Created by some exceptionally talented composers from around the world, we’re here to highlight 30 of the very best indie game soundtracks.

You can find most of this music in full on YouTube with a quick search. Or you can buy the complete soundtracks online to support the composers directly.

It’s not difficult to find indie games with good soundtracks. The difficulty for us was narrowing it down to just 30. Here we go!

Headphones on, Please, for the Best Indie Game Music

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This feature’s page loading speed will be a bit slow due to all of the YouTube videos below (if it’s too much of a horrific injustice, we’ll add Spotify lists later or something).

For now, it’s a sacrifice we’re (heroically) willing to take!

This is an audio-based shindig and we didn’t want to leave these beautiful soundtracks hanging. As always with these lists we do, it’s just about helping gamers find happy new moments. Enjoy the indie game music!

30. Rakuen: Laura Shigihara

Laura Shigihara is mightily impressive as she develops games herself and writes, creates, and produces all the music.

Rakuen (2017) is a beautiful RPG with a lot of fantastic music in it to add to the game’s surprisingly deep themes of love, loss, and death.

The music reflects that, occasionally nodding to happy-go-lucky SNES style beats from the ’90s era. But there are plenty of unique and bittersweet flourishes along the way.

29. Child of Light: Cœur de pirate

Okay, we’re cheating. Child of Light (2014) isn’t an indie game as Ubisoft Montreal is behind it (but it’s short and plays like an indie game).

Plus, Canadian singer and pianist Cœur de pirate’s gorgeous CoL soundtrack… well, we didn’t want to leave her off this list, dammit.

The music is melancholic to match the pensive nature of the RPG, with lots of sweeping piano pieces to make your heart melt.

28. Unpacking: Jeff van Dyck

The surprise hit Unpacking (2021) is a ZEN experience and brings with it a super upbeat soundtrack.

Full of lively synth music and nods to retro gaming music of old, it adds a spring to your step as you unpack rooms and revel in the therapeutic delights.

The best thing? It just puts a grin on your stupid face.

27. Sea of Stars: Eric W. Brown (featuring Yasunori Mitsuda and others)

Launching in August 2023, the retro-styled RPG Sea of Stars is a magnificent thing. Part of the appeal is its fantastic soundtrack from Eric W. Brown.

He enlisted industry legend Yasunori Mitsuda to produce several pieces, plus drafted in musicians Vincent Jake Jones and Reece Miller (seen above) to work across the vast soundtrack.

The result? A bloody delight! Drifting from 16-bit era bleeps and bloops to folksy little numbers and more orchestral sweeps, it’s one of the finest works of 2023.

26. Unravel 2: Frida Johansson and Henrik Oja

Steeped in Scandinavian lore here’s Unravel Two (2018). As many fans have noted, the music goes straight for “the feelings”.

With lots of strings and folk music going on, all of which is played with traditional instruments.

The result? A charming set of music that shifts from peaceful to eerie and various other moods in between.

25. Dusk: Andrew Hulshult

Shine a light, Dusk (2018) is one great FPS. Backing up all the retro styled shooting action is a violent soundtrack.

It sticks itself firmly into metal territory at times, but our favourite moments are when it budges over to more melodic numbers.

The music does the job. You feel like a man on a mission in this game and, by Jove, don’t you feel all profound when gunning down monsters.

24. Gris: Berlinist

Nomada Studio’s Gris (2018) sure as hell doesn’t hold back with its music. You want drama? You’ll get drama!

Sorrow weighs heavily through the gameplay, which is where the music kicks in to ramp up all the emotions.

Gris’ beautiful art style is also a sight to behold, so coupled with this music and we should imagine many people played this one in floods of tears. Snowflakes!

23. Dome Keeper: Cameron Paxton

Cripes, we do feel Dome Keeper (2022) doesn’t get enough praise. It’s a great little strategy game concept where bravery and timing are rewarded.

Add into that Cameron Paxton’s contemplative, sparse batch of music and it’s an ideal match.

The music drifts in and out of the gameplay experience sporadically (often leaving you playing in silence), which works a real treat. Mega.

22. Hollow Knight: Christopher Larkin

There’s no denying Hollow Knight (2017) is a gamer’s favourite. The gaming community loves this one with a passion.

Christopher Larkin’s approach to the music was to the macabre subject matter was to go all-out with wistful piano numbers.

