Music Games Online: Rhythm, Beat and Instrument Games
Updated
Music games online cover more than piano keys. You can jump, hop or shoot on the beat in rhythm games, or play drums and other instruments with a click or a tap. This page lists those games and says how each one is controlled.
Types of music games
| Type | What you do | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Rhythm runners and hoppers | Jump, hop or steer in time with the music | sodacat |
| Beat games | Shoot or tap along with the beat | Beat Shooter 2 |
| Instrument games | Play drums, piano and guitar | Music Tools |
How rhythm games work
In a rhythm game the music sets the timing. Obstacles, tiles or targets arrive on the beat, and you act at the right moment with a jump, a swipe, a tap or a shot. Some games reward a chain of correct moves with combos.
Three of the games below ask for one kind of move at a time: sodacat a jump, Bolly Beat a swipe and Music Genie a slide. Beat Shooter 2 adds aiming, and Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow asks you to rotate a core. The controls differ from game to game, so there is a table of them further down this page.
Rhythm runners and ball hoppers
In these games you steer a runner, a ball or a core in time with the music.
- sodacat is a one-button rhythm runner starring a chubby music-loving kitten. You dash through a rainy neon alley, tap to leap and tap again in mid-air for a double jump. You dodge neon equalizer pillars, speaker towers and walls, leap through gaps and collect glowing music notes to build combos. Every obstacle arrives on the beat.
- Bolly Beat has you dance to the beat of Bollywood tunes with a bouncing ball. You swipe the ball to hop over the tiles of the playing field to the rhythm of the composition you chose. The description says that winning depends on your hearing as well as your speed.
- Music Genie is a rhythmic game of bouncing balls with music. You slide the screen left and right to change the direction of the balls. Short boards of a different color are the ones to avoid, and a long board takes on the color of the ball.
- Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow is a minimalist arcade game built around rhythm. You rotate the core, capture the glowing orbs and match the rhythm. It works with the mouse, touch or the space bar.
sodacat is one of the one-button games, and more are in one button games.
Beat games you shoot or tap along to
- Beat Shooter 2 has you move and drag your gun, listen to the music and shoot the falling cubes. Different guns produce different musical feelings. You hold and drag the gun to crash each cube, and the aim is not to miss any and to build combos.
- Music Battle Game is a rhythm game where timing, focus and fast reflexes decide the winner. You tap along with the beat, and the mouse clicks every button.
More quick games like these are in arcade games.
Instrument and drum games
These are for playing sounds yourself. Neither description mentions levels or a score, so they are closer to an instrument than to a game with a goal.
- Music Tools puts three instruments in one game: piano, drums and guitar. You use the mouse or tap to play.
- Tabla Drum Kit Music is a drum kit that plays with realistic sound and touch. You click or tap to play.
Piano keys and tile tapping are covered in piano games online.
Which kind to pick
- One simple input: sodacat uses a single tap, click or Spacebar press, and Bolly Beat uses a swipe.
- Steering: Music Genie has you slide left and right, and Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow has you rotate a core.
- Aiming: Beat Shooter 2 has you drag a gun along with the music.
- Playing sounds yourself: Music Tools and Tabla Drum Kit Music give you instruments to play with a click or a tap.
Controls at a glance
| Game | How you play |
|---|---|
| sodacat | Tap the screen, click or press Spacebar to jump, and tap again in mid-air for a double jump |
| Bolly Beat | Swipe the ball |
| Music Genie | Slide the screen left and right |
| Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow | Mouse, touch or space bar |
| Beat Shooter 2 | Move and drag to control your gun |
| Music Battle Game | Mouse, to click every button |
| Music Tools | Mouse or tap |
| Tabla Drum Kit Music | Mouse click or tap |
Tips for music games
- In sodacat, jump to the beat. Every obstacle arrives on it, and a second tap in mid-air gives you a double jump.
- In Bolly Beat, listen as well as watch, because the description says winning depends on hearing as well as reaction speed.
- In Beat Shooter 2, listen to the music while you shoot, and try not to miss a cube.
- In Music Genie, keep away from short boards of a different color and slide left or right to steer.
- In Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow, the space bar works as well as the mouse or touch.
Music games FAQ
Are music games online free?
Yes. They play free in the browser, with no install and no registration. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
Which music games work with a touch screen?
sodacat is played by tapping the screen, Bolly Beat by swiping the ball, Music Genie by sliding the screen and Zen Orbs: Geometric Flow by touch. Music Tools and Tabla Drum Kit Music work with a tap.
Can I play instruments online?
Yes. Music Tools has a piano, drums and a guitar, and Tabla Drum Kit Music is a drum kit.
Are there beat making games?
The beat games on this page, Beat Shooter 2 and Music Battle Game, are played along to music rather than used to build a track. For making sounds yourself, Music Tools lets you play three instruments.
Quick reflex games like these are also in hypercasual games, and the catalog holds more than 14,000 games in all.
