Summary
One of the many aspects of gaming that has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few decades is sound design. Althoughvisual improvementsbetween console generations are the most instantly noticeable change, sound design has also been making constant strides to the point where some AAA games today are comparable to modern films.
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Despite this, there are times when players would rather turn their volume down and listen to their favorite podcast instead. Moreover, some people are only really interested in listening to the podcast and just want something to do with their hands. Thankfully, there are numerous games available today that don’t require players to read much text or watch many cutscenes, making them perfect for gamers to play while some of their focus is elsewhere.
Updated on July 22, 2025, by Jack Pursey:Finding a game to play while listening to a podcast or audiobook is tougher than it used to be.Many AAA games today aim to fully engross players in their game’s world, often with near-constant dialogue that has replaced traditional cutscenes in some games. Sony’s console exclusives are known for this in particular, with games like God of War: Ragnarok having characters interact with each other or talk to themselves for hours on end. Thankfully, there are plenty of modern alternatives that don’t require much listening from the player, meaning they can put a podcast on in the background missing out on anything vital. This list has been updated to include some more greatgames to play while listening to podcasts.
1Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsrejects many numerous gaming norms, such as enemies, combat, and set objectives. Instead,New Horizons, like its predecessors, simply puts players on an island and lets them create their own paradise.
The game is deceivingly addictive and easy to get lost in, as the personal tasks that players set for themselves become tantalizing goals that many will happily sink hours into completing. The game’slaid-back, relaxing tonemakes it a perfect option to play while listening to a podcast.
2Civilization 6
For those who are new to theCivilizationseries,Civilization 6may seem like an odd choice for this list. The game is overwhelmingly complex for new players to get to grips with and filled with text screens for players to absorb. However, there will come a time when the game will click with players, and they’ll be able to switch off any help and guidance.
Once players reach that stage, which comes around surprisingly quickly,Civilization 6becomes an ideal game to play while listening to a podcast, as players will find themselves glued to the screen as they can’t resist but play another turn again and again.
3Most Platformers
When looking for games without much text, dialogue, or cutscenes, the platforming genre is a great place to start. Although there are some exceptions, most platformers spend very little time setting the stage ortelling a complex storyand just give players a generic goal before letting them jump straight into the action.
Most platform games follow theSuper Mario 64blueprint of storytelling, where Peach tells Mario she’s baking a cake; Mario hears she’s been kidnaped; then there’s virtually no story whatsoever until the very end, where Peach finally bakes Mario the cake she promised after good prevails over evil.
4The Witness
The Witnessis anopen-world puzzle gamethat was designed by Jonathan Blow, who is best known for his work on the highly-influential indie gameBraid.
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In terms of the game’s sound design,The Witnesspredominantly just has ambient sounds,and dialogue is reduced to a handful of optional tape recordings. Listening to podcasts or music can be distracting in some puzzle games, though it’s not much of an issue inThe Witnessas players are free to explore the island andsolve puzzlesat their own pace, with only a small handful of the game’s many puzzles implementing time constraints.
5Farming Simulator Series
TheFarming Simulatorseries has had a huge influence onthe simulator genrein recent years. The series spiked in popularity during the 2010s when the game became a meme online, and many people played it as a joke before realizing that there was actually a lot of value in seemingly mundane simulator games.
TheFarming Simulatorseries isn’t going to make players cry from a gripping story or pump their fists in excitement after completing a tough level, though it offers engrossing simplicity with plenty to aim for and work towards, keeping players engaged and making it an ideal game to play while listening to something else.
6Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
Another excellent simulator game to play while listening to a podcast isMicrosoft Flight Simulator.The game was released on PC in 2020 before arriving on Xbox Series X/S the following year; the game was highly praised by critics and received stellar Metascores of 90 and 91.
LikeFarming Simulator,Microsoft Flight Simulatorrequires the player’s full attention for at least the first hour as they learn the controls and mechanics, but once that’s done, they can set off on a journey of their choosing andexplore some of the world’s most iconic locations, all while listening to their favorite podcast.
7Minecraft
Minecraftreceived its full release over 10 years ago now, and it has alreadysold over 200 million copies, making it the second highest-selling game of all time, behind onlyTetris.
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Minecraftis, in many ways, the ultimate open-world experience, as it has a completely hands-off approach in regard to how much guidance it gives the player.Minecrafttrusts its players to create their own objectives, secure in the knowledge that one’s own imagination will create a lifetime’s supply of stories. The game’s Creative and Survival modes are both ideal for podcast listening when playing alone, as time will fly by as players create ginormous structures or mine for diamonds.
8Elden Ring
Elden Ringwas released in February 2022 and was a roaring success both critically and commercially, with over20 million copies soldand a whopping 96 Metascore.Elden Ringsticks to FromSoftware’s tried and tested Soulsborne formula, with punishing levels of difficulty, minimal cutscenes, numerous items and weapons to find, and memorable boss fights all appearing in the game.
The lack of cutscenes and the fact that players will often be fighting the same boss or struggling through the same area for a while has always made Soulsborne games a good choice to play while listening to a podcast.Elden Ringis by far the best game in the series for podcast listening, though, due to the implementation of anenormous open worldthat players can spend hundreds of hours exploring at their own pace.
9Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylinesis a management game that gives players the daunting task of building a thriving city from scratch. Players aren’t just tasked with making their city look nice, as they must also take into consideration real-world issues, such as pollution, budgeting, and traffic congestion. This may sound like the furthest thing from a relaxing experience on paper, but once players get into the swing of things,Cities: Skylinesbecomes an engrossing yet laid-back experience as players meticulously develop their city over many hours.
Like some of the other games on this list,Cities: Skylinescan be tricky to learn at first, but once players have a grasp of all the mechanics, it becomes a great choice to play while listening to something else.
10The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
In terms of gameplay,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdompicks up where its predecessor,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, left off. LikeBreath of the Wild, 2023’sTears of the Kingdomgives players an enormous open world to explore and lets them venture in any direction that they want; inTears of the Kingdom, these directions now include up into the sky and down into the depths of dark, gloomy caves.
Due to the size of the game’s map, players will often find themselves adventuring for hours without coming across an NPC to talk to, so it’s certainly viable to put a podcast on without having to worry about being frequently interrupted by cutscenes or dialogue.