The soundtrack has its thunderous rock moments, too, but we came out of the game with a love for its nods to classical music’s reflective moments.

21. World of Goo: Kyle Gabler

Right, World of Goo (2008) was one of the first indie games we played. Kyle Gabler handled a vast amount of the game’s development, including the soundtrack.

He used clever techniques to get a few of his friends to provide choral backing vocals, then amplify it to make it sound like a whole batch of singers were there.

An early example of indie game soundtracks getting it bang on.

20. Tunic: Janice Kwan and Lifeformed

An instant classic, Tunic (2022) launched and we swooned for the thing—even though it’s tough as nails.

The music ranges from soothing and chillaxed vibes to more full on drama. But we love Memories of Memories above for its reflective nature.

Full credit to Janice Kwan and Lifeformed, though, as this electronic music is to an exceptional standard across all 60 compositions for the soundtrack.

19. Dead Cells: Yoann Laulan

Motion Twin’s Dead Cells (2017) is an epic roguelike Metroidvania. It’s fast-paced and frantic, with Yoann Laulan’s managing to compose itself between relaxing numbers alongside a sense of urgency.

Our favourite piece is still The Merchant, a moment of downtime amongst all the frantic carnage of the main levels.

There are nods to Medieval music throughout (the game is set in a castle, after all) and every single number has something unique to offer.

18. Runner2: Matthew Harwood

For us, the endless runner Runner2 (2013) is a perfect game. It’s addictive and moreish, pelted along with a life-affirming and glorious batch of music.

It’s about repetition, rhythm, timing, and perseverance.

All to the tune of some seriously catchy electronic dance numbers that propel you along and make you rather happy. Hurray, we say.

17. Spiritfarer: Max LL

Our love for Spiritfarer (2020) the game is very real. Although dealing with death, the game handles the concept intelligently.

Max LL’s beautiful Spiritfarer music backs that up, ranging from dramatic orchestral sweeps to actionable, upbeat numbers to propel you along.

It’s in turns energetic, relaxing, but always inspiring. Very impressive indeed.

16. Disco Elysium: Sea Power

Disco Elysium (2019) is an indie game classic. Its weighty themes and award-winning narrative are underpinned by Sea Power’s moody soundtrack.

We described the game like Bukowski meets Venedikt Yerofeev’s Moscow Stations (1973). A type of drunken, downtrodden tale with leering philosophising.

Sea Power’s music reflects a sense of poignancy and impending loss. The main character doesn’t seem long for this world and their music helps the player comprehend his fate.

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15. Hoa: Johannes Johansson

Lots of Studio Ghibli influences here! Hoa (2021) is a short platformer, but magnificent to look at and backed by a full orchestra.

The soundtrack is powerful stuff. Whilst all of it is brilliant, the Hello Rocks track remains a particular favourite of ours.

Full of memorable piano hooks, swelling orchestral backing, and full on emoting this is definitely a thing of beauty.

14. Surviving Mars: George Strezov

Whilst Surviving Mars (2018) isn’t a favourite indie game of ours, there’s no denying the highlights of its soundtrack are exceptional.

George Strezov works from his studio in Sofia, Bulgaria, and his work helped to elevate this game’s strategic sense of wonder.

Strezov hired musicians from the Sofia Session Orchestra, with his work focussing on rhythmical passages and nostalgic melodies to create an optimistic sense of adventure.

13. FEZ: Disasterpeace

Another mighty Disasterpiece soundtrack (along with Hyperlight Drifter), FEZ launched in 2012 but still stands out.

There’s lots of beeping, blurping, ambient electronic music that often moves at quite a pace (yet still stays strangely relaxing… sometimes).

It’s fantastic work and adds a kind of joyous, enigmatic nature to this 2D/3D high-concept game that nods to Edwin A. Abbott’s Flatland (1884).

12. Ghost Song: Grant Graham

Scottish composer Grant Graham created the excellent soundtrack to the equally excellent Metroidvania title Ghost Song (2022).

It’s a deeply melancholic work, which sits very well with the eerie sci-fi setting of the game’s labyrinth mazes.

You’ll find atmospherics, electric guitars, ’80s synth, and piano. It’s all heartfelt and promotes the sense of lonely solitude on the moon of Lorian.

