soundStrider (itch)

Enter soundStrider

Close your eyes and picture a world that you can only hear. Its lush environments are filled with orchestras of analog synthesizers that evoke colorful and imaginative images. Exploration rewards you with mysteries to solve and contemplative places to revisit.

This is soundStrider—part exploration game, walking simulator, four-dimensional ambient music generator, and relaxation tool.

Features

• Procedurally generated soundscapes
• Binaural modeling (headphones strongly recommended)
• Adventure mode with spatial compass and persistent quests
• Bookmarks system for revisiting favorite locations
• Full screen reader and keyboard accessibility

Demo limitations

The demo is limited to one palette of sounds. Its adventure mode is limited to repeatable expedition quests. Bookmarks saved in the demo are not compatible with the full version.

Purchasing the full game removes these restrictions and supports the future development of soundStrider.

How to play

soundStrider is both an exploration game and a relaxation tool. Explore and appreciate its environments at your own pace. In this demo specifically, one valid way to play is by entering Free Roam and pressing the Auto Move button to hear endless hours of unique ambient music.

Each new world is born from a seed. It can be any word or phrase you select, or simply allow the game to randomly generate one for you. 

Its Adventure Mode provides a more structured experience for folks who desire an objective. Occasionally it will spawn quests for you to complete. With its spatial compass system, you should have no problems arriving at your next destination.

Controls

soundStrider has full support for keyboards and standard gamepads. Mouse and touch are currently only supported throughout its menus:

ActionKeyboardGamepadForwardW
Up ArrowEither analog stick
D-Pad UpBackwardS
Down ArrowEither analog stick
D-Pad DownStrafe LeftAPrimary analog stick
Strafe RightDPrimary analog stickTurn LeftQ
Left ArrowSecondary analog stick
D-Pad Left
Left BumperTurn RightE
Right ArrowSecondary analog stick
D-Pad Right
Right BumperConfirmEnter
SpaceA
BackEscape
BackspaceB
Auto MoveRY
Press either analog stick Roadmap

soundStrider is currently under active development and, as of February 2020, will be released in stages over the next several months:

DateReleaseFebruaryPlayable demoMarchEarly access releaseAprilAlpha point releasesMayBeta point releases and price increaseJuneGold release Planned features

• Sixteen palettes of sounds, including:
  • Beach
  • Forest
  • Tundra
  • Storm
• Additional quest archetypes, including:
  • Forging
  • Search and rescue
  • Terraforming
• Fixes and enhancements

Development blog

Please follow development at the shiftBacktick blog. Posts include code tutorials and thoughts on accessibility, game design, and sound design. Also check out the shiftBacktick SoundCloud for exclusive previews of new sounds and features.