The Music & Sound of Battle Squirrels

• In our initial pitch, the game was meant to be a platform/adventure type of game. This was revised, and Battle Squirrels became a tower defense.
• Tower defense music has particular feel.
  • Driving, but slower pace.
  • Music emulates gameplay in that it ‘builds’ in complexity, dynamic, etc.
  • Must be able to loop
• Having researched the music of various Tower Defense soundtracks, I then sought ideas that supported the game’s concept/art as well.
  • To emphasize the contrast between the woodland creatures and their diabolical cyborg counterparts, I wanted the music to be a mix of traditional acoustical instrumentation mixed with synths and mechanical/electrical/technological sound effects.
  • I wanted the main theme to sound determined, with the variations to sound menacing, urgent, etc.
  • So I wrote the theme following these parameters.
• If an additional theme was needed, I wanted more of a laidback, peaceful theme. This could be implemented at the end, at the Main Menu screen, or during a cut-scene prior to the game beginning. A contrast from the main games song.
• As with the music, the concept informed the sounds.
• For Coco, we had our fearless leader Alyssa do some voice acting.
  • For a little more squirrel and a little less human, I tweaked the pitch and speed.
• For the cyborg enemies, I wanted to combine the sound of the animals with their machine’s sound.
• • For example, chainsaw badger’s call is a mix between a growl and the sound of a chainsaw.
  • Jaw frog is a mix between a frog’s call and the hydraulic lift of a large machine.