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description
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game-audio
Game audio principles. Sound design, music integration, adaptive audio systems.
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2026-02-27
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
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
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.
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
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