Best 2010 Video Game Themes

Highlights

• Music sets the tone for video games and can enhance player experience.
• Popular games owe part of their success to memorable and excellent soundtracks.
• Themes from games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Minecraft, and Skyrim are iconic and reflect the atmosphere of the game.

Music is a key part of any video game, and the theme is perhaps the most important of all. It sets the tone for the game players are about to experience and is often the most memorable piece of music on the soundtrack. This is true throughout gaming history, way back to the very first video games.

Some of the most popular games only experience a boost in their popularity due to the genius of the soundtrack, and players will listen to them while they’re going about their days. These games from the 2010s have themes that are both memorable and excellent.

10 Red Dead Redemption 2

Main Theme – Bill Elm & Woody Jackson

Red Dead Redemption 2 is often called one of the best games of the 2010s, and for good reason. Everything from the quests to the graphics are excellent, and this theme is no exception. Laden with violins, this theme takes players right back to the Wild West and sets the tone perfectly for the game and all that it entails.

The theme from Red Dead Redemption 2 is a thumping and sneaky-sounding track, perfect for the game that it represents.

9 Minecraft

Minecraft – C418, Lena Raine, & Kumi Tanioka

Minecraft is a game that has seemingly been around forever. From its initial release in 2011, the game has experienced bursts of popularity that have kept players coming back. The main theme for the game, simply titled “Minecraft,” is a sleepy-sounding piano track with very few variations as the song continues, yet it never becomes boring. It is peaceful and relaxing and one of the most memorable in gaming.

The Minecraft theme gets players in the right mindset for being creative and surviving on the blocky plains.

Dragonborn – Emil Pagliarulo & Jeremy Soule

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has endured for more than ten years as one of the choice RPGs in the industry. It’s silly at times due to bugs and mods, but it remains an excellent fantasy RPG. The theme song helps set the tone from the moment the game is launched, with the ominous drums being the only thing players hear as the logo appears. It only becomes more dramatic as the choral singing comes in.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has an iconic theme song, perfect to get players in a headspace to slay dragons and help villagers.

7 Ori And The Blind Forest

Main Theme (Menu Music) – Gareth Coker

Ori And The Blind Forest is one of the most beloved indie platforming games of the 2010s due to its heartfelt story and intuitive control system. The game starts in a mystical forest, which is set up perfectly by this mystical-sounding theme. The instrumentation is limited as it is piano-led with a vocalist contributing to the melody, but it still has the eerie sound necessary for the game and the darkness the forest holds.

Ori And The Blind Forest is a charming game with an even more charming theme.

6 Firewatch

Main Theme – Chris Remo

Firewatch at first seems like a standard walking simulator with not much gameplay to speak of, but as players get further into the game, they realize there’s a lot more to it than that. The theme mirrors that experience, as it starts slow and relaxed and builds into an intense and fast-paced piece of music, with drums kicking in and the instrumentation getting more layered. This is what makes the theme so great.

The Firewatch theme is memorable as it covers the whole plot structure of the game in a short and innocuous piece of music.

5 The Last Of Us

The Last Of Us (Main Theme) – Gustavo Santaolalla

The Last Of Us has been tugging on players’ heartstrings for ten years now, even more so with the acclaimed TV adaptation. This theme is the perfect one for the game, as it is led by a simple acoustic guitar. This suits both the story, as it takes place in an apocalyptic version of the USA, and the characters, as both Joel and Ellie have an attachment to their guitars.

The Last Of Us is acclaimed for many reasons, and the soundtrack is rightfully one of them.

4 Undertale

Undertale – Toby Fox

Undertale is one of the breakout indie gaming hits of the 2010s. Players have loved this game for years now, and the soundtrack has taken off just as much as the game itself. While the theme isn’t one of the big hits from the soundtrack, it’s one of the best songs in the game. It plays as the monsters of Undertale explain the story of how they got stuck underground for so long, making it even more poignant and heartfelt.

Undertale is one of those rare games where the soundtrack is just as impressive as the game itself, and this song is a key part of that.

3 Night In The Woods

Title – Alec Holowka

For a game with music so entwined in the story, it should be no surprise that the theme from Night In The Woods is one of the best of the 2010s. The theme plods along, aided by a heavy and intense bassline, as a more whimsical yet eerie melody plays over the top. The theme matches the game perfectly, as it mixes whimsy with eerieness, and the story takes some unexpected twists.

Night In The Woods is a game in which music plays a vital role, making this theme even better.

2 Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Alive Inside – Jared Emerson-Johnson

Telltale’s The Walking Dead is often called one of the best, if not the best, story-driven games of the 2010s. The game has many moments now considered iconic in gaming, such as the final decision and scene. The soundtrack helps tug on those heartstrings, especially the theme titled “Alive Inside.” It is melancholy and slow, and appears throughout the game and series whenever some tears are about to fall.

“Alive Inside” is a simple yet memorable theme that plays behind the game’s most tragic moments.

1 Outer Wilds

Main Theme – Andrew Prahlow

Outer Wilds is a game about space exploration with a twist. Players are stuck in a time loop and can only explore for a minimal amount of time with each launch. This can get frustrating, but with a theme this beautiful, players will soon forget that. It has such a simple melody, yet it sticks with the player as they explore space and meet characters stranded on various planets, and plays a vital role in the game’s climactic moments. It’s a true traveler’s anthem, and for that reason, it is the best gaming theme of the 2010s.

Outer Wilds may seem desolate, but this theme reminds players that all hope is not lost.

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