11 Best 2021 Video Games You Didn't Play

8. Monomals

Monomals is the coolest idea for a video game, I dunno ever.

One part super slick platformer where you play as a headphone jack being cast into pools full of music notes, and one part actual music software, where notes represent one set of lead, bass and drum sound effects each.

Play as a synthwave-aesthetic rabbit and the Monomals you catch will be 80s-style synthesisers. Play as a jazzy frog and you're hoovering up brass instruments and more laid back drums. Play as a heavy metal elephant and suddenly you're writing entire guitar solos and detuned metal riffs with thumping double bass.

Platforming is sublime as hell, with a charge move taking out foes and every other level transforms you into a jetpack, rolling ball or a handful of other modifiers. The composition side of things lets you share tracks with others and vote on the best music the community is assembling - it's just the best of both these ideas, meshed in a way I never knew I needed.

Overall, this is like the old-school Music games for the PS1, mixed with modern platforming and online features that elevate the whole package.