So one of my favourite parts of sound design is building ambiences. I really enjoy, also, the feeling of being able to take people into a space that sound gives. And I think that's really interesting, to be able to almost manipulate people with sound, and kind of enhance the story without people necessarily thinking about it. JAMES PARKINSON: Sound can sometimes be an afterthought or secondary to the gameplay, but when it’s considered at the beginning of the development process, it can really enhance the whole experience.ĮM HALBERSTADT: I think one of the things that interests me about sound is that it does a lot of its storytelling subconsciously. And I had seen the trailers of Goose Game before, so I was very excited at the prospect of working on it with them. Em’s work can also be heard in indie titles like Night in the Woods, Chicory and Wandersong.ĮM HALBERSTADT: House House actually reached out to me after they - I think they watched - I did a talk at GDC on Night in the Woods and how the sound tells a story for that game.

Because it was still a work in progress though, these early versions featured placeholder sounds, until Em Halberstadt came on board. This was in mid-2016, and a year later the game was in early development. The more they talked about it, the more other ideas and prototypes fell away, and making a Goose Game became their focus. The guys were off on a wild discussion about everything they found funny and interesting about geese. Designer, Stuart Gillespie-Cook randomly posted a photo of a goose in the House House group chat, as the team were discussing several ideas for their next game, and that’s all it took. JAMES PARKINSON: The story of Untitled Goose Game starts with a joke. I make music for games, I made music for Untitled Goose Game. But for Untitled Goose Game, they commissioned two more people to craft the sound design and the music.ĮM HALBERSTADT: I'm Em Halberstadt, and I'm an Audio Director at A Shell In The Pit Audio in Vancouver in Canada.ĭAN GOLDING: My name is Dan Golding. JAMES PARKINSON: House House is a small developer based in Melbourne, Australia - a team of only four. From Lawson Media, this is Gameplay, stories about video games and the virtual worlds that power culture and community. JAMES PARKINSON: While some games can be blanketed in sound, Untitled Goose Game takes a minimalist approach, and the result is a soundscape that’s both charming and really, really funny. And I guess my musical style, to some degree, is just kind of taking things seriously in order to be funny. I mean, that's the kind of way that I've approached it, I guess. I think once the music starts winking at the audience, it doesn't work anymore. But for me, the humour, or the influence that I got from the humour is like, the voices being kind of understated, and letting the goose be the biggest thing in the space.ĭAN GOLDING: You know, I think music for comedy games can't be in on the joke. And one of the key components to pulling this off is the way the game approaches sound design and music.ĮM HALBERSTADT: I think the biggest thing was the subtlety of the humour, I mean, part of it isn't really subtle, because it's this really loud, obnoxious goose.

But then once you play the game, you understand what it does so well, which is a kind of slapstick comedy in the form of a game. For starters, the whole concept is just completely unique, which I think is what makes people go, “Hang on, what? You’re an evil goose?”. Twitter was flooded with goose memes and it received a lot of positive reviews and press coverage. JAMES PARKINSON: When Untitled Goose Game was released in 2019, it quickly became a game that everyone was talking about.

Like, stealing the farmer's keys or making him hammer his thumb. You’re given a checklist of different tasks to complete before progressing to the next section. JAMES PARKINSON: Each level of the game takes place in a different area of the village. You play as a mischievous goose, and your aim is to cause as much havoc as possible, by annoying the villagers of a quiet English town. That’s the premise of Untitled Goose Game, a comedy/stealth/puzzle hybrid, developed by the indie studio House House. JAMES PARKINSON: It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose. In this episode, composer Dan Golding, and sound designer Em Halberstadt break down how the game’s dynamic music and sound effects influence its unique humour and charm. You play as a mischievous goose, and your task is to cause as much havoc as possible, annoying the villagers of a quiet English town. That’s the premise of the indie hit Untitled Goose Game, a comedy/stealth/puzzle hybrid, developed by House House, and released in 2019. It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose.

Untitled goose game soundtrack