11. Norco: Gewgawly I and Thou

A remarkable game Norco (2022) most definitely is, the music is integral. It’s a collaborative effort between metal band Thou and Geography of Robot’s composer Gewgawly I.

There’s a lot of synth here to match the post-industrial world you inhabit.

Add in wells of ambiance and lots of ’80s and ’90s feels and you’ve got a sense of alienation and experimentation. In other words, it’s epic.

10. FAR: Lone Sails: Joel Schoch

Egads, the whole FAR: Lone Sails experience is beautiful enough as it is. Stark, desolate landscapes and a sense of solitude.

Throw in Joel Schoch’s gorgeous soundtrack and it’s a perfect match.

There’s a lot of contemplative brooding going on with the pieces, leaving you to gawp at the silvery landscapes and enjoy some timely introspection.

9. Teslagrad 2: Bear and Cat

For Teslagrad 2 (2023) the composer Jørn Lavoll and Linn Kathrin Taklo worked on the music, although it’s the former who leads the creative process.

The music is often faster and more energising than the original.

It’s a fine piece of work but also has its slower moments, although a folksy sense of Soviet-era Europe feels never far away.

8. Teslagrad: Bear and Cat

The first Teslgrad (2013) has a Eastern European vibe throughout, with a Chopin-esque tinge of classical music.

Jørn Lavoll and Linn Kathrin Taklo (Bear and Cat) are superb across the whole soundtrack, which has so many peaks it’s ridiculous.

But we must choose the violin-driven Dad is Dead as emblematic for the quality of work across the whole game.

7. Celeste: Lena Raine

2018’s Celeste from Maddy Makes Games is a masterpiece of 2D platforming and the outstanding music makes it all the more memorable.

This is world-class soundtrack to go with one of the best modern 2D platformers.

Lena Raine’s music mixes synth with a dynamic sense of urgency, all hinging around the game’s narrative of mental health battles and accomplishments.

6. SPACEPLAN: Logan Gabriel

The music across SPACEPLAN (2017) has some invigorating electronic beats, as with our favourite Launch above.

But other tracks, such as Contagion, maintain a sparse quality to capture the empty, unfathomable beauty of deep space. There was also a new set of SPACEPLAN tracks a few years ago, with the pulsating Muo being a big highlight.

There are deep bass rhythms merged with quiet atmospherics and it adds an often thrilling, even chilling, edge to SPACEPLAN’s berserk clicker gameplay pace.

5. Owlboy: Johnathan Geer

When we revisit Owlboy (2016) at least once a year to enjoy its brilliance. Also, the music! It’s top level stuff and one of our favourite game soundtracks.

It’s an emotional and bittersweet game, essentially a coming-of-age story for a mute, shy owl in a tiny airborne community.

Jonathan Geer’s orchestral Owlboy score has a sense of youthful, innocent wonder. All very elegant and an ideal complement to an all-time favourite game of ours.

4. Pilgrims: Floex

It’s Floex (Tomáš Dvořák) so the music to Amanita Design’s Pilgrims (2019) was only ever going to be brilliant.

The soundtrack is only 21 minutes as the adventure game is short.

But in that timeframe the clarinettist, composer, and multimedia artist goes off on one with a mixture of accordions, guitar, mandolin, drums, and clarinet. It’s a joy to listen to and peaks with the final piece—Pilgrims Samsara.

3. Papetura: Floex

The adventure game Papetura (2021) features arguably Floex’s best soundtrack. The Czech composer worked his magic again here in dramatic style.

Across nine tracks there’s a mixture of violin work alongside electronic music, the latter of which we’ve grown to appreciate a great deal more thanks to indie games.

Piano features heavily and everything ramps up to add considerable clout to one of our favourite indie games.

2. Samorost 3: Floex

Along with the individual at #1 further below, we do think Floex is one of the world’s best game composers. The work he’s producing for Amanita Design is relentlessly fantastic.

The whole soundtrack to Samorost 3 (2016) is fascinating and weird.

It’s a quirky game and the music reflects that, proffering up dreamy, otherworldly ambiance and all that jazz. Mighty stuff.

1. Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Gareth Coker

There’s never been any doubt for us Coker’s work on the two Ori games is the absolute peak of indie game music.

The British composer is on one very high level, which isn’t to say the other composers here are lacking. They’re outstandingly good.

Coker just has something extra special going on. His music across Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) is off the charts excellent.