Out of curiosity, do you know video games I can play on mute besides puzzles and racing games? I mean I like those games but I also like those adventure open world games and those role playing games and while I'm aware that I may miss out on some game music or whatever, I think games are a good distraction.
I'm just wondering since you play video games, can you think of video games I can play that don't require listening to them? I'd play it with sound if only the tinnitus didn't try to compete with it lol.
I own a Nintendo Switch Lite.
This is such a good question.
I'll be frank here and say there are a lot of games I have forfeited playing until the day my ears are healed (while being open to the possibility that that day may never come).
I can't deal with the music that comes out off my Nintendo Switch, so I play
every game on mute.
For that reason I specifically choose my games based on whether I consider the music or SFX to be a crucial part of the gameplay experience or not (irrespective of genre).
For example, take Zelda (OOT, MM, WW, TP etc.): Adventure game. Every modern game in the franchise = brilliant.
Music is integral to the entire series.
I will never bother to touch another Zelda game, so long as I cannot enjoy its beautiful music.
Persona: Turn based strategy, so music not required, right? Wrong. The music in this game is so good, it is seriously not worth playing if you can't turn it up to full volume.
Resident Evil: Try playing this without the alternation between the horrific soundtrack and deathly silences and you've conned yourself out of whatever money you paid for the experience. Not to mention you're toast when some zombie or licker springs out at you from a corner the fixed camera angle hasn't revealed.
Fall Guys: MMOPBRG (let's not even bother, it's basically Takeshi's Castle/Total Wipeout but as an online multiplayer game). Fun as f*ck (bad for if you suffer with anxiety). Is the music important? No. Boring and monotonous. The sounds the little fall guys make are cute though (shame the behaviour of the evil b@st@rds controlling them doesn't match up).
Mario Kart: Racing game. Best racing game ever (imo, besides Snowboard Kids). Music or SFX offering anything? Nope. Just turn that sucker down and focus on your driving/shooting.
Snowboard Kids on the other hand, don't ever bother to play this without blasting the music while you overtake one of your friends; or you won't overtake one of your friends (need that awesome music for the adrenaline rush).
Pokémon: Another turn based strategy. So the exception has become the rule? No! The music is terrible (so absolutely appalling in fact, you wonder why they bothered). Adds nothing to the gameplay.
Hence why, as a tinnitus sufferer: Pokémon, (in most cases)
I choose you!
Anyway, I think you catch my drift. Like
@Brian Newman and
@ZFire said: in some cases SFX are going to be crucial for gameplay. As I have explained: in some cases game isn't going to be worth playing without its music (like watching a subtitled film/movie on mute).
As you rightly observed, for the most part, strategy and puzzle games are the least likely to feature enjoyable, complimentary music (but not always!).
So far I've stuck to the Pokémon franchise and also really enjoyed Fire Emblem: Three Houses, along with time-limited plays of Fall Guys (usually for about an hour before it starts stressing me).
However, now that I've seen this question, I'll be sure to add any games that are as good on mute as without when I find them. Good call
@Ava Lugo.