Audio Games and Sound Activities: A Complete Guide

Sound Memory

Overview

Just like the traditional picture-based "Memory" game, this one is all about matching pairs. But in this version, the pairs are made of sounds.

I offer two options: an online "sound memory" game using sounds from BigSoundBank.

The Details

Once the game is built, gather everyone around the table and pick a game master. The game master will shake the two boxes chosen by each player. Anyone who manages to match two identical-sounding boxes wins those two boxes and earns two points. The game continues until no boxes are left.

Sound Quiz

Overview

Think you've got a sharp ear? Put your skills to the test with BigSoundBank's Sound Quiz, an online game that will delight sound lovers and audio explorers alike.

This unique quiz challenges you to identify a wide variety of sounds: everyday sound effects, natural environments, unusual tools, and even mysterious soundscapes. With 4 difficulty levels, it's perfect for kids as young as 3 and seasoned sound experts alike.

Whether you're looking for a fun way to train your ear or simply a relaxing break, the Sound Quiz has you covered! So, ready to take on the challenge and prove your ears are second to none?

Happy listening and have fun!

Blind Dragon Game

Overview

"Blind Dragon" is a free group game. It can be played with as few as two people, but the more, the merrier.

The Details

It works best in a forest or on a surface that gets noisy when someone rushes across it.

Blindfold one player, who is designated as the "dragon." Place an object at their feet — this is the dragon's treasure. All other players stand a few yards around the dragon (about 15 feet, for example). Each player must try to sneak up silently and grab the object at the dragon's feet. The dragon defends the treasure by pointing in the direction of any sound they hear. If a player happens to be in that direction, they must return to their starting spot and begin again — as if the dragon had breathed fire and pushed the would-be thief back. The game ends when someone successfully grabs the object without being pointed at.

Here's an illustration of the game.

The last player who got pointed at becomes the next dragon.

For an even more thrilling effect, the dragon's treasure can be something noisy: a key ring, a bell, etc.

You can make it harder by adding a time limit. Why not replace the object with a kitchen timer set to 3 minutes?

To raise the stakes even more, the thief can be required to bring the object all the way back to their starting point. In that case, the object should remain quiet.

7 Families of Sound Professions

Overview

Designed by BigSoundBank, this "Go Fish"–style card game (known in France as "7 Familles") shines a spotlight on sound-related professions. It's available in the shop!

• Age: 7 and up — players need to read well.
• Number of players: 2 to 6. Ideal with 4.
• Game length: about 20 minutes per round.

Enhanced with a quiz, the game lets players learn while having fun, covering sound techniques, science, and safety. On top of the 42 traditional cards, 6 jokers spice up the game! While the full rules are available on the dedicated page, here's a quick summary:

• It plays like a classic "Go Fish" game.
• To get a card from another player, you have to answer the question linked to it.
• The 6 "joker" cards let you:
  • Replace a missing card in a family. Only one joker per family.
  • Take a card without having to answer the question. The player picks up the desired card, then reveals and discards their joker.
• Each completed family is placed face-up in front of the player.

Once all families are completed (6 cards per family), the winner is the player with the most families. In case of a tie, the youngest player wins.

The Sound Maker

Overview

The Sound Maker is published by Blue Orange. Jonathan FAVRE GODAL and Corentin LEBRAT have crafted a game that's sound-based, super easy to play, and a whole lot of fun. The goal is to identify the cards that the "sound maker" tries to act out using only sounds.

Recommended for ages 7 and up, I'm convinced it can also be played starting at age 5 if some cards are set aside. The game includes 140 double-sided cards to mimic with your mouth, but some are a bit complex or feature objects unfamiliar to younger kids.

A round lasts about 15 minutes and works best with 3 or more players. The box says up to 6 players max, but that's more about table space than an actual game limit.

The game costs around $15.

How to Play

4 "Sound" cards are placed face-up on the table. The "sound maker" draws one of the 20 "Sequence" cards, which they keep secret. This card tells them which sound to imitate. The other players race to identify the right card. The first to guess correctly wins it. The card is then replaced with a new one, and an extra card is added. By the 5th and final round of the "sound maker," 8 cards are on the table. The next player then becomes the sound maker. Once everyone has had a turn, you can either play more rounds or count up the cards each player has won.

My Take

I played it with my 7- and 8-year-old kids, and we had a blast. With kids, doing a first round with the "sequence" card face-up helps them grasp how it works. After that, it's nonstop fun. I highly recommend this game — it's affordable and genuinely entertaining.

Larsen

Overview

Here's LaSonotheque's first video game (in french). The goal: "record the objects" (+1 point) while avoiding feedback loops, a.k.a. "larsens" (-1 point). Check it out right here >

Sound Box

Overview

Published by Iello, this game is designed for 4 to 7 players ages 8 and up, with rounds lasting about 30 minutes. Hjalmar HACH and Lorenzo SILVA have created a really cool game here.

The game costs around $25.

The Details

Inside the box: lots of stuff, including 110 cards to act out with sounds. But on the table: a track, an hourglass, and 10 sound cards.

One player, the "Listener," puts on a pair of opaque glasses. The other players each draw a number that assigns them a card to imitate, all at the same time, for the duration of the hourglass (about 13 seconds). After this "cacophony" phase, the Listener takes off the glasses and has to identify the cards that match the sounds they heard. The progression token moves forward for each correct guess. A wrong answer ends the "identification" phase, and a heart token moves back. Then the next player becomes the Listener. The goal is to reach the final progression space without hitting the end of the "error track."

