How do you evaluate your game's audio?

1 Define your audio goals

Before you start evaluating your game's audio, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with it. What is the genre, theme, and tone of your game? What are the key emotions and messages you want to convey? How do you want your players to feel and react? How do you want your audio to support your gameplay, story, and aesthetics? These are some of the questions that can help you define your audio goals and criteria, which will guide your evaluation process.

2 Use audio testing tools

To evaluate your game's audio, you need to use some tools that can measure and analyze various aspects of your sound design. For example, you can use audio meters to check the loudness, balance, and dynamic range of your audio, and make sure it meets the industry standards and best practices. You can also use audio analyzers to visualize the frequency spectrum, waveform, and envelope of your audio, and identify any issues or gaps in your sound design. Additionally, you can use audio editors and middleware to tweak and refine your audio parameters, such as volume, pitch, pan, reverb, and filters.

3 Conduct audio playtesting

Another important method of evaluating your game's audio is to conduct audio playtesting, which involves observing and collecting feedback from real players who play your game with sound. Audio playtesting can help you assess how your audio affects the player experience, engagement, and satisfaction, as well as how it interacts with other game elements, such as graphics, controls, and UI. You can conduct audio playtesting in different ways, such as using online platforms, surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation sessions. You can also use audio recording and playback tools to capture and review the audio feedback from your playtesters.

4 Compare with other games

A useful way of evaluating your game's audio is to compare it with other games that have similar or different audio goals and styles. By doing this, you can learn from the strengths and weaknesses of other sound designs, and gain inspiration and insight for your own. You can compare your game's audio with other games in terms of various criteria, such as genre, mood, theme, quality, clarity, variety, consistency, and innovation. You can also use online resources, such as reviews, podcasts, blogs, or videos, to find and analyze examples of good and bad game audio.

5 Evaluate your audio accessibility

One of the aspects of game audio that you should not overlook is its accessibility, which means how well it can be perceived and understood by players with different abilities and preferences. Evaluating your audio accessibility can help you ensure that your game is inclusive and enjoyable for a wider audience, and that it meets the legal and ethical standards of game design. You can evaluate your audio accessibility by using tools, such as audio captions, subtitles, transcripts, or alternative modes, to provide information and feedback for players who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have other audio impairments. You can also use tools, such as audio options, sliders, or presets, to allow players to customize and adjust your audio to their liking and comfort.

6 Iterate and improve your audio

The final step of evaluating your game's audio is to iterate and improve your audio based on your findings and feedback. Iterating and improving your audio means making changes and refinements to your sound design, and testing them again to see if they achieve your audio goals and criteria. You can iterate and improve your audio by using the methods and tools mentioned above, as well as by collaborating and communicating with your team, stakeholders, and players. By iterating and improving your audio, you can enhance the quality and impact of your game's audio, and create a more immersive and memorable game experience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?