“Sound is not just what you hear — it’s what you feel, what you understand, and what makes you stay.”
In this article, I explore how audio in video games serves as more than decoration — it informs, moves, and shapes the player’s experience. From Doom to Disney Dreamlight Valley, here’s how sound design and music support gameplay, narrative, and emotion.
Sound as a Source of Information and to Support Game Mechanics
When we play, it’s not always possible to keep an eye on all the visual feedback, such as those shown in the HUD (Heads-Up Display). A clearly identifiable sound can alert the player to take action at the right moment, without needing to look away from the center of the screen.
Example: Disney Speedstorm is a racing game I had the chance to work on as an audio director.
A very distinctive sound plays when the nitro gauge is full, allowing the player to boost without losing time. No need to take your eyes off the road — the sound alone provides the information.
Developers may also want to convey certain information in a more organic and implicit way.
Example: Doom
Here, aggressive music starts when entering a room full of monsters. Once the enemies are cleared, the music stops, signaling to the player that he can breathe again.
In some cases, sound communicates vital information far more effectively than any visual feedback.
Example: Fortnite
This game is a masterpiece of sound design. Attenuation, spatialization, occlusion, and sound diffraction help players accurately detect the position of enemies — even through walls or on a different floor.
Sound as a Source of Emotion
Sound — especially music and voice — is a powerful vehicle for emotion.
Some works, whether in film or games, rely heavily on sound to create atmosphere and generate emotion.
Think of Star Wars. John Williams’ music, with its operatic qualities, is as important as the main characters.
Speaking of Star Wars, here’s a little exercise to illustrate my point. Click the link and immediately mute the sound:
What you’re seeing is the tutorial level of Lego Star Wars: Castaways, which I had the opportunity to work on.
The first time we played this level during development, there was no sound or music. The gameplay involved walking through a few rooms with a broom and hitting some objects. Nothing too exciting.
Now replay the clip with the sound on. You’ll notice that the music adds a great deal of emotion. It makes us feel like we’re part of an epic and dangerous adventure — even though not much is actually happening.
Here’s another example that stayed with me: Homeworld.
After fifteen increasingly difficult levels, one final battle stands between us and a return to our home planet. When all seems lost, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, sung by a choir, begins. It amplifies all the emotions we feel at this climactic point.
Sound to Support Story and Setting
Sound and music also serve to support the narrative and contextual aspects of a game, aligning with its creative and artistic direction.
Example: Modern Combat 5
As soon as the shutters open and we discover Venice, the music starts, supporting both the action and the setting. The energy, the orchestral and electronic colors accompany the combat, but the string writing unmistakably evokes Vivaldi — the iconic 18th-century Venetian composer.
Example: Super Mario Bros
This game is one of the best examples of music illustrating the environment. Let’s take the underwater cave level. The 3/4 rhythm and soft textures match the aquatic setting, where the character swims among fish.
Example: Lego Legacy: Unboxed, a game I worked on a few years ago.
Each environment has its own musical context. In this video, the music clearly evokes a swampy Bayou setting.
Sound to Enhance the Pleasure of Playing
We shouldn’t ignore the intrinsic beauty of sounds and music. Some sounds are simply satisfying and subtly increase the pleasure of playing.
Example: Disney Dreamlight Valley, another project I worked on.
Several of the sounds are very pleasing, both to me and to players. I particularly enjoy the sound of the pickaxe breaking rocks.
One very important consideration is not to exhaust the player with sound. Some people play for hours. There are several ways to avoid fatigue:
- Include as much variety in sounds and music as possible (although this isn’t always feasible due to time or budget constraints)
- Use dynamic and random systems to generate variety with limited assets
- Create space — in timing and frequency — I’ll publish another article on this soon
- If musical variety is limited, avoid strong, recognizable melodies and opt for ambient, spacious music
- Be careful not to overuse high frequencies, which can quickly become tiring
- Respect platform loudness standards ( -23 LUFS for consoles, -16 LUFS for mobile)
Visuals, Voice, Sound, Music, Silence: Who Tells the Story?
In both cinema and video games, we don’t always need sound, music, and voice simultaneously.
Sometimes, ambient sounds — like wind in the leaves — tell the story best. Sometimes it’s just a monologue. Other times it’s the music. And occasionally, silence is the most powerful way to convey emotion.
Example: Gears of War 3
Here, the music and voices express the sadness of a character’s death while sound effects fade into the background. Watch until the end.
Conclusion: Sound as a Support for the Game
Audio is a fundamental element in video games. It provides crucial information, stirs emotion, builds attachment, supports story and historical context, enhances gameplay — all while avoiding fatigue.
It’s important to understand that our role as sound designers or composers is to highlight the game — not our own sounds or music.
Unlike a music album, which emphasizes melody and density, video game music often leaves space and becomes more of a “musical atmosphere” that allows the game to breathe and lets the sound design shine through.
Example: Disney Dreamlight Valley
Notice how the music creates a spacious, intimate, and calming atmosphere, allowing the player to enjoy the nighttime ambiance.
More intense musical moments can be used to highlight specific gameplay events like cutscenes or key story moments.
The same applies to sound design. We don’t need to hear every real-world detail. We prioritize the most relevant sounds, which often means leaving out anything unnecessary.
Game Audio Insights 