Those are the basic rules. The game does have a few extra subtleties and can get more complex.

My Take

The rules take a little time to get the hang of. This game is meant for kids 8 and up. But the cacophony idea is hilarious to experience. And the cards to imitate can be downright funny: "breakfast," "indigestion," "lost in the desert," and so on.

I highly recommend it!

Tracks

Overview

Published by KYF Editions, this cooperative audio board game is designed for 1 to 6 players ages 12 and up. Each round lasts about 25 minutes, and each of the 15 detective cases included in the box must be solved using audio clues from the surveillance camera network of the fictional city of Siren Bay, plus phone wiretaps. You're part of the S.B.A.S. (Siren Bay Audio Squad).

The box includes, among other things, a large city map to pinpoint where to send the response team, a tourist brochure, 55 "surveillance camera" cards, and 15 case files. A free app must be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet to play the immersive audio files.

The game costs around $30.

The Details

Once the dedicated app is downloaded, just hit play on the mission. The audio is meant to be listened to all the way through first. After that, you can scrub through the recording freely and access a few clues. You can also view photos taken by surveillance cameras to help guide your investigation. Eventually, you'll need to map out a path through the city and decide which street number, on which street, the police should raid to close the case.

My Take

Not all the cases are easy to crack, but the game is simple to pick up. With everyone pitching in, this collaborative game is a real treat. Highly recommended.

That Sound Game

Overview

That Sound Game is a fun and… loud party game, perfect for livening up your evenings! Created by an Australian couple during the lockdowns, it became an overnight hit. The premise is simple: in teams, you have to get your teammates to guess as many words as possible in one minute, using only sounds and gestures (with your hands behind your back, just to make it more entertaining). Designed for players who aren't afraid to look silly, this fast-paced, interactive game guarantees laugh-out-loud moments, sonic chaos, and an electric atmosphere. A great mash-up of charades, sound effects, and improv.

Echoes

Overview

Echoes is a cooperative audio detective board game published by Ravensburger. Released in January 2022, it has 5 scenarios: "The Eclipse," "The Dancer," "The Cocktail," "The Violin," and "The Ring." Each scenario costs around $10, plays with 1 to 4 players ages 14 and up, and lasts about 1 hour.

In Echoes, you play as mediums who can hear the echoes of the past. Each card represents an object you've found at the scene of your investigation.

The official trailer for "The Dancer" scenario:

Using the free app, you listen to mysterious voices and sounds tied to each game object. Some are harmless… others, not so much. Stay sharp and work together to piece together the story and put the events back in the right order.

Will you crack the mysteries of the past?

The game costs around $10.

The Details

I bought it and tried out "The Eclipse" scenario first (it seemed less "criminal" to play with my kids), then "The Violin" and "The Dancer." I found the concept really original. Hats off to the designers, Dave NEALE and Matthew DUNSTAN!

On the app (iOS and Android, free), you can choose between "easy" and "normal" difficulty modes, and you can start the game with all the cards or with 9 fewer to make the beginning easier. The cards are placed face-up, and the "objects" printed on them are very easy to scan with the app, even in low light or with lots of shadows (kudos to the developers).

The game involves scanning the "objects" on the cards, listening to their "echoes," and trying to arrange them in groups of 3, in the right order, after the correct "chapter-starting object." Once that's done, you have to put each chapter in the right order to make sense of the overall story.

My Take

The game is fairly easy, but it isn't quick — you need to listen to all the "object" echoes at least once, sometimes twice (or more). But since the game isn't really replayable once you know the scenario, I'd recommend going with "normal" difficulty and using all the cards from the start, unless you're playing with kids or you're short on time.

Not replayable — at least until you've forgotten the story — but I think the price is fair.

This game isn't necessarily aimed at "audiophiles." Sound is the medium for delivering information, so without sound, you simply can't play: it's truly an "audio" game, not a "sound" game per se. It would also be nice if subtitles were available so deaf and hard-of-hearing players could enjoy it too.

A Blind Legend

Overview

A Blind Legend is a collaborative mobile action-adventure video game with no visuals at all — your ears do the seeing! It's a fully audio-based game, in 3D binaural sound, playable on smartphone or computer.

Designed by serious-game studio DoWiNo, it was co-created with the support of a fan community that backed its crowdfunding campaign, and co-produced with France Culture, a station of Radio France.

Your eyes won't help you here. Close them, sharpen your ears and your blade… and set off on an epic and perilous coming-of-age journey.

The Details

Step into the shoes of Edward Blake, the legendary blind knight! Guided by your daughter Louise, you'll have to find your way and avoid the many traps of the kingdom of High Castle, while battling dangerous enemies along the way!

This game is fully accessible to visually impaired players, recommended for ages 12 and up, and is also aimed at anyone wanting to experience an immersive and unique sensory adventure. By stepping into the character's shoes, the game also raises awareness of visual disabilities among the general public.

This hack-and-slash with a heroic fantasy twist relies on cutting-edge binaural audio technology, which translates a 3D sound world in a strikingly vivid way and brings actions and characters to life all around the player — as if you'd actually stepped into the game itself!

The game is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Steam.

More info at ablindlegend.com