Highlights
- Mobile rhythm games offer quick, accessible fun with diverse tunes across genres for players to enjoy on the go.
- Rhythm games on mobile phones provide a great way to compete with others through online leaderboards and rankings.
- As technology advances, the lineup of feet-tapping rhythm and music games on mobile devices continues to expand.
Music and rhythm games are a popular genre when it comes to mobile phones and tablets. This is because they're typically convenient and accessible, meshing nicely with the intuitive, simple nature of these devices. One only needs to pull out their device and within seconds, they're tapping away at the touchscreen while getting immersed in delightful tunes, spanning several genres.
8 Best Music Albums Inspired By Video Games
The following albums pull all their inspiration from the video games they were dedicated to.
These distinct soundtracks range from electronic, to hip-hop, to pop music. In general, mobile rhythm games are one of the best ways of spending some fun idle time while watching TV or going on a quick commute. Rhythm games can also have great social features like online leaderboards and rankings that allow players to compete with each other.
Updated June 23, 2024 by Stephen LaGioia: Rhythm games are some of the easiest to get into; though they can also be some of the toughest to master. The touch interface of mobile phones makes them perfect for this genre, with games taking advantage of this input to make rhythmic button taps quicker, easier, and more seamless.
As mobile technology continues to improve and expand, so too does the lineup of delightful feet-tapping rhythm and music games on mobile. With so many options to explore, we've decided to revisit this list and add some more awesome examples to the mix.
20 Paradigm Reboot
Google Play Score (Out Of 5): 4.1
- Released: July 13, 2016
- Developer: TunerGames
- Genre: Rhythm, Music, Action
Adding a new dimension to the Guitar Hero formula, this rhythm game forces players to frantically tap and scroll in just about all areas of their mobile screen. Notes won't just be zipping by on a single plane, but in the case of Paradigm Reboot, they'll be flying at the screen on each side, as well as the "ceiling".
As one might expect, players are kept on their heels throughout this trippy sci-fi musical thrill ride. The array of heart-pumping techno and synth tunes keep one engrossed in the hypnotic experience, and prove fitting for the techy themes of the game.
19 Phigros
Google Play Score: 4.6
- Released: August 31, 2019
- Developer: PigeonGames
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
While this game is free to play, it is advised to opt for the pricier tablet — or at least a mobile gadget with a large screen — to deal with the slew of diverse elements soaring every which way. Despite its simple, flat aesthetic, Phigros proves very dynamic.
It keeps players guessing with a barrage of unique, independently-behaving shapes and projectiles, and countless unlockable songs; both familiar and more obscure. Just gazing upon the visual chaos can be borderline overwhelming — let alone trying to keep up with the sporadic movements and pathways of these flying pieces.
18 Musynx
Google Play Score: 4.6
- Released: December 4, 2018
- Developer: I-Inferno
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Would-be players shouldn't be fooled by the vibrant aesthetic and whimsical vibe — Musynx can be a truly deep, grueling music game. While the layout and mechanics seem fairly typical, gamers will be impressed by the breadth of distinct, atmospheric stages, endless and diverse tunes, as well as customizable options. Not only this, but more content continues being trickled out via updates.
From techno to hard rock to classical melodies, there are songs for just about everyone. No matter how well-acquainted one gets with tapping the scrolling notes, there's always an enticing added challenge, beckoning players to improve their saved ranking and score. Gamers can tinker with scrolling speeds, and even change the amount of keys that fly by.
This game also stands out as an underrated music romp for Switch in particular, as it supports touchscreen controls — but can also be played with buttons.
17 Liminality
Google Play Score: 4.0
- Released: March, 2021
- Developer: ProjectZero
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
This atmospheric trip through musical cyberspace emphasizes circular motions and rotations in quasi-first person. This not only meshes nicely with the looping nature of electronic music, but it provides an almost hypnotic, free-flowing visual that's easy to get hooked on.
