diff --git a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
index 9c512a01ea..536fdfc6df 100644
--- a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
+++ b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(GameHost host, OsuGameBase gameBase)
         {
-            OsuGame game = new OsuGame();
-            game.SetHost(host);
-
             Children = new Drawable[]
             {
                 new Box
@@ -25,8 +22,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyFreeform.Tests
                     RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                     Colour = Color4.Black,
                 },
-                game
             };
+
+            AddGame(new OsuGame());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
index 270d906b01..3cdf44e6f1 100644
--- a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
+++ b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(GameHost host, OsuGameBase gameBase)
         {
-            OsuGame game = new OsuGame();
-            game.SetHost(host);
-
             Children = new Drawable[]
             {
                 new Box
@@ -25,8 +22,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests
                     RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                     Colour = Color4.Black,
                 },
-                game
             };
+
+            AddGame(new OsuGame());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
index aed6abb6bf..4d3f5086d9 100644
--- a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
+++ b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-empty/osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(GameHost host, OsuGameBase gameBase)
         {
-            OsuGame game = new OsuGame();
-            game.SetHost(host);
-
             Children = new Drawable[]
             {
                 new Box
@@ -25,8 +22,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.EmptyScrolling.Tests
                     RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                     Colour = Color4.Black,
                 },
-                game
             };
+
+            AddGame(new OsuGame());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
index 270d906b01..3cdf44e6f1 100644
--- a/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
+++ b/Templates/Rulesets/ruleset-scrolling-example/osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(GameHost host, OsuGameBase gameBase)
         {
-            OsuGame game = new OsuGame();
-            game.SetHost(host);
-
             Children = new Drawable[]
             {
                 new Box
@@ -25,8 +22,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Pippidon.Tests
                     RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                     Colour = Color4.Black,
                 },
-                game
             };
+
+            AddGame(new OsuGame());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneOsuGame.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
index 43459408d5..e2baa82ba0 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneOsuGame.cs
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
         {
             AddStep("create game", () =>
             {
-                game = new OsuGame();
-                game.SetHost(host);
-
                 Children = new Drawable[]
                 {
                     new Box
@@ -106,8 +103,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
                         RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                         Colour = Color4.Black,
                     },
-                    game
                 };
+
+                AddGame(game = new OsuGame());
             });
 
             AddUntilStep("wait for load", () => game.IsLoaded);
diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneScreenNavigation.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneScreenNavigation.cs
index cc64d37116..aeb800f58a 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneScreenNavigation.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneScreenNavigation.cs
@@ -77,7 +77,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
 
             AddStep("press enter", () => InputManager.Key(Key.Enter));
 
-            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () => (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null);
+            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () =>
+            {
+                // dismiss any notifications that may appear (ie. muted notification).
+                clickMouseInCentre();
+                return (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null;
+            });
+
             AddAssert("retry count is 0", () => player.RestartCount == 0);
 
             AddStep("attempt to retry", () => player.ChildrenOfType<HotkeyRetryOverlay>().First().Action());
@@ -104,7 +110,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
             AddStep("set mods", () => Game.SelectedMods.Value = new Mod[] { new OsuModNoFail(), new OsuModDoubleTime { SpeedChange = { Value = 2 } } });
 
             AddStep("press enter", () => InputManager.Key(Key.Enter));
-            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () => (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null);
+
+            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () =>
+            {
+                // dismiss any notifications that may appear (ie. muted notification).
+                clickMouseInCentre();
+                return (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null;
+            });
+
             AddUntilStep("wait for track playing", () => beatmap().Track.IsRunning);
             AddStep("seek to near end", () => player.ChildrenOfType<GameplayClockContainer>().First().Seek(beatmap().Beatmap.HitObjects[^1].StartTime - 1000));
             AddUntilStep("wait for pass", () => (results = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as ResultsScreen) != null && results.IsLoaded);
@@ -131,7 +144,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
 
             AddStep("press enter", () => InputManager.Key(Key.Enter));
 
-            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () => (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null);
+            AddUntilStep("wait for player", () =>
+            {
+                // dismiss any notifications that may appear (ie. muted notification).
+                clickMouseInCentre();
+                return (player = Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen as Player) != null;
+            });
+
             AddUntilStep("wait for fail", () => player.HasFailed);
 
             AddUntilStep("wait for track stop", () => !Game.MusicController.IsPlaying);
@@ -399,7 +418,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
 
             AddStep("Hold escape", () => InputManager.PressKey(Key.Escape));
             AddUntilStep("Wait for intro", () => Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen is IntroTriangles);
+            AddStep("Release escape", () => InputManager.ReleaseKey(Key.Escape));
             AddUntilStep("Wait for game exit", () => Game.ScreenStack.CurrentScreen == null);
+            AddStep("test dispose doesn't crash", () => Game.Dispose());
+        }
+
+        private void clickMouseInCentre()
+        {
+            InputManager.MoveMouseTo(Game.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Centre);
+            InputManager.Click(MouseButton.Left);
         }
 
         private void pushEscape() =>
diff --git a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
index f38aaa9358..881c4bab02 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
     /// </summary>
     public abstract class OsuGameTestScene : OsuManualInputManagerTestScene
     {
-        private GameHost host;
-
         protected TestOsuGame Game;
 
         protected override bool UseFreshStoragePerRun => true;
@@ -39,10 +37,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
         protected override bool CreateNestedActionContainer => false;
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
-        private void load(GameHost host)
+        private void load()
         {
-            this.host = host;
-
             Child = new Box
             {
                 RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
@@ -55,7 +51,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
         {
             AddStep("Create new game instance", () =>
             {
-                if (Game != null)
+                if (Game?.Parent != null)
                 {
                     Remove(Game);
                     Game.Dispose();
@@ -81,10 +77,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
 
         protected void CreateGame()
         {
-            Game = new TestOsuGame(LocalStorage, API);
-            Game.SetHost(host);
-
-            Add(Game);
+            AddGame(Game = new TestOsuGame(LocalStorage, API));
         }
 
         protected void PushAndConfirm(Func<Screen> newScreen)