We play video games through two of our five senses: sight and sound - three, if you count controller vibration. We can’t touch their worlds, we can’t smell their flowers or taste their feasts, so game developers have gotten impressively innovative at developing new ways to squeezeevery last bit of immersionout of the limitations of the medium. Gamers are all the more spoiled for it, but not everyone has the ability to take advantage of every feature a game has to offer every time they play.
RELATED:Most Relaxing Video Game Soundtracks
If you’ve found yourself in a situation—long or short-term—where you want to game, but you cannot play with sound, there are plenty of titles you may hop right into without worrying about having trouble making everything work as intended. Here are a few you can get started with
10Civilization 6
Sure, you’ll be missing out on all those era-appropriate tunes as you grind your way through the ages, but there’s nothing truly essential aboutCivilization 6’s sound. Unless you want a little extra stimulation to stay awake in the wee hours of the morning as you convince yourself to go just one more turn, you won’t be at a practical disadvantage if you turn that volume to zero.
Even better, you can get away with playing Civilization 6 with just your mouse, on a tablet or a console controller, so if you’re really trying to be quiet, you can say goodbye to the click-clack of your keyboard. And don’t forget to turn off the sound effects along with the music, because once the bombs start dropping, things can get pretty loud.
9Stardew Valley
Despite being five years younger thanMinecraft, one could argue thatStardew Valley’s soundtrack is nearly as iconic. So it’s a shame to put it on mute, but if you must, you’ll be able to play the game without a hitch. Stardew Valley does a great job at providing visual indicators for just about everything you need to be made aware of, so there are very few tasks you’ll have trouble with when the sound is turned off.
One potential no-sound challenge might appear when you face a Serpent inSkull Cavern. Before they fly onto the screen, they trigger a short sound cue to give you a moment to collect your wits. Without volume, you’ll have to stay extra vigilant, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble defeating them as long as you have a strong enough weapon at hand.
8FIFA 23
The series known for serving up big time bops to set the tone for your footy exploits,FIFAhas a fun but non-essential aural dimension that you can disable without issue. Whether you’re trying not to disturb someone sleeping in the next room, you simply don’t like the music, or the commentators and crowd are disrupting your concentration, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to silence the noise.
RELATED:Best Non-Licensed Sports Games
The biggest thing you’ll be missing out on when you turn the tunes down to zero is the fact that you won’t be forming a core memory that will trigger every time you hear one of the soundtrack songs on a throwback playlist ten years from now. But hey, nostalgia is overrated, right?
7Cities: Skylines
Like many sim games,Cities: Skylinesputs more emphasis into its control-based mechanics than it does into its sound effects. And depending on your play style, the sound effects in Cities Skylines can be totally unimportant.
While sound can be helpful to identify which parts of your cities havetoo much noise pollution, if you’re more interested in the more aesthetic aspects of the game, like creating cool layouts and designing interesting districts, then you’ll be totally okay if you mute everything and throw on a podcast, some TV, or maybe a relaxing playlist.
6Forza Horizon 5
Like FIFA,Forza Horizon 5is known for its catalog of veritable earworms that you can jam to as you cruise through its sprawling open world. The cars also sound spectacular, and the environment itself audibly responds to the ways you drive through it, both in free roam and during events.
Nevertheless, except for having a higher chance of missing out on the skill songs that double your skill score while they’re playing, you shouldn’t run into any game-breaking issues if you need to turn the volume down. Technically, the skill songs will still play, and you can still get the bonus they offer, you’ll just need to pay closer attention to your HUD, so you’re ready to break out the fancy moves when one starts playing.
5Among Us
The whodunit to end all whodunits,Among Usis a go-to for a casual but inevitably intense multiplayer experience. And by virtue of its playability on just about every platform, you don’t really need to be able to hear anything in order to have a good time either alone or with friends.
Sure, you could use headphones, and sure, you could enable voice chat, but in a game where being sneaky is the literal point, quiet can definitely be a virtue in more ways than one. So cut the distractions and focus on what matters: catching those pesky imposters before you’re toast.
4Old Pokemon Games
Another iconic soundtrack will bite the dust when you mute any of the installments in thePokemonseries, especially those versions that make up its earlier generations. No matter, though, you’ll still be able to toss Ultra Balls, vanquish gym leaders and go toe-to-toe with Team Rocket like nothing’s amiss.
RELATED:RPGs With The Best Sound Design
The game-based Pokemon don’t even sound as cute as they do in the anime, and it’s not like the NPCs have much voice acting to appreciate, so you’re not missing out on much essential adventure-progressing content when you activate mute. But maybe turn the tunes back on whenyou reach the Elite Four, though. That music is epic.
3Rocket League
No dialogue, no live-or-die audio cues, just some good ol’ fashioned RC soccer. Swap your brakes for a rocket-powered booster in this superfast sports arcade, where you’ll need to perfect your reaction time and hand-eye coordination more than your listening skills.
Depending on your need for quiet, you might want to consider keeping voice chat off the chopping block, though. Coordinating with your teammates in real time can give you a serious edge over the course of aRocket Leaguematch, so give it a chance if you can. Otherwise, you’re free to embrace the silence.
2Despot’s Game: Dystopian Army Builder
A lot of the character that setsDespot’s Gameapart as a truly fresh roguelike tactics title comes from its audio. But freshness be darned, you won’t be faulted for putting it all on mute, if that’s how you want to roll.
Descend deeper and deeper into the sprawling dungeons as you build an army to challenge the diverse and menacing opponents within. You’ll be pew-pewing without the satisfying sound of those pew-pews, but you shouldn’t run in to any roadblocks as you make a run for the final boss.
1Elderand
This dark, slightly creepy side-scrolling RPG really thrives on its unique art style, so thankfully you can’t turn that off. But no sound? No problem. You’ll be just fine slashing your way throughElderand’s labyrinthine maps in silence, as long as you pay attention to the text-based dialogue.
This is a story-driven RPG, after all, so you might have some difficulty just playing it like it’s an arcade game. But Elderand is a great game for when you’re on the go, and you have a bit of time to kill on your Switch, or even on your laptop. It’s available on consoles, too, so no matter where you are, you can play in peace and quiet.
