When it comes to horror there are many elements that affect a game’s quality. Naturally, visuals are a big part of the experience. Without an effective representation of the world you created, it’s not easy to make players feel there is anything to be afraid of or a reason to be unsettled.
When players feel the world they are inhabiting makes sense, it’s easier to create the experience you want. Creepy mansions, bloody monsters, ghosts, dark corners, these all can establish the horror atmosphere you want to deliver, but there is something as important as what you see and that’s what you hear!
Sound effects and music are integral parts of a horror experience be it movies, games or even the stories you tell around a campfire at night. You might not have proper music for a campfire scary story, but the sounds coming from the woods can be scarier than any special effect.
It’s very easy to overlook the importance of sounds in a horror game because when they are created perfectly the players can’t separate them from the complete experience they are having. When visuals, sounds, and the gameplay mix well everything becomes one perfect journey for the players.
Music of Seclusion
This brings us to the music of Seclusion: Islesbury. From day one, I had no doubt music would be one of the most important elements of Seclusion.
There are many ways to approach horror music, but the goal was always going for the minimalist tones. Music of Seclusion had to be dark, tranquil, and easy to listen, sometimes unnerving, sometimes moody, but always in synch with the environment and the story.
And how do you create such music? With a talented musician, of course! As I mentioned in the previous blog post, Nico Negron joined the team this year to help us create the perfect atmosphere for Seclusion.
Being a talented artist is one thing, but creating horror game music with a specific goal is another. Thankfully, Nico and I share a very similar taste and vision when it comes to horror games. That makes our collaboration a very joyful and productive one.
The atmosphere we are creating for Seclusion is a very specific one. It’s lonely, it’s dark, it’s cold, sometimes it’s stressful and sometimes melancholic. I can easily say that Nico managed to give Islesbury its voice. It might not talk, but it hums its dark story through this amazing soundtrack.
So give a listen to the samples we shared here and look forward to hearing them in Seclusion: Islesbury when it comes out this fall. Yes, it’s that close! You can follow our Steam Store page to stay up to date on our release schedule, too.
In the meantime, you can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and IndieDB. If you want to hear more of Nico Negron’s music you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud.