Players must test their rhythmic and fast-reaction skills in three dimensions, venturing through circular corridors and following a barrage of keys and pathways with haste. The game allows players to get acquainted with an easier setting, but soon enough, things escalate to a fever pitch, keeping players on the edge of their seats.
16 Rhythm Hive
Google Play Score: 3.4
- Released: 2020
- Developer: HYBE IM Co., Ltd.
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Rhythm Hive is one of the most appealing rhythm games when it comes to mobile. The lowkey experience is quite enjoyable, especially for players who love the memorable (largely K-POP) artists featured. It brings a great and diverse lineup of songs and is free to play. Rhythm Hive depends mainly on the rotating banner which has music from artists that include TxT, Enhypen, and BTS.
Like any other rhythm romp, the goal of the player is to obtain the highest score possible. This is achieved by pressing, trailing, and tapping where the beats and notes are positioned. It is a straightforward — yet alluring — game to play for hours on end. Unlike many rhythm titles, Rhythm Hive contains full songs making it a deeper experience than its visuals might let on.
15 A Dance Of Fire And Ice
Google Play Score: 4.8
- Released: Jan 24, 2019
- Developer: 7th Beat Games
- Genre: Music, Rhythm, Puzzle
This single-button rhythm game is a memorable trip that feels like playing an elongated, unnamed instrument in outer space. Players are guided along a snaking pathway of blocks and must tap the screen in time with a given rhythm.
The twisting and turning paths of A Dance of Fire and Ice are essentially musical notes or beats, which are traversed by alternating red and blue marks that dance across this celestial fretboard. The game mixes up the experience through varying themes and unpredictable patterns.
With its stylized visuals, diverse tunes, and satisfying progression, 7th Beat Games' mobile romp remains a fun, entrancing ride from start to finish.
14 Cytus
Google Play Score: 4.4
- Released: January 2012
- Developer: Rayark International Limited
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Cytus’ exhilarating and highly customizable musical world welcomes one to experience over 200 beats, great tracks, 400 vibrations, and some vibrant art for good measure. From hardcore to jazz, to electro and EDM, Cytus features several upbeat songs with satisfying tap feedback. The game is made up of different levels that range from easy to heart-pumpingly tough.
Games That Are Basically Interactive Music
Although most video games incorporate some kind of musical component, these titles found creative ways to make music interactive.
It additionally offers several characters with different backgrounds and distinctive gameplay mechanics, which vary the experience. The Taiwanese game by Rayark was produced in January 2012 on iOS. It was released on Android later in August of the same year.
13 Beat Blade: Dash Dance
Google Play Score: 4.3
- Released: 2020
- Developer: BattleCry HQ Studio
- Genre: Rhythm, Action
BattleCry's Beat Blade: Dash Dance is an electrified, arcade-style take on the rhythm game. Taking a unique approach compared to many of its ilk, the game is a dash-heavy frenzy to the finish line. Players must blast their way across a quasi-3D path, as they're pummeled with beats that must be touched, as well as spikey obstacles to maneuver around by dragging across the touch-screen.
The soundtrack stresses heart-pumping electronic blasts-beats rather than nuanced melodies — but this suits the fast-paced action gameplay nicely. The neon-retro-'80s visuals also fit this chaotic yet straightforward gameplay like a glove. Beat Blades is a great way to quickly get players pumped during a commute to work or a lunch break.
12 Rotaeno
Google Play Score: 4.3
- Released: May 30, 2022
- Developer: X.D. Network
- Genre: Rhythm, Music, Motion Controls
While this rhythm game may look pretty standard on the surface, Rotaeno is anything but. Rather than just leaning on the touch-screen abilities of mobile gadgets, X.D. Network's Rotaeno extends a step beyond, with a music game that utilizes gyro control; in a fun, intuitive manner.
Players are tasked with tapping a barrage of vibrant blocks at given points on screen. Yet they also must rotate their phone (keeping in line with the game's moniker), so that border markers are aligned with their position. It's a cool concept that is both novel and accessible. More curve balls are thrown by way of quick DJ-like turnstyle shifts, as well as notes that must be quickly flicked.
