Sound design and music integration for immersive game experiences.
| Category | Behavior | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Music | Looping, crossfade, ducking | BGM, combat music |
| SFX | One-shot, 3D positioned | Footsteps, impacts |
| Ambient | Looping, background layer | Wind, crowd, forest |
| UI | Immediate, non-3D | Button clicks, notifications |
| Voice | Priority, ducking trigger | Dialogue, announcer |
When sounds compete for channels:
1. Voice (highest - always audible)
2. Player SFX (feedback critical)
3. Enemy SFX (gameplay important)
4. Music (mood, but duckable)
5. Ambient (lowest - can drop)
| Approach | When to Use | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | Realistic needs | High quality, time intensive |
| Synthesis | Sci-fi, retro, UI | Unique, requires skill |
| Library samples | Fast production | Common sounds, licensing |
| Layering | Complex sounds | Best results, more work |
| Layer | Purpose | Example: Gunshot |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Initial transient | Click, snap |
| Body | Main character | Boom, blast |
| Tail | Decay, room | Reverb, echo |
| Sweetener | Special sauce | Shell casing, mechanical |
Game State → Music Response
│
├── Menu → Calm, loopable theme
├── Exploration → Ambient, atmospheric
├── Combat detected → Transition to tension
├── Combat engaged → Full battle music
├── Victory → Stinger + calm transition
├── Defeat → Somber stinger
└── Boss → Unique, multi-phase track
| Technique | Use When | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Crossfade | Smooth mood shift | Gradual |
| Stinger | Immediate event | Dramatic |
| Stem mixing | Dynamic intensity | Seamless |
| Beat-synced | Rhythmic gameplay | Musical |
| Queue point | Next natural break | Clean |
| Parameter | Affects | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Threat level | Music intensity | Enemy count |
| Health | Filter, reverb | Low health = muffled |
| Speed | Tempo, energy | Racing speed |
| Environment | Reverb, EQ | Cave vs outdoor |
| Time of day | Mood, volume | Night = quieter |
| System | What Changes | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical (layers) | Add/remove instrument layers | Intensity scaling |
| Horizontal (segments) | Different music sections | State changes |
| Combined | Both | AAA adaptive scores |
| Element | 3D Positioned? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Player footsteps | No (or subtle) | Always audible |
| Enemy footsteps | Yes | Directional awareness |
| Gunfire | Yes | Combat awareness |
| Music | No | Mood, non-diegetic |
| Ambient zone | Yes (area) | Environmental |
| UI sounds | No | Interface feedback |
| Distance | Sound Behavior |
|---|---|
| Near | Full volume, full frequency |
| Medium | Volume falloff, high-freq rolloff |
| Far | Low volume, low-pass filter |
| Max | Silent or ambient hint |
| Platform | Recommended Format | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| PC | OGG Vorbis, WAV | Quality, no licensing |
| Console | Platform-specific | Certification |
| Mobile | MP3, AAC | Size, compatibility |
| Web | WebM/Opus, MP3 fallback | Browser support |
| Game Type | Audio Budget | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile casual | 10-50 MB | Compressed, fewer variants |
| PC indie | 100-500 MB | Quality focus |
| AAA | 1+ GB | Full quality, many variants |
| Category | Relative Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | 0 dB (reference) | Always clear |
| Player SFX | -3 to -6 dB | Prominent but not harsh |
| Music | -6 to -12 dB | Foundation, ducks for voice |
| Enemy SFX | -6 to -9 dB | Important but not dominant |
| Ambient | -12 to -18 dB | Subtle background |
| When | Duck What | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Voice plays | Music, Ambient | -6 to -9 dB |
| Explosion | All except explosion | Brief duck |
| Menu open | Gameplay audio | -3 to -6 dB |
| Don't | Do |
|---|---|
| Play same sound repeatedly | Use variations (3-5 per sound) |
| Max volume everything | Use proper mix hierarchy |
| Ignore silence | Silence creates contrast |
| One music track loops forever | Provide variety, transitions |
| Skip audio in prototype | Placeholder audio matters |
Remember: 50% of the game experience is audio. A muted game loses half its soul.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).