Play that tune again
You don’t have to be a musician to try some of the latest new music games.
Fortnite has hosted some spectacular music concerts by pop stars including Ariana Grande and Marshmello, and now its latest mode is all about music.
Fortnite Festival went live in December and involves choosing popular songs to play along to by tapping buttons in time to the music. It’s based on tech originally made for console music game series Guitar Hero and Rock Band, with some songs playable for free, and others that can be bought from Fortnite’s in-game shop.
If you love music but aren’t a Fortnite fan, how about parping a virtual trombone? Trombone Champ is one of the silliest music games of recent times, but also one of the most fun. Available for Nintendo’s Switch, as well as PC and Mac computers, you have to raise and lower your controller stick or mouse to hit the right notes as you play along with songs. But don’t worry: hitting the wrong notes makes such funny noises, you won’t mind scoring fewer points.
There are several good music games for phones too. Beatstar and Magic Tiles 3 are two examples and are available on Android and Apple devices. Like Fortnite Festival they are “music rhythm” games that get you to tap the screen in time to songs. Deemo, meanwhile, is a relaxing game using classical music that involves playing a virtual piano to work through a story about a girl who has lost her memory.
Finally, if your family has a virtual reality headset, Beat Saber is one of the best music games for those devices. You have to swing your arms, duck and sway to smash blocks and avoid obstacles in each level, playing in time to famous songs.