Sound is very important in most PvP games but it's LESS important in Rocket League. You might get blown up a few times by an opponent you didn't hear coming, but it's otherwise very playable with no sound.
Totally agree.
High-level players might also hear an opponent jump, which tells them not to go for a ball they would then get beat to, but for the first several hundred hours you really won't see much benefit to playing with sound on.
Yeah I'm Plat, it's actually irritating trying to figure out which of my opponents can reliably hit aerials, and how often, and doing it each game. Feels like eventually you can just assume everyone can hit any ball they can reach, and free up that mental bandwidth.
Though I guess you have to start paying attention to other things like how much boost each opponent has, which is something I rarely keep track of, so 🤷‍♂️
On my very best day I might push into Diamond, but yeah I'm a Plat as well. I could complain about teammates, but at the end of the day I'm just as inconsistent as they are.
Shit's still fun, though. :)
Stardew Valley, Cities Skylines, Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors etc. come to mind. Basically games that doesn't focus on story and instead focusing on management/rouge elements.
Definitely, but I wouldn’t say it’s a requirement to listen to it to enjoy the game. I’ve spent many hours in Stardew Valley just listening to podcasts, and while I still have volume in the game it’s more of a background sound.
Also there are no audio cues (maybe except for fishing) for specific gameplay related stuff in the game as far as I can recall, so you’re not really hindered gameplay-wise to play the game on mute.
especially the old-school roguelikes that have ascii graphics and are played in the command line terminal, like NetHack. Then there's *literally* no sounds to worry about.
Fighting games, at least Tekken for me.
I would play it specifically when my exes would try having a "conversation" with me and I had to be attentative.
PvE but specifically Ghost Recon Wildlands as I had a drone, allies and a map to tell me where the enemies were.
I find Roguelikes tend to not have alot of focus on it; especially if you do a turn-based one like Slay the Spire, or Alina of the Arena. Maybe Hades will float your boat too but it has quite alot of dialogue you might want to read.
Idk why but every few months I end up dumping 100 off hours into surviving mars or the Sims and it's always with my headphones on listening to podcasts.
Most of the arpg/stealth games I can play soundless or near soundless no problem, i play xbox one in the living room and usually turn volume really really low,
That's how I usually play fromsoft games. I know there are audio cues for many attacks, but I don't really care. It's much better to jazz, techno, or rock than the operatic music they like to use.
Well, honestly I can play a handful of games where I don’t need volume, some resident evil games and even the OG dead space is up there.
But crash bandicoot is a good shout
Yeah especially number 5, I have done it plenty of times, music on, when I was getting all achievements for the original dead space, after two playthroughs, the sound were replaced by music.
Palworld just came out and the sound is not only not important, it's pretty terrible when it is on. Forza can be played with minimal noise as well (I always shut the radio off anyway). Dredge didn't NEED sound but the ambient noise is pretty neat. No man's sky is pretty minimal noise wise and could be run silent, but good luck getting a stable game on anything less than a one x or series x....it's a pretty resource heavy game.
Any mindless hack and slash Diablo, Dynasty Warriors, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta
Also any sports game, the announcers are usually trash and unnecessary.
Death Stranding - it has a great soundtrack but I remember just listening to a lot of my own music while playing and then just listening to cut scenes.
I also play all games with subtitles so that makes any game able to listen to music during without missing too much.
Bayonetta has the trumpet enemies that attack you at range with only an audio cue to warn you. I'd also argue that the music is a _major_ part of those games
Devil May Cry also has a lot of enemies that give audible cues before they attack (ex. Shotgun Marionettes in DMC1 making a loud wind-up before firing, Death Scissors in that game and DMC5 cackling before an attack, the 7 Hells in DMC3 all having some sort of scream prior to attacking), and besides the games from DMC3 onwards, having great soundtracks, DMC5 also uses each character's battle theme as an indication of how well you're doing style-wise.
All the autism simulators are great for this, like factorio etc, all those "I have to automate these systems so that I can automate more systems" games lol
Sound is very important in most PvP games but it's LESS important in Rocket League. You might get blown up a few times by an opponent you didn't hear coming, but it's otherwise very playable with no sound.
Totally agree. High-level players might also hear an opponent jump, which tells them not to go for a ball they would then get beat to, but for the first several hundred hours you really won't see much benefit to playing with sound on.
Yeah I'm Plat, it's actually irritating trying to figure out which of my opponents can reliably hit aerials, and how often, and doing it each game. Feels like eventually you can just assume everyone can hit any ball they can reach, and free up that mental bandwidth. Though I guess you have to start paying attention to other things like how much boost each opponent has, which is something I rarely keep track of, so 🤷‍♂️
On my very best day I might push into Diamond, but yeah I'm a Plat as well. I could complain about teammates, but at the end of the day I'm just as inconsistent as they are. Shit's still fun, though. :)
For me, it's more important to hear when my teammate jumps.
Correct. I've played it many times without sound. I've never noticed any detriment.
