# Game Audio

> Game audio principles. Sound design, music integration, adaptive audio systems.

- Skill: `yunaamelia/game-audio` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add yunaamelia/game-audio`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/yunaamelia/game-audio/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: yunaamelia (https://skillmd.com/u/yunaamelia)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/yunaamelia/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.