303 - The Immersive Sound of Cairn

The sound team behind “Cairn” joins guest host Alistair Hirst to discuss the immersive sound design and mix of this survival-climbing game from acclaimed French indie studio The Game Bakers. Built around the tension, focus, and physicality of climbing a massive mountain, the game uses detailed Foley, breathing, wind, environmental soundscapes, and a sparse musical score to make every handhold, footstep, and moment of silence feel essential… and perilous.“The core gameplay is climbing. So that was all about the small Foley sounds, differentiating between different [holds]… There’s [also] a whole breathing system, which is the primary stamina feedback. It was really nice for the developers to say, ‘Hey, we want audio to be the primary feedback to the player on the stamina,’ rather than having stamina bars.”—Martin Stig Andersen, Audio Director, Sound Designer, and Composer, “Cairn”Joining the conversation:- Martin Stig Andersen – Audio Director, Sound Designer, and Composer- Lukas Julian Lentz – Lead Sound DesignerBe sure to check out “Cairn,” available now in Dolby Atmos, on supported systems. Dolby Atmos is just as impactful for indie developers as it is for major AAA games! Game developers interested in bringing Dolby Atmos to their own projects can learn more here.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts, now available as a video podcast on YouTube and Spotify.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.