Movie scores get plenty of press, but video-game music often flies under the radar, especially when it comes from indie titles or AA studios. Below are eight criminally overlooked soundtracks that prove game audio can be every bit as daring, emotional, and polished as Hollywood’s biggest films.

1. Hyper Light Drifter – Disasterpeace

Richard Vreeland’s shimmering synth pads and mournful motifs turn this pixel-art action-RPG into an other-worldly fever dream. The OST slips between ambient stillness and pounding drums, mirroring the game’s wordless narrative.

2. Furi – Carpenter Brut, Danger & friends

Seven French electro artists teamed up to craft 20 tracks of relentless dark-synth that sync perfectly with Furi’s boss-rush combat. Each encounter gets its own pulse-pounding anthem.

3. A Short Hike – Mark Sparling

Proof that low-stakes adventures deserve great music, Sparling’s lo-fi acoustic tunes shift dynamically as you climb, glide, and chat with island critters – effortlessly switching from folksy guitar to upbeat chiptune.

4. Risk of Rain 2 – Chris Christodoulou

Post-rock guitars, glitchy synths, and cavernous reverb build tension as each run grows deadlier. The mix was engineered to duck under weapon SFX, so every crescendo feels earned.

5. CrossCode – Deniz “Intero” Akbulut

Imagine your favourite SNES melodies, but recorded today with modern drum design, string libraries, and the occasional metal riff. It’s retro without leaning on nostalgia gimmicks.

6. Dust: An Elysian Tail – HyperDuck SoundWorks

Celtic woodwinds and sweeping orchestra lines bring epic scale to this one-man studio project. The theme “Falana” alone could headline a fantasy film trailer.

7. Oxenfree – scntfc (Andrew Rohrmann)

Radio-static textures, detuned synths, and distant sub-bass make every paranormal glitch feel like it’s happening inside your headphones – brilliant interactive horror.

8. Death’s Door — David Fenn

From melancholic piano preludes to prog-rock boss fight tracks, Fenn’s score gives this crow-reaper adventure unexpected emotional weight and riffs that absolutely slap.

Quick Takeaways

• Dynamic layering – Start simple and add instruments as intensity rises (see Risk of Rain 2).
• Motif economy – A single four-note hook can carry an entire soundtrack (hello, Hyper Light Drifter).
• Texture over size – Lo-fi guitars or field-recorded ambience can feel more intimate than a 100-piece orchestra.
• Cultural colour – Mixing regional instruments (e.g., Dust’s Celtic flutes) gives your story instant flavour.

Explore ready-to-license music for your next gaming videos at Melodie in the High Score, Cinematic Action, Club Bangers, and Metal collections.