Sonic Lead: A Survey of Sound-First Games

Since their inception, music and sound in digital games have predominantly played supportive roles, with game states and events typically triggering the playback of sounds or changes in the music. This survey shifts the perspective to games where this relationship is reversed: music and sound are at the forefront, driving interactions and shaping the flow of gameplay. These sound-first games are significantly less common than their traditional counterparts and span a narrower range of gameplay styles and genres. Most often, they fall under the category of music and rhythm games that focus on performing timed actions synchronized with music. Beyond this genre, only a small number of platformers, shooters, and RPGs have adopted a sound-led paradigm, while a few music-making and educational applications feature playful approaches, placing them in a space that blurs the boundaries between games and music production tools. In this survey we address the lack of current categorizations for sound-first games by identifying examples and classifying them by genre, form of audio interaction, and style of control. It also identifies areas for future growth, including the development of richer sound-based mechanics, the fuller integration of spatial audio as a core gameplay element, and the exploration of more nuanced listening modes that extend beyond simple sound triggers.