An Interactive Audio Driven Psychological Horror Demonstration
I've been working on a demonstration inside UE5 that looks into the potential of combining the power of both traditional and experimental systems in a modular way in interactive music. On this journey I wanted to discover how these techniques can play an important role in achieving immersive stress in games.
To keep things focused with the aim on the technical side, the foundation of music system relies on using 3 instrument layers with 2 phases that has both an intensity 1 and 2 version and an outro segment. Everything else (except for some ambiance sound effects) are done by using a combination of the audio mechanics like presented below to create interesting new results that I am experimenting with to see if it's something worth expanding upon using MetaSounds and C++.
This project is part of "Regeling Experiment" made possible by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.
Technical Preview: This is the main music MetaSounds Source patch from an earlier version, where I demonstrate some of the parameters that are driven by gameplay parameters.
Important: This audio-focused psychological horror demonstration requires quality audio equipment and an uninterrupted environment to properly experience the experimental systems being tested.
Note: The form is anonymous but requires Google account login to prevent spam. There's an optional name/email field if you'd like to stay up to date.
Help me out! Your feedback contributes to help me get better results on immersive audio techniques in psychological horror games, but has potential for other use cases as well. Results will be published in a comprehensive blog post on August 1st, 2025.
Important: If you get stuck, just remember - turn on music, walk through doors, and let the experience guide you. The entire demo should take 5-10 minutes on exploring pace, +/- 2 minutes on speedrun.
Still having issues? Feel free to reach out via the feedback form with details about your system specifications and the specific problems you're experiencing.
Note: These are known limitations that will be addressed in future iterations. Your feedback helps prioritize which issues to tackle first.
Note: Feedback form is anonymous but requires Google account login to prevent spam. Optional name/email field available for research updates.
Quality of Life Improvements
Level Expansion & Audio System Enhancements
Audio Processing & DSP Refinements
Optimization & Low-End Computer Support
Initial Pre-Testing Build
Update History: Each build brings improvements based on user feedback and testing. Download the latest version for the best experience.
Hey! I'm a creative and technical sound designer with over a decade of experience in audio post-production and music. For the past 5 years, I've been specializing in game audio, focusing on the fusion of creative sound design with technical implementation.
Games like Layers of Fear, SOMA, and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice have been huge inspirations for me to delve deeper into the realm of psychological horror themes. These experiences sparked my deep interest in exploring audio possibilities and how sound can create genuine emotional impact in interactive experiences.
I work primarily with Unreal Engine and Wwise to create dynamic, responsive audio systems that adapt to gameplay and enhance player immersion through procedural and interactive audio design.
Currently, I'm exploring native audio solutions using MetaSounds and developing custom C++ MetaSound nodes to push the boundaries of what's possible with Unreal Engine's audio system. This approach allows for more efficient, integrated audio solutions that leverage the full power of the engine.
Technical Note: Most of these features are working closely together to showcase the possibilities within MetaSounds with sometimes the help of some custom C++ nodes, that respond dynamically to player behavior and game state changes.