Despite its minimal visuals and 2D layout, this unique interface adds a cool new dimension, and plenty of subtle depth, to the typical rhythm formula.
11 Sayonara Wild Hearts
Steam User Score: 96%
Sayonara Wild Hearts is one of the best deep rhythm games to come out of late, and the fact that this game is available on mobile platforms is a huge bonus! There are a total of 23 levels that players can check out in the game, with each of these levels being rife with surreal visuals and amazing musical numbers that will keep fans melodically engaged till the very end of this amazing experience.
6 Best Games With Stripped-Back Visuals
These games may not have photorealistic graphics, but their visual styles are beautifully distinctive, and perfectly represent each title.
It helps that the game portrays a pretty riveting story that will genuinely catch players by surprise because of how "wild" the narrative can really get. It's clear that Sayonara Wild Hearts is easily one of the most underrated titles that more players need to check out, whether on mobile or otherwise!
10 Thumper: Pocket Edition
Google Play Score: 4.4
- Released: January 24, 2018
- Developer: Drool LLC
- Genre: Rhythm, Action
One of the toughest rhythm games out there, Thumper can take a while to get used to. The so-called Dark Souls of rhythm games don't hold a player's hand and expect them to fail over and over again before understanding how to get through a stage flawlessly without making a single error.
This experience can be enjoyed on mobile phones as well, with Thumper: Pocket Edition doing a great job of translating this gameplay over to these portable devices. The gameplay is as tough and engaging as ever, and players will find themselves falling into a trance as they try to nail the beats in record time.
9 Cytus 2
Google Play Score: 4.1
- Released: January 2018
- Developer: Rayark International Ltd.
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
The first Cytus game was an enjoyable mobile rhythm game for its time, but many claim that the title hasn't aged all that well. Thankfully, players seeking a more modern and fleshed-out game in this genre while enjoying the unique feel of Cytus should look no further than its robust and chaotic sequel.
Cytus 2 improves on almost every facet of the gameplay established by its predecessor, making it a better, smoother experience in every way. Players who love beautiful games with great music and intense pacing will love the quick, sporadic bursts of gameplay Cytus 2 brings to the table.
8 Crypt Of The NecroDancer
Google Play Score: 4.5
Crypt of the NecroDancer mixes roguelike features in a rhythm game. This is new to many. The power of this gameplay is in the charming retro-style songs. Its final stages/levels push one to the limits. The game is played by controlling a character that moves to appealing musical beats. Players need to explore dungeons that contain treasure, secrets, and monsters.
This game is popular because of its difficulty levels, emotional soundtrack, and distinctive mechanics. It’s a game that has won different trophies because of its innovative designs. One can find Crypt of the NecroDancer on different platforms such as PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch — with the latter featuring a nostalgic and fun Zelda-fied version.
7 Lanota
Google Play Score: 4.5
- Released: July 13, 2016
- Developer: Noxy Games Inc.
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Lanota is an enticing, artistic rhythm romp that's available for free download. To play this game in its entirety, one needs to purchase the full version, though its costs don’t outweigh how good the game is. In Lanota, one is required to restore the depleted songs and colors to their original glory.
27 Best Free Anime Games On Steam
These anime games are not only fun and available on Steam, but they are also free-to-play.
The game adds a unique and welcome "spin" to the regular flow of rhythm gameplay with its DJ-like rotating elements. Players don't need to play the waiting game as is common across most other games in the genre. Instead, gamers are confined to utilizing a circular compass in which notes zip by while spinning and landing in a given direction. The premium version of Lonata provides a complete experience that's worth checking out.
6 Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage
Google Play Score: 4.2
- Released: September 30, 2021
- Developer: Colorful Palette
- Publisher: Sega
- Genre: Rhythm, Visual Novel
Since the Hatsune Miku games have been increasingly becoming popular, they've penetrated several platforms such as PC, Nintendo, and PlayStation. Rhythm fans often find catchy tunes to be the most enjoyable when fleshed or complemented by a good narrative or deep aesthetic. This is what one gets in the unique, colorful Hatsune Miku. The gameplay of Colorful Stage features complex new songs that a player needs to unlock. This is achieved by the use of song tickets.
