t stop you from tapping your feet, Dave the Driver switches between diverse sounds, making the soundtrack flexible and appealing.
2. Gubbins
Polish-Australian composer Katarzyna Wiktorski’s soundtrack for Gubbins are as addictive as the game itself. Gubbins is a free smartphone game by Australia’s Studio Folly, very much like scrabble except here you are trying to build the whole board in one turn. Add to that trumpets to guide you and monsters trying to stop you and bang! You get a pure chaotic fun ride! The game does have some modifications of its own like a a drum tile that helpfully pluralizes and a pencil tile that acts as any letter you desire. The fun jazz soundtrack that was used for the trailer compliments the colourful funky animated visuals. The piano chords, the trumpet runs and the strings go perfectly well together to create a warm yet fun score, as fun as the game!
3. Humanity
Japanese electronic musician Jemapur is behind the interesting fresh background score for this 2023 puzzle platforming game developed by tha LTD and published by Enhance games. The player controls a fluroscent Shiba Inu guide hordes of people through increasingly difficult maps. Music plays a vital role in keeping you hooked to the 90 level long game filled with new challenges. Jemapur plays around with the ambient electronica sound in a way if you listen to just the music you can still keep listening. Jemapur also uses vocal samples on some tracks which makes the sound stand out.
4. Laika: Aged Through Blood
Laika: Aged Through Blood is an action-adventure Metroidvania video game. Brainwash Gang has developed the game, while Headup Games has published this one. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals of various species. The birds declare themselves as biologically superior, sweep across lands in conquest, harvesting all resources. The player gets to play as the coyote mother named Laika, the guardian of the town who becomes immortal with a cursed bloodline. Laika sets off on a motorcycle to avenge her tribe and reclaim what was taken away from her.
Spanish composer and singer Beícoli has composed the musically rich background score which talks, which flows, which speaks of survival through the motorcycle journey through the barren lands as well as perfectly compliments the bloody fight scenes.
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5. Pizza Tower
Pizza Tower is a 2023 platform game. Tour De Pizza, an anonymous developer has developed this one, their first ever video game. Inspired by every Wario Land installment, it follows a pizza chef, Peppino Spaghetti, who must scale a tower to prevent the destruction of his pizzeria. ’90s cartoon art, super energetic gameplay and brilliant hyper music are some things this game has to offer.
With soundtrack by Mr Sauceman and ClascyJitto, and a menu theme courtesy of Post Elvis, Pizza Tower’s soundtrack is bound to move you even when Peppino Spaghetti stands still. We can clearly see elements of funk, house, chiptune and electronica as well. The silly song titles “The Death That I Deservioli,” “Calzonification,” “Don’t Preheat Your Oven Because If You Do the Song Won’t Play” make the score so much fun!
6. Terra Nil
Terra Nil is a strategy video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. We have seen so many city building games across the years,the question is how is Terra Nil any different? What makes the game stand out is instead of focusing on placing buildings, Terra Nil focuses on ecosystem construction. This one is a simple and rewarding strategy game, perhaps the most calming one in recent years.
The soundtrack composed by French ambient composer Meydän adds to the calming vibe with flurrying piano notes, windy shaker sounds and slow but impactful chord changes.
7. Venba
A narrative cooking video game by Visai Games, Venba’s story begins in 1988 and follows an immigrant couple settling down in Canada and adjusting their day to day lives in the new environment. Since the family cookbook was damaged in the move, the player’s objective here as Venba is to restore Venba’s mother’s recipes and cook meals, thus restoring years of work lost by the family.
An intimate, tender and emotional story, Venba’s soundtrack bursts with energy, with tabla, harpsichord and synth sounds. We find the use of live instruments and vocals as well. Unlike other games what makes the soundtrack even more nostalgic is the use of lyrics.
Alpha Something has composed the soundtrack. It is inspired from pop songs from classic Tamil cinema over the years, each decade based on a theme inspired by specific composers of that decade. One of Venba’s originals, “Chellakutty,” has been composed by Deva, the 73-year-old South Indian composing legend.
