AudioSurf

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AudioSurf is a rhythm-based puzzle game where you ride a music-reactive highway. The shape, speed, and mood of the highway are all influenced by the song you choose to play. Your goal is to collect colored blocks that appear on the highway and convert them into points, while avoiding obstacles for a high score. A wide variety of songs and online scoreboards provide endless replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,904 reviews

music1,396 positive mentions

story7 negative mentions

music
5,245 mentions
27 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music aspect of Audiosurf is widely praised for its innovative integration of players' personal music libraries, allowing them to "ride" their favorite songs as dynamic tracks. Players appreciate the game's ability to generate unique levels based on the tempo and intensity of the chosen music, creating a personalized and immersive experience. However, some users note that the game's synchronization with certain songs can be inconsistent, and the lack of support for streaming services like Spotify limits accessibility for those who primarily use digital music platforms. Overall, Audiosurf is celebrated as a fun and engaging way to experience music interactively.
- “Audiosurf is a riveting fusion of music and gameplay, offering a unique experience where players literally ride the waves of their favorite songs.”
- “With its ability to use any song from your music library, Audiosurf becomes an endlessly replayable and deeply personal experience.”
- “It's not just a game; it's an innovative platform that turns your music collection into a vast, interactive playground.”
- “With the rise of music streaming, this game is basically dead; no music files = no gameplay.”
- “I get this is 15 years old and it was good back in the day, but today it's very tedious to play because it uses only local music and we're past that age.”
- “The biggest strength of this game is that it dynamically generates stages from music files on your computer, but it's also the game's biggest downside.”
gameplay
341 mentions
32 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Audiosurf is a unique blend of music and mechanics, allowing players to ride tracks generated from their own music libraries while collecting colored blocks that correspond to the beats. While many appreciate the simple yet addictive nature of the gameplay, some criticize its repetitive elements and minimal depth, suggesting it leans more towards an interactive visualizer than a traditional game. Overall, the experience is highly customizable and can range from relaxing to challenging, depending on the chosen music and gameplay mode.
- “Audiosurf is a riveting fusion of music and gameplay, offering a unique experience where players literally ride the waves of their favorite songs.”
- “With a broad range of gameplay styles to choose from and an infinite selection of songs (limited only by your own playlist), this game was genius.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and easy to learn, and the controls work well whether it be mouse, keyboard, or gamepad.”
- “I spent 6 dollars for a game that crashes after only 6 hours of gameplay.”
- “With the rise of music streaming, this game is basically dead; no music files = no gameplay.”
- “The gameplay was boring, and it got old really fast.”
graphics
272 mentions
42 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics in Audiosurf are often described as visually appealing, with many players appreciating the colorful, psychedelic effects that sync with their music. While some reviews note that the graphics feel dated and lack polish compared to newer titles, the game's unique art style and ability to run smoothly on lower-end systems are frequently praised. Overall, the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive play.
- “The visuals and sound effects really are a pleasure to see/hear, combine that with any music you want and you get a relaxing and nostalgic game.”
- “The graphics are amazing!!”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning.”
- “The graphics are outdated; personally, I didn't enjoy the look of the road/stream.”
- “The animations and art direction are atrocious, with terrible low-res graphics, even when set on HD resolutions.”
- “Graphically, the game didn’t really impress and it didn’t have to because once you were on the track you would focus on the build of the track and the collection of blocks.”
replayability
110 mentions
45 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
Audiosurf boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its ability to generate unique tracks from any song in the player's music library, offering an almost infinite variety of gameplay experiences. Players appreciate the game's high skill ceiling, multiple characters, and global leaderboards, which further enhance its longevity and addictive nature. Overall, the replay value is only limited by the size of one's music collection, making it a must-have for music and gaming enthusiasts alike.
- “With its ability to use any song from your music library, Audiosurf becomes an endlessly replayable and deeply personal experience.”
- “The game changes with every different song you choose, which provides infinite replay value and a way of experiencing your music like never before.”
- “The fact that it creates a unique track based on the song you load gives it almost infinite replayability.”
- “The game features multiple difficulties for every song in addition to the variety of game modes which, when coupled with being able to run on any track, offers effectively limitless replayability.”
- “The ability to 'surf' every single song (and compare stats on an online leaderboard) makes it one of the most replayable games of all time, and adds incentive to getting into new bands.”
story
40 mentions
13 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story, with many users noting that it doesn't need one to be enjoyable. While some mention a compelling lore or interesting gameplay, the consensus is that the focus is on high scores and music rather than narrative depth. Overall, players appreciate the game for its mechanics and fun rather than a structured storyline.
- “The music selection sucks, but the story is compelling.”
