Game Audio

Game Audio Principles

> Sound design and music integration for immersive game experiences.

1. Audio Category System

Category Definitions

| 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 |

Priority Hierarchy

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)

2. Sound Design Decisions

SFX Creation Approach

| 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 |

Layering Structure

| 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 |

3. Music Integration

Music State System

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

Transition Techniques

| 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 |

4. Adaptive Audio Decisions

Intensity Parameters

| 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 |

Vertical vs Horizontal

| 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 |

5. 3D Audio Decisions

Spatialization

| 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 Behavior

| 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 |

6. Platform Considerations

Format Selection

| 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 |

Memory Budget

| 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 |

7. Mix Hierarchy

Volume Balance Reference

| 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 |

Ducking Rules

| 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 |

8. Anti-Patterns

| 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.