Life of Pirate
Role: Sound Designer
Genre: Adventure
Date: August 2026
Play Time: 30 min
Disclaimer: The above video was an animation reference and does not reflect my contributions. It represents the game's visual style, but the play button below showcases the audio implemented in the final game!
For the 2026 Game Boy Jam, I joined my friend, James Turner, in creating a short pirate-themed platformer called Life of Pirate. I learned a lot about sound design for 8-bit styled games, with my largest development being an updated view on foley. I started out using my typical approach: carefully thinking about the characteristics of each prop and how they will interact when layered together. However, after my first foley pass, I came to the realization that when bit-crushing foley to match the game's style, many of the unique characteristics were lost. This helped me adjust my methods by researching how sound design was done before CD ROM, and leaning heavier onto synthesized sounds (noise and square waves).
