Music can completely transform the experience of a game. A good soundtrack is memorable. To this day, I still have printed in my brain the soundtrack of Macintosh classic from 1985, Winter Games.

Or the Woods Area level in Kid Chameleon. So naturally, I explored some retro sounding options. Lo-fi, chiptunes, I’m a big fan of bands like Anamanguchi or Bit Shifter. But I didn’t want to sound vintage, I wanted something that would feel cinematic. More like a score composed just for this game.

A Cinematic Score

That’s when I thought about a pizzicato piece. Pizzicato is a musical technique where musicians use their fingers to pluck the strings, rather than play them using a bow. It has been used in countless films, cartoons and TV programmes, often to accompany a character tip-toeing or sneaking about. Wes Anderson is a big fan of such tonalities for his films.

This discovery led me to the work of Steven O'Brien, an Irish composer known for his brilliant pizzicati. I eventually chose 'Bumbling in the Dark' for its great accents, pace, and perfect atmosphere.

https://www.steven-obrien.net/#bumbling-in-the-dark

There were a few other good candidates, but I kept returning to that one. Good sign; it really ties the game together well.