DreadstoneKeep

Original Score, Sound Design & Full FMOD Implementation Crit42 Studio · GoGo Games Interactive

Dreadstone Keep is a turn-based strategy roguelike RPG set in a dark fantasy castle ruled by two ancient powers — one at its highest spire, one in its deepest dungeon — developed by Crit42 Studio and published by GoGo Games Interactive. Released on Steam in November 2025, the game blends careful tactical decision-making with procedurally generated runs through skeletons, vampires, necromancers, and far worse. For this project, I handled the full audio: original soundtrack, sound design, mixing, and complete implementation in FMOD.

The Challenge

Turn-based roguelikes are an unusual challenge for music. There's no constant motion to lock into, no fixed encounter pacing to time the score against — every fight unfolds at the player's own thinking speed. The audio has to hold tension across long, considered turns without ever feeling like it's nagging the player to hurry. At the same time, when combat resolves and stakes rise, the music has to acknowledge that without breaking the careful, deliberate atmosphere that makes the genre work. And because every run is procedurally different, none of it could rely on scripted moments — the system had to be alive.

My Approach

I built the score in layers rather than as fixed tracks: exploration beds underneath, tension builds that fade in as the player commits to riskier choices, and impactful cues reserved for genuine turning points. The base music never restarts when the state changes — it transforms in place, so the player never hears the seam between "calm" and "trouble." That layered approach is what lets a turn-based game feel responsive without becoming twitchy.

For mix control, snapshot-based behaviors in FMOD shift the focus automatically: UI-heavy moments stay clean and readable, action-heavy moments push the score and impact SFX forward without ever masking the gameplay feedback the player needs to make decisions. Frequency management throughout the mix means music supports the action rather than covering it.

• Composed the original score — exploration beds, tension builds, and impactful cues, all delivered as loops, stems, and transitions ready for interactive layering.

• Created the full SFX package — UI and world interaction effects, edited and polished for consistency across the game's many systems.

• Mixed and mastered the entire audio package — tuned for clarity, punch, and cohesion across every gameplay context.

• Implemented all audio in FMOD — events, parameters, and snapshots built for easy iteration as the game (and now its DLC) continues to expand.

What I Did

Audio Highlights

• Tension-to-release pacing through adaptive layering — the score escalates and pulls back in response to player decisions, not on a fixed timer.

• Seamless loops with stingers for key moments and transitions — so the music acknowledges turning points without ever feeling abrupt.

• Frequency management to prevent masking — music supports the action, never covers the gameplay feedback the player needs.

• FMOD structure built for ongoing iteration — important on a game with active post-launch support and DLC expansions still being added.

The Result

Dreadstone Keep launched on November 27, 2025, with all reviews positive at time of release, and has since expanded with two DLC packs — Cain's Greed and Endless Struggle — alongside an Extended Pack bundle. The FMOD audio structure I built was designed for exactly this kind of ongoing growth: clean to iterate on, easy to extend with new content. The base game is available now on Steam.