Skate Story – A Playable Discography

Paxton Poole 

Music Journalist 

On December 8th, 2025, solo developer Samuel Eng released his magnum opus, a game called Skate Story. In this game you are a demon made of glass and pain who must skate through the underworld, which is like a futuristic yet desolate version of New York City, feeding on moons to reclaim your soul. The game features crazy psychedelic visuals and fluid adrenaline-fueled fast paced gameplay, but the biggest draw that makes skate story stand out from everything else is the music. 

Every single song, whether it has lyrics or not, in Skate Story was created by the fantastic genre blurring experimental psychedelic pop band “Blood Cultures.” The game utilizes the entire discography as well as original music created by the New York-based band for the game. I have been a Blood Cultures fan for years and honestly felt like all the songs were independent from each other storytelling wise. It was not until I played Skate Story that I realized the themes of perseverance and working to accomplish the impossible despite the pain it brings in the game are reflected perfectly in all the songs. One of my favorite songs by Blood Cultures was always “Set it on Fire,” and within the context of the game the song is blasted at max volume during the finale where you are burning down the last thing stopping you from regaining your freedom. The song always hit hard before but now paired with the dreamlike experience of setting fire to your own inner turmoil, the song takes on a new meaning. Skate Story also features open areas akin to a skate park mixed with parts of a city which feature instrumental tracks that immerse you so deeply into this cosmic world, making you truly understand how depressing and hopeless the underworld truly is. 

Most parts of Skate Story have a specific song tied to them with the exception of the game’s many linear skate challenges. In these challenges you are tasked with skating down paths filled with obstacles into portals as a means of getting to your destination. The tracks played for those sections of the game are pulled randomly from a playlist of Blood Cultures songs. Despite the randomness of what song plays, Developer Samuel Eng created a world so in tune with the otherworldly, mind-bending atmosphere Blood Cultures created with their music that every song fits the situation you are in. In addition to these linear moments, the game employs the use of boss battles at the end of each main segment of the game where you perform certain tricks to deal damage, all of which are all tied to specific songs. Each boss battle puts you against each of the different moons you are trying to devour on your quest to reclaim your soul, and the track selection for these battles perfectly capture the feeling of accomplishing something as outlandish as devouring the moon. 

For those who have not played Skate Story, it probably seems like any other indie game. Once you actually get down to playing Skate Story, you realize it is much more than simply playing a game. Playing Skate Storymakes you feel like you actually are the skater, shredding through the underworld, setting fire to all the doubt clouding your mind. You mentally feel the pain of shattering over and over again whilst reflecting deeply on the decisions you have made as the skater and in real life. Tracks like “Where the City Can’t See” paired with the desolate skyscrapers surrounded by shards of very sharp glass immerse you in the isolation of Skate Story.Tracks like “Glass” fill you with a sense of urgency while you repeatedly break yourself over and over again, to the point where you feel yourself shattering. Tracks like “Flowers for All Occasions” instill a mesmerizing sensation of hope, helping the player understand that no task is truly impossible. Skate Story Intrigues me so much because the more I play it and listen to Blood Cultures, the more it seems like Skate Story is meant to be the definitive way to listen to Blood Cultures music.  

As someone who deeply loves both gaming and music, Skate Story is the first experience to perfectly intertwine a video game and a musician’s discography. Skate Story is a love letter to gamers, skaters, and dreamers everywhere. If you love music and crave a thought-provoking, psychedelic experience fueled by enchanting melodic masterpieces, then be sure to check out Skate Story!