Game sound design for Audio-only video games Asbjoern Andersen


The Verge's David Pierce has shared an interesting interview with Paul Bennun (Papa Sangre & more) about the evolution of audio-only games - and why the future could be looking brighter than ever for these types of games. Hear the full story below:
Please share:
SoundMorph Halloween Sale 2025

Here’s the official introduction:

 
Not all video games need video. Over the years, games that exist only in audio have taken players into entirely new worlds in which there’s nothing to see and still everything to do. These games have huge accessibility implications, allowing people who can’t see to play an equally fun, equally immersive game with their other senses. And when all you have is sound, there’s actually even more you can do to make your game great.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we explore the history of audio-only games with Paul Bennun, who has been in this space longer than most. Years ago, Bennun and his team at Somethin’ Else made a series of games called Papa Sangre that were among the most innovative and most popular games of their kind. He explains what makes an audio game work, why the iPhone 4 was such a crucial technological achievement for these games, and more.

Hear the full episode here:

More about audio-only games:

Behind Blind Drive’s Essential Game Audio:


Behind Blind Drive’s Essential Game Audio:How successful would you be at driving blindfolded? The game developer Lo-Fi People has made it possible to find out (in a safe way, of course!) with Blind Drive. Here, we talk with Giori Politi of Lo-Fi People to learn more about the game, how sound is used as the driving force behind the gameplay – and the challenges and possibilities of designing sound for an audio-based game:

 

Read the in-depth interview

BLIND VR: A Perspective On Generating Emotions Through Sound:


BLIND VR: A Perspective On Generating Emotions Through Sound:Blind is a narrative-driven psychological virtual reality thriller where the player experiences a complete loss of sight and must explore their surroundings using echolocation. In this interesting article by sound designers Paolo Armao and Aram Jean Shahbazians, they discuss the challenges they faced – and the solutions they adopted – to support the VR experience using sound and music:
 

Read the in-depth interview here

How to make your games blind accessible with game audio
– an essential guide by Máté Moldován:


How to make your games blind accessible with game audio – an essential guide by Máté Moldován:Máté Moldován is a sound designer who recently completed his Bachelor of Arts in Sound for Games and Apps where he researched designing sound for better blind accessibility in games. Here he shares his in-depth findings to inspire game sound designers to think about how audio can be a driving force for communicating the gameplay experience through clear, logical design:

 

Read the in-depth guide here

 

Please share this:


 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Bloody Nightmare is a modern horror cinematic library aimed at the most cutting edge bone chilling productions out there.

    Whether you work in sound design, as a composer, trailer editor or as an electronic musician, Bloody Nightmare is a valuable new wave of Horror sounds that will surely cause visceral moments of terror and dread!

    91 %
    OFF
  • Introducing MOTION GRAPHICS, a complete Motion Graphics sound effects library from SoundMorph!

    Motion Graphics focuses on all the elements you might need for sound design on a trailer, a cinematic scene or a visual that is heavy with motion graphics, whether it be abstract or straight forward, Motion Graphics has all the elements and textures you could think of. Motion Graphics are something all of us sound designers run into at one point or another, so this library is an excellent addition to your sound effects tool box.

    Motion Graphics was created by and in collaboration with sound designer Rostislav Trifonov (SoundMorph Elemental library contributor).

    Motion Graphics features 650 24bit/96 kHz .wav files, all meticulously embedded with Soundminer & Basehead metadata.

    The library features:

    • 450 + designed sound effects
    • 190 + source audio files
    • Whooshes
    • Impacts
    • Risers
    • Stingers
    • Low end and Sub Bass
    • Impulse Responses
    • Passbys
    • Textures – noise, grit, glitch
    • Ambiences
    • Buttons and Clicks
    • Mechanical Elements
    • Granular effects
    91 %
    OFF
  • Punchy Transients is an organized toolbox that serves as a reliable source of ”layers of impact” which many, many sounds do require to be in their best fit. It is also a trusty stash for designers who need to save some time to focus on something else.

    The library content was made by recording a collection of hits on a punching bag using many techniques. Also, a dry version of each sample and a folder of bonus thumps are included.

    58 %
    OFF
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • São Miguel – Flows (supporter pack) is a collection that includes 14 looped files.
    The palette explores the sounds of the ocean, waterfalls, and hot springs. These recordings were captured in Moihnos (Cascata do Limbo, Praia dos Moihnos), Ribeira dos Caldeirões, Ponta do Arnel, and Furnas (Caldeira).
    Recorded in 96 kHz/24 bit, these sounds are easy to navigate and were captured using a Sony PCM D100.

  • ATTENTION: The audio preview only simulates gameplay to demo just a portion of the library’s content.


    Reward your players with the jackpot of 340 high-quality (170 original sounds), easy to use audio files that provide you with all the sports-themed audio your games will ever need!

    Create a casino masterpiece and a true immersion in your slots with this one-of-a-kind collection of royalty free sounds and music, expertly handcrafted to be a perfect fit for your games.

     

    ALL SLOT GAME ELEMENTS YOU WILL EVER NEED

    With numerous INTERFACE SOUNDS, such as REEL SPIN START BUTTONs, REEL SPINNING noises, REEL STOPs, BET INCREASE and DECREASE sounds, and all other interface buttons and TRANSITIONS, as well as WIN PAYOUT SOUNDs, such as short WIN TUNES, MUSICAL PAYOUT ROLLUP COUNTERs, SELECT and REVEAL jingles, various SYMBOL sounds, and FREE GAMES / FEATURE MUSIC LOOPs to fit any scene or situation (from strip-back relaxing background to upbeat catchy themes), this library is a perfect choice for your Online Video Slot, Mobile or even Land-based Casino Games!