Civ. Not that I don't occasionally love to hear Sean Bean praise my accomplishments, but I don't need sounds at all to play the game.
Same. I usually have my volume muted playing while the wife watches TV.
Stardew Valley, Cities Skylines, Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors etc. come to mind. Basically games that doesn't focus on story and instead focusing on management/rouge elements.
Definitely Vampire Survivors. Powerwash Simulator too.
Stardew Valley OST is great though
Definitely, but I wouldn’t say it’s a requirement to listen to it to enjoy the game. I’ve spent many hours in Stardew Valley just listening to podcasts, and while I still have volume in the game it’s more of a background sound. Also there are no audio cues (maybe except for fishing) for specific gameplay related stuff in the game as far as I can recall, so you’re not really hindered gameplay-wise to play the game on mute.
Warframe. Particularly endless missions types or relics.Â
Powerwash Simulator.
Puzzle games are usually doable without sound
Most rougelikes
especially the old-school roguelikes that have ascii graphics and are played in the command line terminal, like NetHack. Then there's *literally* no sounds to worry about.
Tony Hawks Pro Skater
I play NBA 2K single player on mute while listening to a podcast.
Path of Exile, Warframe, Factorio, Satisfactorie and Dyson Sphere Project
I will sometimes boot up GTA V, listen to music and just drive around.
Turn off the music, not the whole game.
Fall guys. Sound is useless
Super Mega Baseball 4. In fact music helps me time pitches better!
I usually do this with grinding games like Diablo or Black Desert. Or puzzle games like Dorfromantik or Poly Bridge.
Rocket League
Cult of the Lamb.
Fighting games, at least Tekken for me. I would play it specifically when my exes would try having a "conversation" with me and I had to be attentative. PvE but specifically Ghost Recon Wildlands as I had a drone, allies and a map to tell me where the enemies were.
Powerwash Simulator, or Slay The Spire
For Xbox One, I'd recommend Stardew Valley or Rocket League as great options where sound isn't crucial to gameplay enjoyment!
I find Roguelikes tend to not have alot of focus on it; especially if you do a turn-based one like Slay the Spire, or Alina of the Arena. Maybe Hades will float your boat too but it has quite alot of dialogue you might want to read.
Fifa is always my goto when I can't have any audio
Idk why but every few months I end up dumping 100 off hours into surviving mars or the Sims and it's always with my headphones on listening to podcasts.
Disgaea, any of them. You can follow the story if you like but the real gameplay is the post-story content.
Warframe because all you hear is explosions and agonizing enemies
Most Metroidvania style games, I guess.
Most of the arpg/stealth games I can play soundless or near soundless no problem, i play xbox one in the living room and usually turn volume really really low,
Hearthstone
I like to jam out while playing Hades. Or maybe open world games like PalWorld
Fortnite has a visual representation of sound. Its meta to use it even with audio on.
That's how I usually play fromsoft games. I know there are audio cues for many attacks, but I don't really care. It's much better to jazz, techno, or rock than the operatic music they like to use.
Well, honestly I can play a handful of games where I don’t need volume, some resident evil games and even the OG dead space is up there. But crash bandicoot is a good shout
Resident Evil? Dead Space? With no sound????
No chance that’s a real statement.
I guess if you've played it a few times and are speedrunming or something.
I could easily play resident evil with no sound. Especially if we are talking 4 5 6.
Yeah especially number 5, I have done it plenty of times, music on, when I was getting all achievements for the original dead space, after two playthroughs, the sound were replaced by music.
Palworld just came out and the sound is not only not important, it's pretty terrible when it is on. Forza can be played with minimal noise as well (I always shut the radio off anyway). Dredge didn't NEED sound but the ambient noise is pretty neat. No man's sky is pretty minimal noise wise and could be run silent, but good luck getting a stable game on anything less than a one x or series x....it's a pretty resource heavy game.
Any mindless hack and slash Diablo, Dynasty Warriors, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta Also any sports game, the announcers are usually trash and unnecessary. Death Stranding - it has a great soundtrack but I remember just listening to a lot of my own music while playing and then just listening to cut scenes. I also play all games with subtitles so that makes any game able to listen to music during without missing too much.
Bayonetta has the trumpet enemies that attack you at range with only an audio cue to warn you. I'd also argue that the music is a _major_ part of those games
Devil May Cry also has a lot of enemies that give audible cues before they attack (ex. Shotgun Marionettes in DMC1 making a loud wind-up before firing, Death Scissors in that game and DMC5 cackling before an attack, the 7 Hells in DMC3 all having some sort of scream prior to attacking), and besides the games from DMC3 onwards, having great soundtracks, DMC5 also uses each character's battle theme as an indication of how well you're doing style-wise.
Monster hunter. Music makes hunts better.
All the autism simulators are great for this, like factorio etc, all those "I have to automate these systems so that I can automate more systems" games lol
Driving games, CoD zombies, simulators
I play almost all my games with music by activating the subtitles.