The ultimate video game soundtracks to study to

As most of us know, listening to music while studying or writing an essay can help focus your mind on the task at hand, and having your favourite video game as the soundtrack to your work can make it even easier to get through hours scribbling down notes or hunched over a laptop screen. Following is a list of my favourite video game soundtracks that I would recommend people to study to!

Stardew Valley (2016)

Stardew Valley is renowned for having a brilliant soundtrack that matches the game’s cosy vibes perfectly. Its 127-minute soundtrack has a gentle mix of upbeat and comforting melodies that completely encapsulate the moods of the four seasons that the game revolves around, with the themed songs for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, each having unique sounds and instruments that fit their aesthetics, while still keeping true to the game’s quaint countryside atmosphere. I completely recommend Stardew Valley’s soundtrack as one to study to, with 127 minutes worth of relaxing music to keep you sane during exam season.

While this side of Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack is great for a chill studying vibe, there are also many exhilarating combat songs within the soundtrack

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the fourth instalment in the Animal Crossing series, and it is also my personal favourite of the series. Playing as the mayor of a town filled with anthropomorphic animals, the game follows real-world time, with different music for each hour of the day as you fish, catch insects, plant fruit trees, and interact with the villagers of your town. The music is calming and sentimental in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the night, but bright and cheerful during the daytime. I often listen to the full day of New Leaf music while writing or researching an essay, as the soundtrack’s consistently comforting sound just can’t be found elsewhere, and it helps me concentrate more than any other soundtrack can.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not just one of my favourite games, but it also has one of my favourite soundtracks. A gorgeous mix of atmospheric themes play as you explore the large open-world terrain, their sounds giving an extra layer of life to the beautiful yet semi-destroyed kingdom of Hyrule. While this side of Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack is great for a chill studying vibe, there are also many exhilarating combat songs within the soundtrack. These inspiring orchestral songs can give you renewed energy during the last hours of cramming before exams, or the last hour of writing and editing before that final essay is due.

Whatever studying mood you’re looking for, Undertale has it in its soundtrack

Undertale (2015)

The immensely popular indie game Undertale not only has brilliant gameplay, but also has an outstanding soundtrack, which includes uplifting melodies, energetic battle songs, and melancholic tunes perfect to have on in the background while studying. Whether it’s the festively cheery sound of ‘Snowdin Town’, the calming aura of ‘Home’, or the intensity of ‘Spear of Justice’ – whatever studying mood you’re looking for, Undertale has it in its soundtrack. Overall, the soundtrack is an enjoyable experience to write or revise to – as long as you don’t forget to mentally prepare for the disturbing laugh in ‘Your Best Nightmare’, particularly if it’s during a late-night study session.

Minecraft (2011)

The boundless possibilities of creativity, along with the melancholy loneliness of an open world, are both reflected in Minecraft’s timeless soundtrack. Fan favourites, ‘Sweden’, ‘Living Mice’, and of course, ‘Minecraft’, flawlessly echo these sentiments. If you can deal with the oppressive nostalgia that the soundtrack induces for those who grew up playing it, then I’d certainly recommend chucking this video game’s soundtrack on while you drown in uni work.

Mario Kart Wii has the absolute best soundtrack for when you are pushing through those last few days of revision or essay-writing

Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

I truly believe this is one of the best game soundtracks of all time, but I am completely biased, so you shouldn’t take my word for it – although you really should. Super Mario Galaxy has 130 minutes of music, with tracks that express the isolating beauty of outer space, and others that create the funky vibes of galaxies and planets you explore as Mario. Additionally, the music that plays in Rosalina’s Comet Observatory is the perfect blend of an upbeat yet relaxing song that you can’t really get sick of – at least I haven’t yet. If you haven’t heard this game’s soundtrack before, you should definitely give it a listen during your next study session. With just over two hours of music, I recommend working alongside the soundtrack until it finishes, taking a 30-minute break, then beginning the soundtrack again and repeating the process.

Mario Kart Wii (2008)

Mario Kart Wii has the absolute best soundtrack for when you are pushing through those last few days of revision or essay-writing, with its enlivening racing music being the ideal thing to listen to if you need extra energy to spur you on while working. With wonderful songs such as ‘Mushroom Gorge’, ‘Toad’s Factory’, ‘Wario’s Gold Mine’ or ‘Coconut Mall’, Mario Kart Wii has a kart racing soundtrack you just can’t get enough of. I personally have listened to hours of ‘Coconut Mall’ on repeat while writing an essay, and I genuinely believe that it increases my writing speed – though that might only occur because I can’t wait to stop listening to a never-ending and torturous cycle of ‘Coconut Mall’.

Hopefully, these music recommendations will help you through deadlines and exam season! If nothing else, you can hold onto the thought that once you are free of the shackles of uni work, you can play the video games that these soundtracks come from, as I would recommend playing through every single one of them!