Additionally, the player gets several customizations with various music characters and videos. The rhythm game can be enjoyed with friends, as up to four players can face off. Furthermore, fans can connect all over the world with ease while playing this game.
5 OverRapid
Google Play Score: 4.1
- Released: July 13, 2015
- Developer: Arcstar Co., Ltd
- Genre: Rhythm, Music, Action
Not everyone loves rhythm games filled with stories and glitzy animations. For those seeking simplicity, OverRapid might be the best pick — though its features are also rather simple, as it is single-player only. It's set in an entrancing, vibrant scene that engrosses players quickly. OverRapid introduces an arcade-like feeling in which a player gets a high score by managing two lanes of notes.
Music Rhythm Games To Play If You Miss Guitar Hero
These rhythm games can keep the beat going amidst the Guitar Hero franchise's recent silence.
OverRapid offers a distinct Hard and Mirror Mode to mix things up. The player can unlock the next system by dealing with songs stepwise. By use of leaderboards, several players can compete for OverRapid glory. Several features, such as Clap and Autoplay mix things up and enhance the thrilling experience.
4 Lost In Harmony
Steam Score: 78%
- Released: June 21, 2018
- Developer: Digixart
- Genre: Rhythm, Music, Action
Lost in Harmony is a beautiful rhythm game that features two distinctive stories. A player controls the memorable main heroes, Aya and Kaito, through a musical journey filled with breathtaking scenes. One needs to guide the two in the middle of the screen by evading the obstacles. This is done by sliding and tapping to the rhythm of the songs.
Lost in Harmony is often overlooked and remains under the radar, despite its unique charm — and being a free download! It was developed by DigixArt and boasts over 10,000 more levels generated by members of the community.
3 Beatstar
Google Play Score: 4.6
- Released: September 14, 2020 (soft launch). August 31, 2021 (global launch)
- Developer: Space Ape
- Genre: Music, Rhythm
Beatstar layout’s is strikingly similar to Rock Band, though its instruments are tapped from the screen of the phone instead of the hand. For the players to compete, they need to connect online, which is a small gripe that players have to endure to enjoy this title.
Beatstar central gameplay focuses on tapping tiles to ensure that their movements match the rhythm of the beat. The game is pretty unforgiving, and a single mistake can prove to be a major setback that players have to pay for dearly — a statement that is taken quite literally!
2 Arcaea
Google Play Score: 4.7
- Released: March 9, 2017
- Developer: Lowiro
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Arcaea is a particularly stylish, charming rhythm game that was released in 2017, and it holds up well. It features vibrant, well-crafted visuals and animations, setting a distinct scene for players. Arcaea can be played individually offline or online with other players. The setlist is a mix of free and purchasable tracks.
Players tap the beats as they navigate the screen downwards. This game is similar to Guitar Hero in mechanics and execution, though artistically unique — and it adds a fun dynamic of having players follow streaks of moving notes and tapping beats at multiple heights.
Even for those who haven't rocked out to Guitar Hero, the learning curve is fairly small. It features 50 musicians with around 160 songs and extra music that can be bought. Arcaea’s larger content is free with a few more in-app track purchases.
1 Deemo
Google Play Score: 4.6
- Released: November 13, 2013
- Developer: Rayark
- Genre: Rhythm, Music
Deemo, a game from Rayark, is ideal for those who love rhythm games without a more "lowkey" style of music. Its music is a composition of classical instruments such as a piano. The gameplay and soundtrack bring an emotional vibe and center on one musical instrument.
Deemo’s story involves a girl named Alice who is trapped in a game world. She needs help from Deemo, a mysterious character, to return to her world. To achieve this, Deemo plays the piano. Every song is made of several series that become difficult as it progresses. It has many shocking twists.
