MUSIC in Indie Games
By Yohann Dcruz
Have you imagined what a tense horror scene would sound like with a Benny Hill score? Or perhaps Home Alone traps set to Nightmare on Elm Street music? While I do think that switching soundtracks could result in a cinematic masterpiece, it highlights how a score shapes emotions, provides context, and tells a story—especially in video games.
What are Indie Games?
An indie game is a game developed by an individual or small studio, self-funded and released without a major publisher. By not being constrained by market trends or the need for “mass appeal,” the developers of these games are free to explore their creativity, experimenting with unconventional ideas, gameplay mechanics, art styles, and music.
For the purposes of this writing, I wanted to put a spotlight on some indie games that are greatly renowned for their art style music and storytelling.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a roleplaying farm simulator in which the player inherits and restores his late grandfather’s neglected farm through growing crops, raising animals, fishing, mining and engaging with the local community. The success of Stardew Valley is attributed to the work of developer Eric Barone, or his online handle ‘ConcernedApe’. The game was inspired by the Harvest Moon series and was initially a project that Eric had worked on to improve his programming skills before he decided to put it out in a big way.
Being a fan of the Harvest Moon games myself, Stardew valley really helped develop my love for indie games. Eric is not only credited as the sole developer, but also the sole composer for the game as well. The music of Stardew valley is tied to the seasonal changes of the game. Each season has its own unique soundtrack, Summer tracks Tropicala and Natures Crescendo have a very energetic and vibrant melodies reflecting the warmth of the season, while Fall tracks like Raven’s Descent (my favourite) and The Smell of Mushroom are relaxed and more peaceful, reflecting the slower pace of the season. The game features over 90 tracks which adapt to the time of day, locations and interactions with different characters, creating a very dynamic environment which promotes exploration and discovery.
The soundtrack evokes a warm sense of nostalgia, making the experience deeply memorable and leaving a lasting impression on me.
Celeste
Celeste is an indie platformer, which was developed by Madeline Thorson. In the game, you play as Madeline whose goal is to climb the dangerous ‘Celeste Mountain’, all the while battling their inner struggles, anxiety and self-doubt which seem to have been externally manifested through their journey to the top. Although platformer games generally do not generally get their props nowadays, the game’s challenging (but fair) gameplay, emotionally personal story, rich art design and beautiful music composition make this one of the most popular platformers of the modern era.
I have very fond memories of playing this game, not just because I love “the challenge”, but also because the original soundtrack left a lasting impression on me. The music in Celeste was composed by songwriter and producer Lena Raine, who gained popularity from her work composing for Celeste, and Minecraft. Lena has mixed in ambient, electronic and keyboard/piano based melodies to mirror Madeleine’s journey up the treacherous mountain. The music dynamically shifts from very introspective tracks during quiet sections of the game, to very fast paced and intense pieces during the harder parts of the game. The music really went together well with the game design and will help you connect with Madeline’s inner battles, making the climb to the top feel deeply personal.
For me, the standout tracks were First Steps, Confronting myself, and My Dearest Friends, but I have found that fans of the game resonate with various songs on the soundtrack.
Hollow Knight
The game was developed in 2017 by indie studio Team Cherry, a group of three friends, through a Kickstarter campaign, which raised AUD $60,000. In Hollow Knight, you play as an unknown ‘knight’ as they explore the world of Hollownest, a mysterious underground land with a deep history, an array of characters, enemies and secrets. The game’s popularity comes from Its beautiful hand drawn art design, rich and captivating lore, memorable boss fights, and a dynamic and atmospheric soundtrack.
The music was arranged by composer Christopher Larkin who made a name for himself by working on the soundtrack of Hollow Knight. The music plays a huge role in contributing to the game’s world building. Each area in the game has its own musical theme, from the start area of the game ‘Dirtmouth’ having a serene and mysterious melody , to the fast paced tense boss fights such as Hornet or the Mantis Lords. Christopher has used a blend of strings, piano and orchestral music to perfectly capture the sense of mystery of the land and evokes a sense of isolation. The music often feels questioning and perfectly captures the themes of the world of Hollownest, a world that Is experiencing the decay of a civilization or a fallen kingdom.
I’ve completed the game 5-6 times and am always amazed at how the music perfectly captures the story’s melancholic tone of loss and discovery—few games do it so well.
Summary
The marketing strategies behind indie games usually involve putting the spotlight on the elements of the game that are unique, be it their art style or innovative game mechanics. From my eyes, the music in indie games has become a defining element that sets titles apart, enhancing storytelling and gameplay. Focus on unique, evocative compositions helps indie games build rich, memorable narratives and forge strong emotional connections to characters and worlds, demonstrating that in game design, music can be just as powerful as any other storytelling element.