Relaxing music and horror games aren’t typically two things you see grouped together. Most of the time, the soundtracks of horror involve loud cacophonies and looming drones meant to heighten the senses of viewers and build suspense. However, in the brief moments of respite between getting chased, hunted down, and attacked, the eerie ambiance can actually be very soothing and pleasant to listen to.
Video game soundtracks overall can often be a great resource for creating relaxing atmospheres conducive for working/studying, and horror soundtracks offer a versatile range of upbeat and lowkey tracks to fit the mood of each listener. This list hones-in on specific tracks of horror games that stand out the most, with some additional mentioning of other tracks in each respective game.
Breeze In Monochrome Night (Silent Hill 3)
This track in Silent Hill 3 is often overlooked, as it is only played during one brief cutscene in the middle of the game during (one of the few times) Heather is safe. It begins slow, with a steady pace and slightly sinister tone, leading up to a more upbeat climax as the piano takes center stage. It’s relaxing to listen to and gets upbeat just enough that it isn’t a boring listen.
The soundtracks of each Silent Hill entry rarely disappoint, and this entire list could easily be made up of songs throughout the series. There is a great compilation of these songs by YouTube user Cryveil here. And if you’re really on a hunt for Silent Hill tracks to listen to, check out composer Akira Yamaoka’s Spotify artist page, which features the official soundtracks of almost every Silent Hill game!
Rest Stop Music (Overland)
Between moments of getting attacked by strange parasitic creatures during a post-apocalyptic road-trip, the music that plays during rest stops in Overland is definitely worth mentioning. The soft humming accompanied with the strums of an acoustic guitar creates a calming atmosphere.
While there, unfortunately, isn’t a purchasable soundtrack currently available, this track has luckily been uploaded on YouTube by user Impail3r.
Piano Etude II (Rule of Rose)
While the haunting piano of Rule of Rose hits the target throughout the entire game, it shines the brightest in the final etude that plays during the epilogue of the game. This track solely features a piano, making it easy to get lost in, which makes sense given that this track is played during Jennifer’s journey through her childhood memories.
Memories (The Last Door)
The pixelated point-and-click horror game The Last Door boasts a gorgeous soundtrack of orchestrated melodies, mostly comprised of piano and string compositions with classical vibes.
The track, Memories, has a level of drama that is still great for background noise—and even better is the fact that both The Last Door and The Last Door 2’s soundtracks are both available on Spotify!
Bond (Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season 2)
While her character was very divisive with players of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Sarah’s theme is one of the best in the entire soundtrack. The track is mostly just the soft strums of an acoustic guitar, reflecting the youthful innocence of Sarah (in antithesis to Clementine’s maturity).
It can be first heard in one of the few scenes in the series that isn’t purely about survival, as Clementine and Sarah take pictures with a Polaroid camera, resulting in the pleasant to listen to tone.
Main Menu Theme (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)
If you’re a Resident Evil fan reading this, we know what you’re probably thinking: the save room themes are the obvious answers in this category! And while it is very true that they are easy picks in this context (with Resident Evil 2 and 3 having the best save room themes), the main menu theme of Revelations 2 is also very underrated.
The track is slightly eerie and features lots of sounds, but the violin is beautiful and enchanting to listen to. It seamlessly loops and isn’t very repetitive—perfect for listening for long periods of time while focusing. Best of all, for a different vibe, check out the title theme of the first Resident Evil: Revelations, which this track is based on.
Graveyard Area 1 (Maximo: Ghosts To Glory)
Even though Maximo slashes and bashes skeleton warriors of the underworld to this theme, it is still chill enough to listen to casually. It features sounds classic to the horror genre, with dramatic horns and menacing strings, but never gets too obnoxious for easy listening.
Unlike previous games in this list, this may be the only track in the Maximo series that can be listened to for casual background noise, as the rest of the tracks are much more chaotic to match the action of the games.