The 10 Best Guitar Games (Websites and Apps)

We all know Guitar Hero and a few other popular guitar games but if you’re looking for something newer and different, then there are also other games and websites that you can check out to peak your guitar interest.

Some of these can be played in your internet browser without needing to download anything, while others are apps for Android or iOS. Later in the article, we also talk about some really popular guitar video games for consoles.

1. Recursive Arts Online Guitar (Website)

Link: Website

Developed by Recursive Arts, Online Guitar aims to provide everyone in the world with easy access to learning to play the guitar. This website game simulates a realistic 6-string guitar that you can play on your web browser, by using your computer’s keyboard and mouse to play notes and chords.

There are two separate playing modes:

• In the default mode, you can access notes directly from the fretboard. This is only for single notes and is done using your mouse or keyboard.

• In Chord Mode, you can choose from a variety of chords to play your preferred song.

Aside from an existing list of commonly used chords, the game also allows you to edit and create your own chords. Online Guitar also has a virtual Capo, which allows you to play any song in a variety of different keys.

2. Guitar Play

Link: Apple Store

This mobile game is compatible with iOS systems, and allows you to learn to play the guitar through a variety of game modes:

• Game Mode: In this mode, the game will challenge your skill at the guitar, including your rhythm, timing, and coordination. As you train your guitar-playing skills through a variety of challenges, you can unlock new guitars and songs to learn.

• Songbook: Features over 40 popular songs from a variety of genres that you can learn to play.

• Sharing: This allows you to play with and challenge friends.

• Free Play Mode: This allows you to simply jam out on the game like you would on a real guitar.

• Chord Finder: This allows you to compose and save chords to the chord library.

3. Musicca Virtual Guitar (Website)

Link: Website

Musicca is a website-based music-learning platform developed by Lasse Grubbe. It features several instruments that players can learn to play on the website, including the guitar.

The Musicca Virtual Guitar allows players to use their keyboard and mouse to play the guitar online. You can toggle between different guitar sounds, mark off notes on the virtual fretboard, and play the notes that you have marked and saved.

This website also helps players learn to tune their guitar with its virtual tuner tool.

4. Guitar – Real Games & Lessons (iOS App)

Link: Apple Store

This iOS game developed by MWM allows you to learn from a library of thousands of songs and chords, helping you to create music directly on your device. This game allows you to simulate playing a real guitar, and you can play a variety of chords and arpeggios.

With more than 2000 available chords and the choice to learn from a variety of guitars – including both right-handed and left-handed guitars – this game is suitable for players of all levels, from beginners to experienced musicians.

5. Real Guitar Free – Chords, Tabs, & Simulator Games (Android App)

Link: Android

An Android-based app, this game is a simulator app that features electric, 12-string, acoustic, and classic guitars for you to learn on. It features an extensive chord library and a chord finder functionality to help you find chords quickly and easily.

This game allows you to strum, pluck, and strike virtual strings. You can play chords and riffs of any complexity, and even solo if you want. Suitable for both beginners and pros, this is a great way to learn to play the guitar if you don’t have an instrument handy.

6. Virtual Musical Instruments – Virtual Guitar (Website)

Link: Website

This website offers you the opportunity to learn to play several instruments virtually, including the guitar. You will need to use your keyboard and mouse to navigate the virtual guitar, though you can also play it through a touchscreen.

This tool allows you to learn to play a 6-string guitar. It lets you play strings and chords, strum, and switch between major and minor chords as necessary, allowing you to learn to play any number of songs from the comfort of your computer.

7. Guitar Band – Battle Hero

Link: Android | iOS

A highly successful and immersive guitar app that takes the competitive edge up a notch. Playing with other people through the app, the competitive side of this game is simply amazing.

The game has an entire story that you go through which I think is what hooks people in, your start out small and slowly build your rep as you progress further. We all love progress stories, particularly if we are the ones progressing and having fun at the same time.

Guitar Band – Battle Hero will not disappoint as its main inspiration is Guitar Hero and we all know how well that’s doing!

8. Yousician

Link: Website

Yousician is an enormous platform/video game/learning method that has captured the guitar world by storm. If you haven’t already heard of it, you should definitely check it out and see all the amazing stuff it offers.

Yousician is both a platform and an app that helps you learn and progress on the guitar in a very interesting and interactive way. With a very promising interface that hooks people in, you take your skills to the next level by following the map and playing it as a game while learning at the same time.

So far, Yousician has many fans around the globe that enjoy their platform and app so it’s worth checking out and maybe trying it out for yourself!

9. Rock Hero

Link: Android | iOS

Rock Hero, inspired by the ever-great Guitar Hero game, is a highly-addictive guitar game that is available for both Android and iOS users. The game allows you to play different songs from various music styles in 3 difficulty levels which is awesome.

The game also features a global scoreboard so you can check your progress and how you rank versus world players. The app itself has some great visuals and the overall experience is cool, with the playthrough being with three notes as opposed to Guitar Hero’s five, making it suitable for even novice and younger players.

10. Guitar Flash 3

Link: Website

Guitar Flash 3 is a great web-based guitar game that is very similar to Guitar Hero in terms of gameplay. This game has a vast number of songs that you can play, with four different difficulty levels so you can have fun and progress as you get better.

You can check your online rankings when you play and even challenge friends for some multiplayer, competitive action. Using your keyboard, the overall gameplay process is easier and smoother than mobile apps and the overall experience is exciting! Try it out and let us know what you think.

Popular Guitar Video Games

You can’t write an article about guitar games without mentioning three really popular older video games: Rocksmith, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band.

If you have a compatible console then it’s really worth checking these out, if you haven’t already done so!

Rocksmith

A Ubisoft game, Rocksmith is compatible with Windows, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, which proved to be very popular among guitar players.

It can be played by plugging in almost any electric guitar to the game via the Real Tone Cable. The Real Tone Cable is a USB cable that connects to the ¼ output jack in most electric guitars, allowing the player to learn to play the guitar through the game.

This is done through a display that shows the guitar’s fretboard, divided into numbered frets and colored strings. The game then guides you on how to play any of several songs, by indicating how each note of the song is played.

Later expansions and versions made the game compatible with the bass guitar and the acoustic guitar as well.

Rock Band

Rock Band was developed by Harmonix, the team behind the first two games in the Guitar Hero series. There have been four games in the series. Rock Band 4 is compatible with Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Similar to Guitar Hero, players can simulate playing rock songs through the use of instrument-shaped controllers. This series introduced multi-instrument functionality, and players could play on the lead or bass guitar, and drums, and sing through a USB microphone. For guitar players, the gameplay is almost identical to that in Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero

First released in 2005, Guitar Hero is a series of 25 video games that help players learn how to play the lead, bass, and rhythm guitar. This is done by using a guitar-shaped controller, which helps simulate the feeling of an actual instrument, to learn to play a wide variety of rock songs.

Guitar Hero Live is the most recent release, which is compatible with PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU, and through Phone apps.

During the playing of the game, players match notes to colored fret buttons on the controller. This allows them to ‘strum’ the controller in time to the music, which allows them to score points. The more points they score, the more they keep the virtual audience excited during gameplay.

Summary

With a variety of guitar games available today, players and musicians alike are spoiled for choice. These games are not only fun to play, but they also make learning the guitar easier and much more fun as compared to simply memorizing theory and techniques.

While they aren’t a substitute for the actual instrument by any means, they do serve as a fun learning method that makes picking up a new instrument or rediscovering the love of the one you’re already skilled at playing.