When I’m exhausted, my goal with media is to help me turn off my brain so I can relax a little. One of my favorite ways to do this, I’ve found, is to play while listening to a podcast, show, or some music at the same time. Do I need to bombard myself with stimuli to shut down my brain so I can breathe for a minute? Who’s to say, but I know I think it’s pretty funny.
At this point, I feel like a game connoisseur, while also listening to a podcast, and I’ve tried a bunch of different titles so I don’t have to. Without further ado, here is my list of the best games to play while also listening to something else.
Kill the Spire
Recently, this game has hit me. Kill the Spire it’s a combination of my two favorite subgenres in gaming: deckbuilding and roguelikes. It’s one of those games where the more time you put into it, the more you get out of it, as you get to know the decks really well and start to max out your builds. The turn-based gameplay makes it perfect for picking up and dropping whenever you want, and it’s also a well-designed game full of fun surprises that more people need to know about.
Hades
So, I’m about 400 hours into this game, and while that’s because it’s a near-flawless action roguelike, it’s always because it was the perfect activity to keep me engaged while listening to my podcast of choice. It’s worth playing Hades first time with the sound on, trust me. However, once the post-game is decently accessed, you’ve pretty much heard everything there is to hear, and that’s when a podcast is perfect.
Stardew Valley
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is another game I’ve put way too many hours into, and for good reason. The game can feel a little repetitive to some after a while, but I find the routine to be relaxing and the perfect way to keep me occupied while listening to, well, what I want to listen to. It’s a modern classic of a simulator game, which is a genre that lends itself well to listening to podcasts, music or background shows.
The shadow of the colossus
I definitely recommend playing this for the first time with the sound on, because it’s one of the most iconic soundtracks in all of gaming. However, in any subsequent game, this is a perfect game to pass the time. It’s much slower paced than more recent entries in the open-world action-adventure genre, which means it’s a great choice as you roam its sprawling world. However, you may need to pause and concentrate during boss fights.
Mario Maker
A classic mistake when trying to beat a particularly difficult one Mario Maker The level is overthinking, or as my southern grandmother would have said, foaming at the mouth. I find that listening to something else while I’m trying to beat a game that’s giving me trouble can be really helpful, because it keeps me from overthinking and distracts me enough to get work done.
The Binding of Isaac
Honestly, I’d rather play Binding of Isaac in this way, because I find the sound design to be quite unpleasant. I know it’s supposed to be that way, but that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable. It’s another roguelike, which means it’s playable in perfect bite-sized chunks and isn’t so overwhelming that you’ll miss what your favorite podcast hosts are talking about.
strength
That goes for most racing games, though strength it can be a great way to keep yourself busy while listening to a podcast. As in Hades or cuphead, it’s a real-time game, so you’re paying more attention and it’s easy to get into a flow state. I’ve found that paying attention to someone who’s talking really helps me play better, because I’m not thinking too much about what I’m doing.
Civilization
Strategy games are another great option because they require the same kind of flow state, something engaged, but not really. You get to a point, too, where a lot of things are done on their own anyway, so they fall into the appropriate level of attention that they require from you. Civilizationand other similar games, also don’t require the media player to need sound on, so it’s fine to have any other audio you want running in the background.
Cuphead
The Mario Maker logic applies here too. I’m stuck with the same boss Cuphead for weeks (again), and having something else to focus on helps keep me from getting too frustrated when I keep dying. At this point, I feel more like I need a podcast playing to help me get through the game, rather than wanting something in the background. Either way, it works fine for me.
Diablo 4
Somewhat along the same lines as strength and racing games, playing games like devil, Path of exile, Warframeand any other kind of grindy looting game are all perfect candidates for assigning your auditory and sometimes visual senses elsewhere.
Once you’re done with the narrative stories in these games, it’s very easy to tune out all the sound and put something on to stimulate you. If I’m doing the same activities to hunt for better gear in my games, I’d rather have some variety.
However, all of these games mentioned and others in the same field are not recommended to be “podcast games” when engaging in PvP. I did this once and boy did I get some really mean messages from disgruntled teammates.
Mortal Kombat (and other fighting games)
It’s hard to find specific games to play while listening to music or other media. Since Mortal Kombat is more relevant with its huge Chaos reigns DLC that just came out in early 2024, let’s start here.
After a while, fighting games start to sound like one big monotonous blob of audio vomit. All the grunts, groans and impact sound effects start to get to you. Whether you win or lose, after a while it all becomes the same.
It’s better to have a few new episodes of your favorite show under your belt or a song you really like in your head compared to the same sounds of fighting games. The only exception is if the music blows.
Literally just replace Mortal Kombat with any other fighting game you like (2XKO, Tekken 8, guilty gear make an effortwhatever).
Pokemon TCG Pocket
Card games don’t require you to play with audio (yes, that includes Hearthstone). Just pay attention to your game while you have something else playing in the background.
Also, if you are playing the mobile versions of the card games, like the recently released Pokemon TCGPyou are doing yourself a favor by playing the game on silent. You’re saving battery (ie if you’re listening to music or using an external device to consume your media).
Tetris
If you’re a fan of puzzle games and want to break your PRs, why not pop on your favorite podcasts or playlist and get to work? Tetris he only has so many tracks before he gets caught up in the traffic of his music.
While you’re catching up with your favorite content creators, discovering new tunes, or just playing something else while you’re at these puzzle games, you’re benefiting cognitively.
Borders 3
Okay, so technically this game can fall under the same umbrella as Diablo 4 due to the thick nature of the game. Before I get hung up on this, just know that the story in this game is very forgettable and annoying, and the dialogue is something you should skip.
“So what’s the point of having this game up here?”
Because, dissenting, the gameplay for Borders 3 rocks I know it can be counterproductive to play a game from start to finish in silence, but the story tainted the game.
If there’s one part of the base game that you really should play with sound, it’s the entire part involving Rhys and Katagawa. The whole fight between the Atlas makers and Maliwan was top notch and carried the narrative of the game.
Once you’re done with the base game, put your music and podcasts on pause because the DLC aspects of the game were awesome. Even the Director’s Cut The DLC that puts Ava in charge of all of this was more bearable than most of the base story.
rocket league
The music inside rocket league it’s nice for a few minutes, but that’s only really in the menus and everything sounds the same. The engine sounds and all the boost and bump noises are great too, but unless you’re serious about ranking modes, just put something else you like in the background.
I can guarantee that you can reduce your blood pressure from rising if you assign your listening to something else, like your favorite podcast or show.
