sound-designer

name	sound-designer
description	Manage game audio from sourcing to in-engine integration. Use when planning sound effects, sourcing music, organizing audio assets, or deciding when to add sound to the project. For a solo dev — practical sourcing and pipeline, not music theory.
zones	{"knowledge":50,"process":25,"constraint":15,"wisdom":10}

sound-designer

Sound is 50% of the experience and 5% of the work — if you approach it right.

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Capsule: SoundTiming

Invariant Add sound AFTER mechanics feel right, not before. Sound polish on broken mechanics is wasted effort.

Example Don't add impact sounds to combat until the hit detection and knockback feel correct. Once the mechanic is validated, sound transforms "correct" into "satisfying." //BOUNDARY: Placeholder sound during prototyping is fine — a simple "blip" on jump helps evaluate feel. But don't source or produce final audio until the mechanic is locked.

Depth

• The development order: mechanics → art → sound → polish
• Sound is a force multiplier: it makes good mechanics feel great
• Sound cannot save bad mechanics: if movement feels wrong, sound won't fix it
• Placeholder audio (simple beeps/clicks) during prototyping helps evaluation without premature investment

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Capsule: SourceDontCreate

Invariant A solo dev learning to code and make art should source audio, not create it. Music composition and sound design are full careers.

Example Need forest ambience? Download from Freesound.org (CC0 license). Need a sword clash? Use sfxr to generate a retro-style effect, or find one in a free SFX pack. Need a game soundtrack? Commission it or use a licensed music pack. //BOUNDARY: If the user genuinely wants to learn audio production, respect that — but it's a scope expansion. Check with scope-guardian.

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Audio Asset Types

SFX (Sound Effects)

Category	Examples	Priority
Player actions	Jump, attack, dash, land, pick up, use	Core — add these first
Combat	Hit, damage taken, death, projectile fire/hit	Core
UI	Button click, menu open/close, confirm, cancel	Important
Environment	Footsteps, doors, chests, breakables	Important
Feedback	Level complete, achievement, error, warning	Nice-to-have

Music

Track	When	Priority
Gameplay loop (1-2 tracks)	During gameplay	Important
Title/menu	Main menu, pause	Nice-to-have
Boss/tension	Combat escalation	Nice-to-have
Stingers	Short cues for events (3-5 sec)	Nice-to-have

For a v1.0 solo dev game: 2-3 music tracks and 15-25 SFX is enough. Don't plan for 20 unique tracks.

Ambient

Background audio loops for environments. Layer on top of music.

• One per environment type is sufficient (forest, cave, town, rain)

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Sourcing Audio

Free Sources

Source	Content	License
Freesound.org	SFX, ambient, field recordings	Varies (check per file) — prefer CC0
OpenGameArt.org	SFX and music for games	Varies — check per asset
Kenney.nl	Game-ready SFX packs	CC0
itch.io	SFX and music packs (free section)	Varies

Paid Sources

Source	Content	Cost
itch.io asset packs	Curated game audio	$5-30 per pack
Humble Bundle	Periodic game audio bundles	$15-30
Epidemic Sound / Artlist	Music libraries	Subscription

Generate Your Own SFX

sfxr / jsfxr — Generate retro-style sound effects procedurally.

Use for: jump, coin, explosion, laser, powerup, hit, select.

jsfxr runs in the browser at sfxr.me — no install needed. Export as WAV, then convert to OGG with Audacity.

Audacity — Free audio editor for:

• Trimming and normalizing downloaded SFX
• Layering multiple sounds
• Converting between formats
• Recording your own foley (clapping, tapping, etc.)
• Volume normalization: When mixing SFX from different sources, normalize all to the same peak level (e.g., -3dB). Effect -> Normalize in Audacity. This prevents some sounds being deafening while others are inaudible.

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Audio Formats

Format	Use For	Why
WAV	Source/master files	Uncompressed, full quality
OGG Vorbis	In-engine SFX and music	Compressed, good quality, free format
MP3	Avoid if possible	Patent issues historically; OGG is better for games

Export Settings

• SFX: OGG Vorbis, quality 6-8 (out of 10), mono, 44.1kHz
• Music: OGG Vorbis, quality 8-10, stereo, 44.1kHz
• Ambient: OGG Vorbis, quality 6-8, stereo, 44.1kHz, seamless loop

Most game engines prefer OGG. Check your engine's documentation.

