Dungeon Synth Subgenres
Dungeon synth can be thought of as a subgenre of dark ambient or black metal. Thus, subgenres of dungeon synth can be difficult to define. As such these are major groupings of styles which have enough albums and unique aesthetics to warrant them as subgenres. As with all genres, classifications are meant to be tools to find new music and granular subgenres of a subgenre might not be what everyone needs. There are also lists and videos out there with more genres some of them overlapping with others. This page will be updated when other genres become unique enough to have their own entry.
Old School / Classic / Traditional
Descriptors: fantasy, atmospheric, epic, dark, cold, medieval, minimal repetitive, instrumental, mysterious, nocturnal, melodic, suspenseful, ethereal
Old school not only refers to dungeon synth made in the 1990’s but also the traditional sound of dungeon synth and its proximity to black metal. The sound mimics the early days of dungeon synth and its aesthetics are closely aligned with black metal.
Comfy Synth
Descriptors: instrumental, peaceful, melancholic, atmospheric, longing, calm, lo-bit, mellow, meditative, ethereal, soft, sentimental, melodic, pastoral, repetitive, soothing, winter, bittersweet, lo-fi, holiday
Comfy synth became popular in the late 2010’s and had a boom in 2020 following the pandemic. During this time a lot of similar albums with similar themes were produced all with a similar gentle aesthetic. Comfy synth became popular due to its break with the dominant aesthetic of dark dungeons which was seen in the first wave as well as the beginning of the 2010’s revival.
Winter Synth
Descriptors: winter, atmospheric, nocturnal, melancholic, cold, sombre, mysterious, soothing, ethereal, calm, lonely, lush, dark, instrumental, medieval, ominous
Winter synth is music with a strong cold aesthetic modeled after Jääportit - Kauan koskematon (1999). Winter synth’s aesthetic of winter is accompanied by either intense feelings of loneliness or magic in solitude. The style can be lo-fi or lush depending on the artist but is usually marked by songs and naming conventions based around snow and cold atmospheres.
Chip Synth
Descriptors: lo-fi, dark, epic, CRPG, suspenseful, instrumental, fantasy, nostalgic, minimal
The combination of chiptune and dungeon synth specifically with an aersthetic of TTRPG and CRPG games of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Chip synth begun out of the experimentation of dungeon synth in the mid 2010’s closely aligned with dungeon noise.