I Scored a series of games with a young developer called Aesc. He needed music & sound effects to complete his games. That is what I do.
Aesc: https://aescosaurus.itch.io/
Cover art by Jane Stockwell: https://janestockwell.com/
Something I hate when playing games is having a really short loop that goes over and over ad nauseam so I deliberately set out to write pieces that were long enough to cover the average player’s time in that space. It was important to me that each piece really represented and added to the scene & story it underscored.
Some of these pieces are not the exact original sounds as when I came to prepare them for this release, I didn’t have access to one of the synths used. It was not hard to replicate them using my usual tools so mostly no one will know the difference.
S.P.A.C.E. Force
In this very 80s styled game, you are a cat in a UFO, saving kittens from evil space foxes (also in UFOs). The whole game was built in a week for a Game Jam and we won solidly. I deliberately wanted a very bright & cheery 80s type sound, without being cliche Techno (which is often not proper to the era at all).
Puzzle Tiles
Puzzle Tiles is a simple but somewhat addictive game where you shoot blocks to escape to the next level. The aim was for the game to feel somewhat calming. I think we got there, provided you didn’t mind the whole game seeming somewhat obtuse.
Dungeon Brawler
Dungeon Brawler is a platformer sharing some feel with the arcade games Berserk (1980) & Tutankham (1982). It is a bit mental to play. I wanted each scene to carry a strong & unique feel. Despite the arcade feel, I wanted the music to be more sophisticated than chiptune alone:
– Intro: Fun arcade gameplay coming up
– Sand: Golden Era of Film style Arabic desert
– Sea: A slight sea shanty feel (but not SpongeBob)
– Volcano: or Hell is deliberately edgy and dark, borrowing from Goth & Metal.
Crystal Hopper
Another retro-styled platformer. I kept the core style well in the chip space but again added depth in the sense of scene & story.
– Menu: Short and sweepy. Pulse n bleep.
– Earth: Cheery – ooh we are setting off (borrowed in some part from a certain Metal Song that went Top 10 in the 80s)
– Moon: A bit mysterious. A dusty feel. Hard work but with sparkles too.
– Mars: bright & adventurous. Who doesn’t like a new world
– Jupiter: Heavy, oppressive, skin melting, but it has to be done