Thumper

Thumper strips rhythm gaming down to a core that's deliberately physical. You play a space beetle on an endless track, hurtling forward at velocities that grow over the campaign's nine levels — Rhythm Hell, as the developer Drool calls them. Controls are one stick and one button. Every input is a percussive crash interwoven with the original soundtrack, which becomes part of the gameplay rather than scoring it.

The game's identity is rhythm violence. The beetle slams into obstacles, grinds along edges, banks through corners, and confronts boss creatures whose attack patterns are themselves rhythmic phrases. There's no blood, no gore, but the impact of each crash is genuinely violent — the music, visuals, and controller feedback all coordinate to produce the synesthetic effect the studio designed around.

Brian Gibson of noise-rock band Lightning Bolt composed the soundtrack, which is integral to the gameplay rather than ambient backdrop. VR support runs in both SteamVR and Oculus modes for an even more immersive (and disorienting) version of the experience. Adrenalizing boss battles, including the terrifying Crakhed, anchor the climax of each level. Psychedelic visuals carry the rest.