     

    SPORTS-THEMED SOUNDS FOR YOUR FEATURE GAMES

    Need BASKETBALL game sounds, SOCCER / FOOTBALL, HOCKEY, BASEBALL, GOLF, TENNIS, TABLE TENNIS / PING PONG, SKIING / BOBSLED, SWIMMING or WATERPOLO, BOXING and even more? We got you covered!

    With all essential action and foley sounds for most common Oympic Sports that have been included in this pack, along with ambiences and miscellaneous sounds – such as AIR HORNS, ARENA AMBIENCES, CROWD CHEERING and CHANTING, JUDGE WHISTLE, and more – this sound effects library will leave nothing to be desired!

     

    ENGAGING SPORTS MUSIC IN ALL GENRES

    Immerse your players in gaming experience like no other with almost every music genre commonly found in sport events, games and tv program. We have also included multiple variations and edits to make your workflow as fast and easy as posible.

    From INDIE ROCK, HARD ROCK and METAL, to multiple sub-genres of ELECTRONIC Music, FUNK, ROCK BLUES and other genres, from SHORT STINGS, JINGLES and DROPS, to LOOPS, music mixes in VARIOUS INTENSITIES, included content here is a must have in your audio collection.

     

    With each audio file being drag-and-drop ready, presented in high quality MP3 and WAV formats with meticulously labelled keywords for your convienience, you will create the perfect gaming experience for your players in a matter of moments!


    So STEP UP YOUR SLOTS, GRAB ATTENTION and BUILD CONNECTION with YOUR PLAYERS! 

    DOWNLOAD NOW!


    SPORTS SLOTS at a Glance:

    • Symbol Sounds, Buttons and other Interface Sounds, Reel Spin and Stops, Trigger Sounds, Selection and Reveal sound effects, Music Loops for every scene and situation, Win Tunes and Rollups, Payouts and other short Celebration Tunes + much more!
    • Sports-Themed Feature Sounds: Basketball, Soccer / Football, Hockey, Baseball, Golf, Tennis, Table Tennis / Ping Pong, Skiing / Bobsled, Swimming, Waterpolo, Boxing and more
    • Numerous Variations and Edits of the assets, such as multiple lengths, intensities, looping and non-looping variants, and more;
    • Ready to use – requires no editing, labelling or splicing. Categorized, organized and individually labeled files for maximum use efficiency;
    • FREE Updates to higher versions, FOREVER!

    Enrich your slot IP in seconds with beautifully mixed, AAA quality sounds brought to you by our team of industry veterans, whose 1000+ slot games worth of experience have culminated in this extraordinary sound pack!



    DON’T DELAY any longer, you are only a step away from bringing your game to life. Take action and DOWNLOAD NOW!

    10 %
    OFF
  • Animal Sound Effects Pigs Play Track 33 sounds included $7.99

    A collection of close up recordings of large pigs making sounds such as grunts, oinks, and squeals!

     

    Features:

    • 33 audio files in 48kHz 24 bit WAV format
    • UCS compliant file naming and metadata
    • Available for commercial or non-commercial use, with no attribution required
    20 %
    OFF
  • This bundle includes THE ARCANE: ELECTRIC SPELLS and THE ARCANE: FIRE SPELLS.

    More than 1200 sound effects fully focused on electric and fire spells.

    THE ARCANE: ELECTRIC SPELLS

    622 meticulously processed stereo electric and lightning spells sound effects recorded in 96 khz and 24 bits for high audio definition.

    The collection comes with hundreds of variations, more than 1 hour of content and many different type of spells. It also includes raw files for more flexibility for your projects.

    This collection is perfect for any films, video games or trailers.

    The library is fully focused on electric, thunder and lightning spells. You will find simple one shot electric impacts, powerful high level thunder spells, magic weapon enchantments and so on. Spells such as lightning strike, electric blast, thunderbolt, magnetic field, thunder hammer, electric sword, lightning projectile, etc. are included in this library.

    Recorded assets: Thunder, big and small adhesive tapes, inflated balloon, styrofoam, cellophane, various clothes, baseball glove, winter gloves, metal objects, aluminum foil, oven door, etc. Analog/digital synths and ultrasonic/geophone usage for more variety.

    THE ARCANE ELECTRIC SPELLS

    THE ARCANE: FIRE SPELLS

    638 meticulously processed stereo fire spells sound effects recorded in 96 khz and 24 bits for high audio definition.

    The collection comes with hundreds of variations, more than 1 hour of content and many different type of fire spells. It also includes source sounds for more flexibility for your projects.

    This collection is perfect for any films, video games or trailers.

    The library is fully focused on fire spells. You will find simple one shot magic firebolt, powerful high level fire spells, fire sword, berserker enchantments and so on. Spells such as fireball,  firewall, rain of fire, meteor, fire nova, magma storm, pyroblast, sword of Avernus, etc. are included in this library.

    Recorded assets: blanket, rainproof trouser, ski gloves, wind breaker coat, paperboard, thin and thick paper, bubble wrap, tap water, water in hot pan, pine cone, wood branches, various synth, etc.

    THE ARCANE FIRE SPELLS
    17 %
    OFF
  • Woodpile Chaos is a gritty collection of 82 wooden hits, creaks, and scrapes — a wild mix of organic textures born from raw timber and controlled destruction.

    40 %
    OFF
    Ends 1761606000

   

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HTML tags are not allowed.