All Tags and Their Meaning

Here is the list of questions that you should be able to answer by using tags.

Does the game fit the group?

There are tags for four levels of difficulty: easy, low-mid, high-mid and hard. Notice that in the library table there are only three with intermediate levels unified. The classification is overall, for both musical skill needed and the complexity of rules and strategizing. edit

At G4M few players means up to 3 and many marks games for 10 or more players. If a game is very flexible as for the amount of players, it may be tagged with both. edit

A selection of games have been tested on children ("kids" for short). edit

What do you hear?

Acapella games have to be performed without instruments, or are at their best when performed only with singing or "singing". Many games might be adapted to voices, but unfortunately often games loose their balance when voices and instruments are combined. edit

Found tag is for activities that use found sound, and also those where instrument preparation is required (generally it is rarely forbidden). edit

Games with free-improv tag will require improvising to very broad instructions. On-off games are based on constellations and regulate only who plays and who doesn't without directing the contents. edit

Some games need to be played in-genre or might be adjusted to such playing. When a game is fixed within a single genre, ambient and minimalism are relatively frequent. edit

Music might repeat itself (in parts) when players play a loop, or ostinato. edit

When rhythm appears in games it may not be steady throughout the piece. edit

Solo games include a one-person performance (this includes but is not restricted to games with a "single-player" mode). edit

Tonal games might or have to be played in a harmony context (mostly in Western tuning). edit

What do you do?

Algorithm games are "fixed" at least in sections, parts or variants. Players don't improvise but follow rules to construct the music. These games often need some musical skill. edit

Dance is understood in a broad sense and may be optional. edit

If players have to do some pen-and-paper work themselves, we'll say that they draw. This tag may include other art creation. edit

Gestures tag describes games influenced by hand movements. It might mean that a conductor will directly and purposefully shape the music or that gestures serve some other aim. edit

Some tasks are frequent. Players may have to interpret given content musically, others might have to listen for specific sound or guess its meaning. In some cases maybe stretch their memory to recall something later. Games with speeding-up usually test your performance ability. edit

Spatial games use the environment extensively. This may mean specific requirements, character of the experience, and musical opportunities. Players will usually move around in some way. edit

What do you use?

Modern designs use a game board to track many resources. Old-school approach was to show location and possibilities of movement for pawns, meeples etc. In music games you may often remember your position and not use game tokens. edit

Games may need cards like traditional playing cards, or special rule cards, cue cards, notation cards, or inspire cards. edit

Dice might involve different types of faces and numbers of sides. edit

It's rare, but a traditional score may be used in a game, so reading musical notation may be needed for some or all participants. edit

In timed games you will need a timer or use other time-tracking method. edit

The general props tag is used for items other than board, cards or dice. edit

Games with no-props tag will not need special objects. Musical instruments and sufficient space might be needed. edit

What kind of a game is it?

Games might be cooperative or competitive, but also have it mixed as cooptional or with teams. Games without interaction and goals will fall into cooperative category. edit

Dissecting music into dimensions (in our glossary sense) may be a useful technique both to design and win at music games. edit

Everything is an event, but events tag applies when events are individually described. edit

Insert tag is for insert games. edit

Not having much time? Quick games to the rescue! edit

Random games don't let participants influence the progress of the game, although players may usually play music quite freely. edit

You don't want to explain stuff? Pick a simple activity! It's not about the difficulty. edit

Games may use words both as a mechanic and as a musical result, including recitation, calls, singing, etc. Some role-play or basing the game on narratives may also happen. If you want all of it, maybe improvisational theatre is a thing for you. edit

Pages tagged as classic are for games that were created before 2000s. edit

Composers might appear in games that use pre-existing pieces or touch on history. edit

---

A combination of the above

There is a possibility to find games with multiple tags at once. If you pick two random tags we… most probably don't have a game with this exact combination — many tags are in opposition to each other.

---

If you think anything should be added to this subpage, please drop a hint or a link for future editors.

Tags overview presents the info above (plus some) in a more technical way for editing purposes.

Included in Play set/collection.