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Audio Led Game Mechanics

Started by November 23, 2020 02:31 PM
1 comment, last by Tom Sloper 3 years, 11 months ago

Hey there everybody!

Thought I'd open up a discussion on the inclusion of audio-only mechanics in games. It's a topic close to my heart given what Purple Jam does, but I'd like to see what other indie developers think about including audio only mechanics in their games.

There could be sections in a horror game where the screen is literally blank and you have to move using only binaural audio cues.

There could be a section in an action game where you're blind folded, and have to dodge attacks depending on which side they come from.

There could be fighting against visibly occluded enemies, where-in you have to judge volume using distance.

There could be puzzles where you have to draw the shape of the room just from wandering around the room hugging the wall.

I've seen the puzzles in The Witness, and there are obviously rhythm games, and games where audio adapts based on the gameplay, but I haven't seen many where it is fundamentally the mechanic.

What are your thoughts on this? [Sentence removed by moderator]

All the best

Harry from Purple Jam

P.S. I wrote a thesis on navigation in audio only games, if you're interested in the possibilities of binaural, you can have a ganders here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/42ozf78l9rq174l/Harry_Cooper-ion_of_Navigable_Sound_Worlds_and_an_Auditory_Focus_Mechanic.pdf?dl=0

Check out the audio mechanics in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The sound of approaching balloons: you can hear them far off, and you can audio-locate them. Crickets can hide under flowers, and you can audio-locate those too.

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

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