Dear Reader:
How Sound Tells the Story of 'Night in the Woods' panel being held at GDC 2018
Speaker: Em Halberstadt (A Shell in the Pit, Sound Designer)
The story of 'Night in the Woods' is based on the environment, and the sound works in conjunction with each scene to make you feel as though you are there. It mimics the liveliness of real life, where everything has its own story. Em will be exploring the atmospheric audio she created, including the ways in which it changes over time, and brings life to that which cannot be seen. Examples from the game and implementation strategies will be shown and discussed. This will be a talk about how sound can actively contribute to the game world and story.
Takeaway
The goal of this talk is to inspire sound designers to think about what they could add to the story beyond the immediately obvious, to instead draw influence from the environment and expand upon it. Writers and creators will be given ideas on how to include audio in their initial plans, enhancing the narrative to be more than a visual experience.
Intended Audience
Game developers and sound designers of all skill levels as well as writers and anyone who is looking to create a cohesive story.
While A Night in the Woods hasn't been officially confirmed for Switch just yet, the developer very clearly teased a Switch version being in the works. While we wait for the confirmation, we can look forward to this GDC panel on the game's creation!