Creating an immersive gaming experience requires more than a riveting storyline and unique art style. It also requires the best video game music! That's why I believe working with a professional composer is a must for any video game studio looking to make a lasting impression.

Welcome. My name's Joff Winks. I'm a music composer specialising in video game music with a cinematic sensibility that enhances and intensifies narrative game experiences.

In this post, I want to share some thoughts about the power of music to strengthen, elevate and in some cases, even define a video game.

In praise of music - The best video game music

The Best Video Game Music Can Define A Game.

Music for video games has come a long way over the past decades, and its influence on players runs much deeper than we might think. Check out my post Why Is Music In Video Games So Important?

As for many gamers, many of my favourite game experiences have been influenced by how much I have enjoyed the music.

Thinking of games like Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us or Journey, developed by ThatGameCompany, I find it hard to imagine them without the music of Gustavo Santaolalla or Austin Wintory, so integral a part of the game is the music.

Although both games are extraordinary, with innovative storytelling and iconic art style, a significant part of their brilliance is how the soundtrack supports and elevates the overall experience. Their scores are a defining feature that has left an indelible mark on fans of the games all around the world.

A video game composer's skill is creating tailored music that heightens the emotional impact of scenes. We understand how different harmonies, rhythms and melodies affect players, helping to build tension or elicit emotions such as fear, excitement, anticipation or joy.

Ultimately, a skilled composer can craft a soundtrack that serves not only the players’ needs in-game but can help to define the game itself.

Music tells stories where words cannot.

Music can tell parts of a story where dialogue alone struggles.

Using music to tell stories is not new. We hear it used in films all the time, setting the time or place of a period drama or whisking us into the futuristic worlds of a sci-fi adventure.

Similarly, music can establish a game setting in subtle, nuanced ways where other devices may be too heavyhanded.

With a simple shift in harmony or the change of a melodic phrase, a composer can invoke feelings that enhance a player’s understanding of the video game story.

For example, the shift of harmony to a more ominous, dissonant mood can indicate the presence of danger, even before a player is aware of any threat. Fear is heightened when anticipating a danger we cannot see, and music can elicit this feeling in ways other dramatic devices cannot.

Check out this video comparing game scenes with and without music to see how the score influences perception.

Great Video Game soundtracks add new levels of immersion to the gameplay.

One of my favourite things to compose for video games is adaptive music.

Composing music that can dynamically change to meet the shifts in gameplay is a unique feature of writing music for video games. It's not only gratifying to write but for players too, adaptive music enhances their experience of the game.

For example, another standout game from ThatGameCompany, Flower, turns the gameplay mechanic into a means of generating changes and developing themes in the music.

As players collect petals, new layers of music are triggered, along with melodic phrases and stingers that signify the restoration of significant areas of the game world.

The effect is that the music not only sets the emotional tone of the game but also reinforces the gameplay, encouraging interaction and exploration of the game world.

For a deeper dive into the world of adaptive game music, check out my latest development blog for Arctic Awakening, a narrative adventure game I am currently scoring for Goldfirre Studios: The Sound Of Arctic Awakening: Adaptive Music In Video Games.

good Video Game soundtracks Ensure players remember your video game for years to come.

Good video game soundtracks can stay with players long after they have finished playing. And that connection can be powerful!

There have been many occasions where I have been drawn back to playing a favourite game because of the soundtrack. For example, recently, I heard a track from What Remains Of Edith Finch in my Spotify playlist and was immediately compelled to begin another playthrough of the game.

As a composer, I may be more susceptible to this phenomenon. But perhaps it illustrates how a talented composer can create music that leaves a permanent mark in the player's mind.

If you’re developing a new IP and want to discuss music for your project please send enquiries using the button below. Thanks!

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