Delve
Role: Audio Designer & Composer
Team Size: 5 (Masters Thesis Production)
Engine: Unity
Duration: January 2023 - June 2023
Platform: PC
Link:
The Game
Delve is a first-person exploration and traversal experience developed as a Master’s thesis project by a five-person team. The game centers on light-based mechanics, environmental traversal, and a dynamic sanity system.
As Audio Designer and Composer, I led the design and implementation of the game’s interactive audio systems — building the Wwise architecture, integrating systems into Unity, and supporting gameplay feedback through reactive sound design. I also contributed to early game loop and progression discussions during initial design phases.
My Contributions
Role & Scope
I served as Audio Designer, Composer, and Audio Implementer within a five-person Master’s thesis team. I led the design, architecture, and integration of all interactive audio systems while contributing to early discussions around game loop and progression structure.
Interactive Audio Architecture
I built the Wwise project structure from the ground up, designing event hierarchies, state groups, RTPC logic, and bus routing to support a systemic gameplay framework.
I also developed reactive audio systems tied to player traversal, flare states, environmental shifts, and sanity progression. And structured modular audio behaviors that responded dynamically to gameplay states rather than functioning as linear playback.
Middleware & Engine Integration
I integrated Wwise with Unity using both native middleware workflows and a custom in-engine audio tool developed by the lead programmer.
I implemented event calls, trigger-based activations, and state transitions directly within Unity. As well as wrote and adjusted integration logic to ensure clean synchronization between gameplay systems and audio responses.
I conducted in-engine debugging and iterative refinement to maintain clarity across layered systems.
System-Responsive Design
I designed adaptive audio feedback for:
• Sanity state transitions
• Flaregun crystal and fire modes
• Environmental progression
• Traversal and spatial awareness
Then I balanced atmospheric immersion with mechanical readability to ensure gameplay-critical cues remained clear within layered soundscapes.
Composition & Sonic Identity
I composed the full game soundtrack, developing thematic material that reinforced tone, tension, and environmental pacing.
As well as, designed dynamic layering strategies to allow music and environmental systems to coexist without overwhelming player feedback.
Collaboration & Production
I enjoyed working closely with programming and level design to align audio systems with gameplay logic and environmental structure.
I participated in early discussions defining the game loop and progression flow, contributing experiential pacing insights from an audio and player-feedback perspective.
I iterated continuously in-engine to refine timing, state transitions, and mix balance within the full gameplay context.
Design Reflection
Delve strengthened my ability to architect scalable interactive audio systems within a systems-driven gameplay framework. The project reinforced the importance of modular, state-responsive structures and close collaboration with programming disciplines to ensure technical reliability and experiential cohesion.
