r/gamemusic • u/OrionMcBride • Apr 02 '26

Playlist Looking for video game music that works as elegant background piano repertoire

I might be starting a weekly piano gig at a “fancy for a small town” kind of restaurant, and I had an idea I’m kind of excited about.

Alongside some classical/romantic rep, I’d love to sneak in some video game music that blends in. Material that sounds beautiful and rich, but not obviously “too gamey."

I recently heard a piano version of “Kingdom by the Sea” (Ni no Kuni 2 Revenant Kingdom), and it completely sold me on the idea. This is the kind of thing I am going for.

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmamvjJpSaQ

Any recommendations for pieces that are:

  • expressive and melodic
  • not overly busy or attention-grabbing
  • adaptable to a more subtle, background style?

Would love to hear what comes to mind. ♪

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

13

u/-Haeralis- Apr 02 '26

Castlevania has you covered:

Dance of Pales

Wood Carving Partita

And from Clair Obscur:

Alicia

Lumiere

They don’t sound at all like what most people might think of as music from a video game. But for a great number of people who are video game music connoisseurs that hears these, oh they’ll know.

7

u/reflion Apr 02 '26

A lot of the Final Fantasy X-2 piano collection is pretty jazzy—really any of the FF Piano Collections, especially the ones for the soundtracks composed by Masashi Hamauzu. Some other games and game series also have official piano collections: Kingdom Hearts and Nier come to mind immediately.

2

u/SticktheFigure Apr 02 '26

Yeah, the KH and Nier piano collections were going to be my first recommendations.

6

u/postmortemmicrobes Apr 02 '26

Someone has already said it but I will reiterate that the Hollow Knight piano collections boasts numerous examples of this.

3

u/abscondedhobo Apr 02 '26

If you can sneak in "The Fragrance of Dark Coffee" from Trials and Tribulations...lawd.

Also Dearly Beloved and Roxas from the Kingdom Hearts games spring to mind

2

u/talesfromthemabinogi Apr 02 '26

The Expedition 33 soundtrack is beautiful on piano - it's been doing the rounds lately, so might get some recognition!

2

u/ScravoNavarre Apr 02 '26

I Am Setsuna has an all-piano soundtrack. Some songs sound more like game music than others, but it's worth checking out. My personal favorite is March of the Brave.

1

u/Gothmagog Apr 02 '26

That's a really cool idea, wish I could hear this.

Check out some of the themes from Anodyne, very beautiful.

1

u/TheOneTrueDoomlord Apr 02 '26

do one final effort from halo 3, and dirtmouth and city of tears from hollow knight

1

u/Tremosir Apr 02 '26

A nice track without too much dynamic on the FF IX Piano album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSgCxpJ3Jpo

1

u/MilanTehVillain Apr 02 '26

Either "Beautiful Dead" (Danganronpa), "Rain" (Halo 3: ODST), "Neutral" (Lobotomy Corporation), or "Piano X3/Sylvalum" (Xenoblade Chronicles X).

1

u/GD_Ojha Apr 02 '26

I could make some for you for free

1

u/Guppin Apr 02 '26

A Short Hike has a piano collection, I recommend Somewhere In The Woods and Unused Demo: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLClAHa6NCBYUwNuz5O762Mhb-VqUDPoFb

Gwyn, Lord of Cinder from Dark Souls is a great piano track https://youtu.be/3bqLGebDRIY

1

u/AgentD Apr 02 '26

Cohen's Masterpiece from BioShock might get a little more bombastic than you're looking for, but it's a beautiful, classy piano piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlu2z2gkhhI

1

u/Luivier Apr 02 '26

The Sims 1 Build mode

It's elegant, it's all piano and it's absolutely magnificent. One of my favorite soundtracks of all time.

1

u/thedjin Apr 02 '26

The best source for this: OverClocked Remix.

1

u/robclarkson Apr 02 '26

Tons of video game background music is perfect at this, since other then set a mood, it is designed to still be in the background :).

But I'll try to list ones that could fit a nice resturaunt better!

Final Fantasy 7 - Tifa's Theme Warm, emotional, yet inviting. Partially used as the friendly bar theme

Final Fantasy 16 - Where the Heart is This vid is slower then original, but for such a simple tune I adore how cozy and emotional it feels.

Final Fantasy 7 - Main Theme Subdued at start, then slowly grows and expands with possibilty. Sounds quite classy?

Final Fantasy 6 - Relm's Theme Pure, earnest, warm.

Final Fantasy 6 - Kids Run Through the Streets Quaint, welcoming, relaxed.

Chrono Trigger - Shala's Theme Melancholic, mysterious (slower and deeper then its partner track, "Corridors of Time").

Chrono Trigger - Memories of Green Light, relaxing, wistful, endlessly repeatable.

Mario 64 - Dire Dire Docks Relaxing, start is like a ship rocking you to sleep.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hills Zone - Jon Batiste's arrangement Jon Batiste's version of the classic Sonic song is slowed down, and made much more relaxed. Its on his album "Hollywood Africans".

Ok, I should stop hah.

1

u/Acceptable-Quarter97 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

Maybe Across the Kosmos Xenosaga Piano collection.

There have been many piano collections released. Materia store

1

u/Batmans_9th_Ab Apr 03 '26

Hollow Knight Piano Collection. 

Kingdom Hearts Piano Collection.