Sound Design

I really wanted to avoid using freesound.org and incompetech for the sound in my game as I feel it's really obvious when a game has used open source audio.  Playing Home and listening to the same door opening and footstep sound bites I've heard a million times before really killed the experience for me and I don't want my project to fall in to the same trap.  Audio is so important for horror games in particular as the sound plays such a large part in creating suspense and tension and therefore needs to be tailored specifically for the experience the designer wants to create.

So I'm really happy to be collaborating with sound designer Lewis Bage for this project!  This post is mainly for his benefit however I've included a diagram of where the audio will be used in game which also gives some insight in to the level layout of the game.

SFX Asset List:

1. Footsteps
1.1. Footsteps crunching on ground
1.2. Footsteps on wooden flooring
1.3. Demon* footsteps slow
1.4. Demon* footsteps running
 *Basically normal footsteps but with echo?  Nothing too heavy/stompy. Slow footsteps should be ominously dragged out and will be used for hiding sequences where player can see the demon slowly passing by.

2. Interaction
2.1. Old wooden door opening
2.2. Locker opening
2.3. Pages turning
2.4. Shuffling of objects (books)
2.5. Portal closing
2.6. Scared, heavy breathing (female, for when player is hiding)

3. Demonic voices
3.1. Various demonic voice sound bites (distorted human voice, perhaps reversed?) x 3
3.2. Loud demonic scream x 3 (preferably one long and two short)

4. Atmosphere
4.1. Wind blowing
4.2. Animal scraping/rustling x2
4.3. Subtle atmospheric title screen music that will also be occasionally used in-game.

5. Assorted Noises
5.1. White Noise
5.2. Ghostly whimpering
5.3. Ominous atmospheric sound clip
5.4. Knocking quiet*
5.5. Knocking loud/increasingly aggressive*
*These sounds will be used to guide the player to the basement area, where the knocking will be loudest.
5.6. Tap dripping
5.7. Quick, assorted sound bites of "things that go bump in the night", perhaps chairs being knocked over, metal being dragged along the ground, rattling?  Probably won't need too many of these.

6. Chase sequence music


3. Demonic Voices 
Five Nights at Freddy's Night 5 phone call great example of demonic voice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIIguXoQl-k
The important factor is that the human voices are completely distorted and unrecognisable.

For the screams, something sort of distorted and loud
e.g.. 15 seconds in to this footage of The Screecher:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIpdQ5bLB_E
These could potentially be used for a jump scare.

4. Atmospheric Music
Something quite subtle that fades in and out.  Will probably be used quite sporadically in game.  (My intention is to remove the music suddenly at certain points, such as in the basement, to create tension.)
Maybe something like the background music in Neverending Nightmares:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8b54Kajgak

5. Assorted sounds
5.1. White Noise
Something really uncomfortable sounding.  The noise 40 seconds on this YouTube clip of the Lone Survivor Mother boss fight is an excellent example of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpCe6l4U5mE

5.2. Ghostly Whimpering
Cynthia's ghost from Silent Hill excellent example of atmospheric  ghostly crying.  Really like the reversed crying noises:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUbOuJHekyE
Theoretically the whimpering will be from the protagonists little brother but honestly any gender would probably work.

5.3. Ominious Atmospheric Sound Clip
8:45 Creature passing window sound from Neverending Nightmaresbite good example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8b54Kajgak

6.  Chase Sequence Music

Something fast-paced and uncomfortable.  The aim is to essentially to make the player feel stressed during these sequences.  Maybe something similar to the audio of the mirror sequence in Clock Tower (1:25):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6c5cm4zuE

Click to enlarge.