Audio Production

Tools (Budget-Friendly)

Free:

• BFXR/SFXR - Retro game sounds (8-bit style)
• Audacity - Editing, effects, cleanup
• ChipTone - Chiptune sound generator

Paid:

• Splice/Epidemic Sound - Licensed SFX libraries (~$15/month)

SFX Design Principles

Layer for Impact:

Attack sound = Attack swoosh + Impact thud + Feedback ring
             = 3 sounds, mixed together

Variations Prevent Fatigue:

• Create 3-5 variations of frequent sounds
• Randomize pitch slightly (+/- 5-10%)
• Random selection on each play

Match Visual Timing:

• Sound triggers on impact frame, not attack start
• Short sounds for quick actions
• Longer sounds for heavy/slow actions

Per-Category SFX Guide

Player Sounds

Enemy Sounds

UI Sounds

Environmental

Music for Solo Devs

Options (Recommended Order)

1. Licensed Music

• Epidemic Sound, Artlist (~$15-25/month)
• One-time purchase packs
• Verify game usage rights!

2. Royalty-Free

• OpenGameArt.org
• Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)
• Newgrounds Audio Portal

3. Commission

• Fiverr composers ($50-500 per track)
• Game dev communities
• Specify: loopable, stems if possible

4. Create Yourself

• Bosca Ceoil (free, chiptune)
• LMMS (free DAW)
• Beepbox (browser-based)

Music Needs Assessment

Minimum for Launch: 3-4 tracks (safe, exploration, combat, boss)

Audio Implementation

Audio Bus Structure

Master
├── Music
│   └── Ducking (lower during combat)
├── SFX
│   ├── Player
│   ├── Enemies
│   └── Environment
├── UI
└── Ambient

Basic Audio Manager

class_name AudioManager
extends Node

@onready var music_player: AudioStreamPlayer = $MusicPlayer
@onready var sfx_pool: Array[AudioStreamPlayer] = []

var current_music: String = ""

func play_sfx(sfx_name: String, position: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO):
    var stream = load("res://audio/sfx/" + sfx_name + ".wav")
    var player = get_available_player()
    
    if player:
        player.stream = stream
        player.pitch_scale = randf_range(0.95, 1.05)  # Slight variation
        player.play()

func play_music(track_name: String, fade_duration: float = 1.0):
    if track_name == current_music:
        return
    
    var new_stream = load("res://audio/music/" + track_name + ".ogg")
    
    # Crossfade
    var tween = create_tween()
    tween.tween_property(music_player, "volume_db", -40, fade_duration)
    await tween.finished
    
    music_player.stream = new_stream
    music_player.play()
    
    tween = create_tween()
    tween.tween_property(music_player, "volume_db", 0, fade_duration)
    
    current_music = track_name

Positional Audio

# For sounds that should feel spatial
func play_sfx_at_position(sfx_name: String, position: Vector2):
    var player = AudioStreamPlayer2D.new()
    player.stream = load("res://audio/sfx/" + sfx_name + ".wav")
    player.global_position = position
    player.max_distance = 500  # Adjust for game scale
    add_child(player)
    player.play()
    player.finished.connect(player.queue_free)

Audio Polish Techniques

Ducking

Lower music during important SFX:

func play_important_sfx(sfx_name: String):
    AudioServer.get_bus_effect(music_bus_idx, compressor_idx).enabled = true
    play_sfx(sfx_name)
    await get_tree().create_timer(0.3).timeout
    AudioServer.get_bus_effect(music_bus_idx, compressor_idx).enabled = false

Combat Music Layers

Base loop (always playing)
+ Combat layer (crossfade when enemies near)
+ Boss layer (add intensity in boss fights)

Footstep Variation

var footstep_sounds = [
    preload("res://audio/sfx/footstep_1.wav"),
    preload("res://audio/sfx/footstep_2.wav"),
    preload("res://audio/sfx/footstep_3.wav")
]
var last_footstep = -1

func play_footstep():
    var idx = randi() % footstep_sounds.size()
    # Avoid immediate repeat
    while idx == last_footstep and footstep_sounds.size() > 1:
        idx = randi() % footstep_sounds.size()
    last_footstep = idx
    
    play_sfx_from_stream(footstep_sounds[idx])

File Formats

Recommended Formats

Audio Settings

• Sample rate: 44100Hz
• Bit depth: 16-bit
• Mono for SFX (saves space)
• Stereo for music

Audio Checklist

Before Launch

• All critical SFX implemented
• Music for all zones
• Volume sliders in settings (Master, Music, SFX)
• Mute on focus loss (optional)
• No clipping or distortion
• Audio plays on all target platforms

Polish Pass

• SFX variations for frequent sounds
• Pitch randomization
• Positional audio for relevant sounds
• Music crossfades
• Combat/exploration music transitions

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/audio-mixing.md - Mixing and balancing guide
• references/sfx-creation.md - Creating SFX with free tools

Examples

• examples/audio-manager.gd - Complete audio manager
• examples/sfx-list-template.md - SFX tracking sheet