Marimic review: the best alternative to Hitster without Spotify obligation?

Brief summary: Marimic is a Swedish music quiz game that works like Hitster, but is platform-independent: play with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or even your own playlists. The cards are reusable thanks to QR codes that adapt to your chosen music source. Our conclusion: for those who don't have Spotify Premium, this is simply the better choice.

What is Marimic and how does it work?

Marimic is a musical party game where players have to place songs on a shared timeline — who can guess the correct year or sequence? Just like with Hitster, you scan a QR code, hear a song, and have to place it in the right spot.

The difference lies in the execution: Marimic works with multiple streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube), you can play via the app or just through the browser, and multiple players can play music simultaneously on their own devices. No more one person holding the phone for the entire table.

What makes Marimic better than Hitster?

Three things make the difference:

• Platform-independent. No Spotify Premium needed. Apple Music, YouTube, or your own playlist all work.
• Reusable cards. With Hitster, the title and artist are on each card, so once you know the songs, you have to buy new expansions. Marimic has no text on the cards — the QR codes adapt to the playlist you choose.
• Play with the music you want. You can choose from categories such as "Ultratop Hits in Belgium" (without those random Dutch songs no one has heard of), Eurosong classics, or even a Taylor Swift playlist for the Swifties at the table. Adding your own playlist is also possible.

Additionally, the timeline is shared rather than individual, which distributes the difficulty more fairly. And there's a nice extra: you choose which card your neighbor has to guess. That small detail adds a bit more interaction and fun to the game.

What expansions or variants does Marimic offer?

Besides the classic timeline cards, there are also country cards — and those are a surprise in themselves. Because who knew that Paradisio's "Bailando" was of Belgian making? I certainly didn't. Those kinds of facts are precisely what makes a music quiz memorable.

Because the game works with QR codes and not with fixed music on the cards, the content also stays fresh. You can literally try new playlists for months without ever buying an expansion.

Who is Marimic suitable for?

Marimic is ideal for:

• Hitster fans without Spotify Premium who finally want to buy their own music game
• Families and groups of friends who enjoy playing music quizzes at parties or cozy evenings
• Music lovers who want to customize the content to their own taste (from Eurosong to Taylor Swift)
• People who quickly get bored with fixed music editions and prefer reusable cards

Final verdict: is Marimic worth it?

How Marimic landed in my mailbox

I was devoted to Hitster. This game appeared on the table at many family evenings, and more than once we stopped playing by the rules late at night and just kept guessing music. Music quizzes — well, the De Neves simply enjoy that.

But I never bought it myself. The reason? The game works exclusively with Spotify. And I don't have Spotify. And certainly no Spotify Premium. That bothered me more than I wanted to admit, because every time I wanted to play it, I was dependent on someone else's account.

Until I read on Reddit about Marimic — a Swedish alternative that does work platform-independently. I contacted the publisher. A very friendly man, personal follow-up, no hassle at all. And before I knew it, ten boxes of Marimic were in my mailbox. That's how it goes sometimes.

Order Marimic at Bove Bove →

Similar games you might be interested in

• Looking for another hilarious party game? → Check out Monikers
• Prefer a fast word game with a large group? → Check out Alice in Wonderland
• Lightning-fast party game for larger groups? → Check out Flip 7 (Compact)