There are plenty of examples of times when you might want to play a game but you may not be able to use the sound. Maybe you don’t want to disturb the others around you, or maybe you want to listen to something else such as commentary on a sport or your favorite album.
If you are playing some games, the sound is crucial. In a first-person shooter for instance you might need to listen out for footsteps or other cues to tell you what is happening. If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you’ll know that a lot of the creatures that can potentially come after you are heard long before they are seen.
Other games that require you to play as a team and work together may even require a headset and need you to chat with other people. Luckily, there are plenty of games that you can still play if you don’t want to play the sound or you don’t have the option to do so.
Poker
Poker is one of the top games out there for those who don’t want to use the sound. The vast majority of what is happening is visual when you are playing. Though there are plenty of online poker games that have sound effects, you don’t necessarily need them to know what is going on.
On top of this, there are a lot of different varieties of poker out there. The most popular is Texas Holdem but you might well want to try out some of the other varieties on offer. When you choose to play Texas Holdem on a mobile device you will find that even when it is muted, you can follow along with no problems at all. So, no matter where are you at the moment, you won’t disturb anyone around you for sure.
Plenty of people enjoy poker due to the fact that you have the chance to play against other people and even the opportunity to potentially make some money.
Most Pokemon Games
Pokemon games still have a huge following today, and they also have some very cool soundtracks. The sound effects made by the characters within the game of Pokemon are also pretty iconic, and lots of gamers who played them the first time around can still recall the noises these creatures made.
However, a lot of the games have subtitles, and the oldest games relied on them for you to be able to understand exactly what was going on. The dialog and communication between characters are written on the screen and the interface is visual.
The retro games can be played on emulators online, but there are still lots of Pokemon games being released and the online gaming sensation of Pokemon Go is also still going strong and can be played on all the top smartphones.
FIFA (and Other Sports Games)
Most sports games don’t require you to actually listen to what is going on while you are playing. There is enough in terms of visual clues to keep you updated with what is happening. In fact, some people even find the commentary a little bit annoying after a while.
A lot of the sports games on the market are the same. Though it might help to listen out for a whistle or some other audio cues, you don’t necessarily need them to play through the game.
FIFA is a soccer game that is played by millions all over the world, but some games simulate NBA, MLB, NHL, cricket, and other sports. Most of them don’t require sound to get the most out of them.
Most Tycoon Games
There is a whole genre of games here that doesn’t really tend to rely on the sound at all. The games are almost designed to be played in silence or while you listen to something else.
Tycoon games in recent years that have been absolutely huge include Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus, as well as games like Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster. Game Dev Tycoon can also be played with no sound and is available for a variety of different devices.
As well as tycoon games, a lot of simulation games are very similar and can also be played with no sound. For instance, sports management sims are also popular and tend to be based on a simple interface using statistics, words, and numbers, rather than needing to be aware of sounds.
Conclusion
Whether you are hard of hearing or you are just looking for a game that means that you can play songs, podcasts, or audiobooks at the same time, you have plenty of options.
On top of that, some games have extra accessibility settings, meaning they may add subtitles and some other features that help people who aren’t able to hear. This is another option if you want to play games in silence, of course. There is no reason for your gaming experience to be vastly different based on not having the sound, especially in certain genres and types of games.