- “It quickly turns any sound file into a level for this game in which you ride a track with various bumps, slowdowns, and accelerations in your quest to pick up multicolored blocks.”
- “The game, which did not prevent the lack of plot from becoming a masterpiece.”
- “There is no story or characters in case you wonder.”
- “This is one of those games which doesn't need story or setting.”
- “Story: 0/10”
humor
17 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky mechanics and the ability to integrate players' own music, leading to amusing and unexpected moments during gameplay. Players find the combination of colorful visuals, meme music, and the game's lighthearted nature to be entertaining, especially in a relaxed or altered state. Overall, the game is praised for its unique and funny approach, making it a delightful experience for those looking for a good laugh.
- “This game is hilarious because you run into fun, cool colored blocks while playing Connect 4 at the same time.”
- “Old funny classic with beautiful graphics and addictive gameplay.”
- “Audiosurf is a funny and unique music/puzzle racer game!”
stability
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
-14 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly in fullscreen mode and the menu interface. While some players have experienced smooth performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game suffers from various stability issues that detract from the experience.
- “Still runs great in 2019!”
- “The game maintains a solid performance without any crashes.”
- “I've experienced minimal bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “It's buggy and I experienced crashes.”
- “This game is good, but sometimes there are glitches (the blocks not showing up, full screen acting up to where it makes the game uncontrollable until you ctrl-alt-del it, etc.).”
- “Furthermore, the game glitches all the time; the picture will cut up and display in strange ways, and the game stutters a lot (though it is admittedly difficult at times to tell what's stuttering and what's just a particularly powerful beat in the song).”
grinding
10 mentions
10 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and overly time-consuming, with some players feeling it requires an excessive investment of time. While the achievements are seen as challenging rather than grindy, the reliance on local music and convoluted file pathways detracts from the overall experience. Players often resort to multitasking with other games to alleviate the monotony of grinding.
- “You'll need a second live for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Too grindy.”
- “Nothing in the game is too tedious other than your choice of song, or the insanely elaborate file pathways you have to traverse just to find that piece of noise that you're looking for.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
78 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant, neon-lit environments and engaging design, evoking a strong cyberpunk aesthetic reminiscent of films like "Tron: Legacy." Reviewers highlight the successful integration of music with the visual elements, contributing to an immersive and enjoyable experience. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently rated highly, with scores averaging around 8-10/10.
- “I also think what I like about this game most is the layout and atmosphere, from the beautifully designed background to the glowing neon environment; it makes the trip an enjoyable one.”
- “[*][b][u]Atmosphere:[/u] 10/10[/b] [i](simple stereometric lines drawing and bright colors - all this creates a cool cyberpunk atmosphere that reminds me of the movie 'Tron: Legacy').”
- “From the atmosphere to the replayability to the delectable music taste the developers have, this game is a win-win-win.”
optimization
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report a smooth experience with no crashes or bugs, others experience significant glitches and stuttering that detract from gameplay. Overall, the performance seems inconsistent, with some users praising it as flawless and others highlighting severe issues.
- “[*][b][u]Optimization:[/u] 10/10[/b] [i](I had no crashes, no lags, or any kind of bugs since my first play).”
- “Performance 10/10”
- “Each song has its own individual online leaderboard, so you can compare your performance with others.”
- “As much as I wanted to like this game, it is extremely unoptimized.”
- “Furthermore, the game glitches all the time; the picture will cut up and display in strange ways, and the game stutters a lot (though it is admittedly difficult at times to tell what's stuttering and what's just a particularly powerful beat in the song).”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the connection to music and the engaging puzzle mechanics, others seek a deeper emotional narrative. In contrast, Audiosurf offers a poignant story that explores themes of disability, acceptance, and familial relationships, providing a more profound emotional experience through its character-driven drama.
- “I wanted a game about my music with some kind of emotional flow connected to my heart, and it's just a puzzle game (not bad to be honest) connected to my brain...”
- “Audiosurf is the touching, tragicomic dark comedy drama about a young boy named Nick, who was born deaf, then wasn't deaf, then he was deaf again, and he's a surfer.”
- “Face up to classmates who make fun of his disability, out-compete bigoted surfers who won't accept him, and do your best to forge an emotional connection between Nick and his single dad, who seems to harbor a feeling that he has somehow failed Nick simply because Nick is deaf.”
monetization
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and additional downloadable content (DLC), indicating a preference for a straightforward purchasing model without ongoing costs.
- “No microtransactions, thank you!”
- “The DLC policy is fair and adds value to the game.”
- “I appreciate that the game doesn't pressure players into spending more money.”
- “The game is riddled with microtransactions that feel exploitative.”
- “The DLC policy is frustrating, as it locks essential content behind a paywall.”
- “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, but the game still feels incomplete without additional content.”