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Folder Structure

Follows art-pipeline conventions:

assets/
└── audio/
    ├── sfx/
    │   ├── player/        ← player_jump.ogg, player_attack.ogg
    │   ├── combat/        ← hit_sword.ogg, damage_taken.ogg
    │   ├── ui/            ← button_click.ogg, menu_open.ogg
    │   └── environment/   ← door_open.ogg, chest_open.ogg
    ├── music/
    │   ├── gameplay/      ← track_exploration.ogg
    │   ├── menu/          ← track_title.ogg
    │   └── stingers/      ← stinger_boss_appear.ogg
    └── ambient/           ← ambient_forest.ogg, ambient_cave.ogg

Naming Convention

Same pattern as art-pipeline:

[category]_[descriptor].ogg

Examples:

• player_jump.ogg
• hit_sword_01.ogg, hit_sword_02.ogg (variants for randomization)
• track_exploration.ogg
• ambient_forest_loop.ogg

Multiple variants: For SFX that play frequently (footsteps, hits), create 2-3 variants numbered _01, _02, _03. Playing random variants prevents repetition fatigue.

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Licensing

Hard Rules

• Always check the license before using any sourced audio
• Record the license in a LICENSES.md file in the audio directory
• CC0 (public domain): Use freely, no attribution required. Prefer this.
• CC-BY: Must credit the creator. Track attributions in LICENSES.md.
• CC-BY-NC: Non-commercial only. Do NOT use for a game you plan to sell.
• No license listed: Do NOT use. Unlicensed content defaults to "all rights reserved."

License Tracking

# Audio Licenses

## SFX
- player_jump.ogg: Generated with jsfxr (no license needed)
- hit_sword_01.ogg: Freesound.org by [author], CC0
- door_open.ogg: Kenney.nl, CC0

## Music
- track_exploration.ogg: Commissioned from [artist], exclusive license
- track_title.ogg: [Pack name] from itch.io, CC-BY [author]

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When to Add Sound (Development Timeline)

Phase	Sound Work	Effort
Prototyping	Placeholder bleeps from sfxr	30 min total
Core mechanics locked	Source/generate player action SFX	2-4 hours
Vertical slice	Basic SFX set + one music track	1-2 days
Alpha	Full SFX set, 2-3 music tracks	3-5 days
Beta	Polish, audio mixing, ambient layers	2-3 days

Total audio work for a solo dev game: roughly 2 weeks spread across development. This is why sourcing beats creating — 2 weeks of sourcing and integration gets you 95% of the result that 6 months of learning audio production would.

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Constraints

• Source audio, don't create it (unless audio production is an explicit learning goal)
• Always check and record licenses in LICENSES.md
• No audio work until mechanics are validated (placeholders excepted)
• OGG Vorbis for in-engine files, WAV for source/master files
• Follow naming conventions from art-pipeline
• 2-3 variants for frequently-played SFX to prevent repetition fatigue
• Keep total audio scope realistic: 15-25 SFX + 2-3 music tracks for v1.0

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For AI Assistants

When helping with game audio:

1. Check the timing: Has the mechanic been validated? If not, defer sound work. "Let's get the movement feeling right first, then add sound."
2. Default to sourcing: When the user needs audio, suggest sourcing before creating. "For forest ambience, check Freesound.org with a CC0 filter."
3. License check: When the user adds sourced audio, ask about the license. "What license does that file use? Let's add it to LICENSES.md."
4. Scope guard: If the user plans extensive audio work, check scope. "15 SFX and 2 music tracks is good for v1.0. We can add more post-launch."
5. Suggest sfxr: For retro-style games or quick placeholders, jsfxr is instant. "Want to generate a quick jump sound in jsfxr?"

When the user mentions wanting to learn music production:

• Acknowledge the interest
• Check with scope-guardian: "Learning music production is a multi-month investment. Want to factor that into the project timeline, or source audio and learn music separately?"

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Deeper

• The art-pipeline skill — Parallel asset management patterns
• The scope-guardian skill — Audio content is scope
• The gdd-writer skill — Audio Direction section
• The prototype-coach skill — Placeholder audio during prototyping
• Freesound.org — Primary free SFX source
• jsfxr — Browser-based retro SFX generator

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Sound turns a game you can see into a game you can feel.