Game Audio Projects

Tentacular

Audio ImplementationUnityFMODResonance Audio
PSVR2Meta Quest 1 & 2PCVRPico 4
A screenshot of Tentacular for PSVR2

Tentacular is a virtual reality game about a gigantic but good-hearted tentacled beast trying to figure out its place in the world. It was developed by Firepunchd and published by Devolver Digital for Meta Quest 2, SteamVR and PlayStation VR2 platforms.

On this project, I was responsible for:

  • Helping creating the audio collision system that dynamically generates sounds based on the size, speed and material of the objects that the tentacles interact with;
  • Integrating audio assets into the game using FMOD Studio and Unity, ensuring optimal performance and quality across different platforms and devices;
  • Setting up the PlayStation VR2 haptics using FMOD Studio's port system, creating immersive feedback for the player's actions and movements.

I enjoyed working on this project as it challenged me to integrate expressive sound design for a unique character and environment. I also learned a lot from collaborating with the talented team at Firepunchd and working alongside Foley Artist, Sound Designer and Composer Almut Schwacke, who created unique sound effects and a rich dynamic soundtrack for the game.

Grapple Dog

Middleware IntegrationGameMaker Studio 2FMODC++
WindowsSwitchXbox Series X|S
A screenshot of Grapple Dog

Grapple Dog is a 2D pixel art platformer game that features an awesome grappling hook mechanic. The game was released on Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2022 and received positive reviews from critics and players.

For this project I've created an FMOD integration for GameMaker Studio 2, which is the engine that Grapple Dog was built with. This allowed the audio team to implement and manage audio assets in the game more efficiently, resulting in an improved audio experience for players. In general I was responsible for:

  • Designing and implementing an FMOD wrapper that could be easily integrated into GameMaker Studio 2;
  • Developing custom audio tools to assist the audio team in creating and managing audio assets;
  • Working closely with the audio team to ensure that the FMOD integration met their requirements;
  • Optimizing audio playback and processing to improve performance and reduce latency;
  • Conducting testing and debugging of audio-related issues across multiple platforms, including Windows and Switch.

Working on Grapple Dog was a rewarding experience for me as an audio programmer. I learned a lot about using the FMOD API with GameMaker Studio 2 on consoles. I also received positive feedback from the iGameAudio audio team, who appreciated my work and collaboration.

Wwise for Godot

Middleware IntegrationGodot 3.5WwiseC++
WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
Shows the Wwise integration for Godot 3.5

Working in collaboration with audio software engineer and audio technology specialist Jorge García, I designed and implemented a range of features that enable developers to integrate the powerful audio features of Wwise into their Godot projects and to create immersive and dynamic audio experiences across multiple platforms.

The integration features:

  • Wwise wrapper libraries that can be used in games and apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. These are provided as GDNative modules, making it easy to incorporate Wwise into Godot projects using Godot's native scripting language GDScript;
  • Custom Godot nodes and Visual Script nodes for a range of Wwise functionality;
  • Spatial Audio API support;
  • Custom signals are provided that can be mapped to event callbacks, such as the end of an event, audio markers, and music sync beats;
  • Wwise IDs converter from C++ to GDScript code is integrated into the Godot editor, enabling developers to easily generate and manage Wwise assets from within the editor.

Other features of the integration include Wwise settings that can be configured per-platform in the Godot editor, WAAPI support for querying and searching the Wwise project, and support for Wwise plug-ins.

Overall, the Wwise integration for the Godot engine represents a powerful and flexible toolset for game developers who want to create immersive and dynamic audio experiences in their Godot projects.

FMOD for Godot

Middleware IntegrationGodot 4.0FMODC++
WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
Screenshot of the FMOD for Godot Integration

This integration allows game developers to easily use FMOD Studio for advanced audio design and implementation in their Godot projects. With this integration, Godot developers can take advantage of FMOD's features such as real-time mixing, event-driven sound design, and dynamic music systems.

The integration features:

  • FMOD Studio API library that can be used on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android and that seamlessly integrates with Godot and GDScript;
  • Streamlined audio authoring workflow with FMOD Studio Live Update, which lets you sync your audio project with your game in the editor or in a build;
  • Custom FMOD nodes such as StudioEventEmitter3D, StudioEventEmitter2D, StudioBankLoader, StudioListener3D, StudioListener2D, StudioParameterTrigger, and StudioGlobalParameterTrigger, to create immersive audio experiences with minimal code;
  • Event Timeline Marker and Timeline Beat callback support to easily synchronize your game with your audio's logic. You can use these callbacks to trigger animations or gameplay events based on the timing of your audio events;
  • Custom I/O implementation that uses Godot's FileAccess API, ensuring compatibility across different platforms;
  • Ability to adjust FMOD settings for each platform in the Godot Project Settings. This allows for optimization of performance and quality, with settings such as sample rate, speaker mode, virtual channels, DSP buffer size, and more.

The FMOD integration for Godot 4.0 is currently available on GitHub, and I encourage all Godot developers to check it out and give it a try. I believe that this integration will greatly enhance the audio capabilities of future Godot games and I'm excited to see what developers will create with this integration. I look forward to continuing to improve and expand it in the future.

Feedback Loop

What Fellow Game Developers Say About My Work:

"Alex is the rare game audio professional who has both a great ear AND a very deep understanding of DSP and the inner workings of audio middleware. He was exceedingly professional, a consistent communicator and a pleasure to work with. I hope to collaborate with him again soon."

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Ali Tocher

Director, LookListen Audio Limited

"I initially contacted Alessandro because his amazing tutorials kept showing up when googling for FMOD issues we were encountering while working on Tentacular. After a quick chat I absolutely wanted him to work on our game. His technical competence mixed with his enthusiasm to solve problems and the fact the he's an awesome person to work with made him an indispensable member of our team. I can only highly recommend him if you're looking for an audio programmer!"

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Simon Cubasch

Head of Heads of Firepunchd Games UG

"Working with Alex was a delight! His deep knowledge of the technical audio side complemented our team perfectly, the communication with him was nice and quick and he managed to find and implement solutions for all our problems. Can't wait to collaborate again!"

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Almut Schwacke

Foley Artist, Sound Designer & Composer

Contact

If you are interested in hiring me for your game project, or if you have any questions or feedback about my work, please feel free to contact me using the form below (or directly mail me at me@alessandrofama.com). I will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also follow me on Twitter to stay updated on my latest projects and news. Thank you for visiting my website and I hope to hear from you soon. 😊