Custom musical rhythm game
Audiosurf is a classic musical rhythm game. Import your own songs to create light-based race tracks in time with the beat, collecting points and high scores. Some preloaded tracks are also available.
Top Recommended Alternative
To the beat
After nearly a decade since its release, Audiosurf is still the go-to custom musical rhythm game despite countless rivals and an official sequel. The game is part audio visualiser and part rhythm mini-game, with players choosing music from their hard drive. Songs are then used to create a custom track which follows along with the beat of a song, with points for keeping in time. Some tracks from Valve's Orange Box are included, but the main purpose is for user-generated tracks. While Audiosurf is fairly basic and visually dated, the core mechanics work well enough to keep it popular. Online scoreboards are still updated but no true multiplayer exists. Another important fact is that the game pre-dates music streaming services and so requires tracks to exist on a hard drive.
Years to come
Audiosurf is a fun casual experience for music fans. Playing along with personal favourites is an engaging way to enjoy songs anew but it is looking a little worn.
What People Are Saying
- The Good
The core idea still delights: feed in almost any song and it becomes a track to ride, so no two tracks play alike. A large, lasting fan base calls it relaxing and endlessly replayable.
- The Bad
Some players feel the notes do not always line up with the beat, making it feel more like a lane game than true rhythm play. Others hit crashes left unfixed for years, and a few find it shallow once the novelty fades.
- The Bottom Line
An easy pick if you want a laid-back way to turn your music into playable tracks, just not for precise beat-matching or recent updates.
