The gameplay of this project includes exploration, survival, a reputation system, enemy threats, time limits, and multiple endings. Therefore, sound design is not only used to create atmosphere, but also plays an important role in gameplay feedback. Players need to explore different areas within a limited time, find key items, manage their health, and progress through the game according to changes in Sierra and Marcus’s reputation. Because of this, sound can help players understand their current situation, judge environmental danger, and confirm whether their actions have produced results.

Firstly, sound can help players identify the spatial characteristics of different areas. In the GDD, the map is divided into three main areas: Meadow, Forest, and Salmon Run. Meadow is a more open area with grassland and lakes, while Forest is a colder and more oppressive coniferous forest where wolves appear. Salmon Run is centred around shallow rivers, fast currents, rocks, and the threat of bears. Since these areas are different in both gameplay function and emotional atmosphere, they also require different layers of sound to distinguish them. Ambience can allow players to sense changes between areas beyond visual information, such as wind in the grassland, leaves rustling in the forest, distant wolf howls, or the dominant sound of flowing water in Salmon Run.

Secondly, sound can support the player’s ability to judge danger. There are two types of enemies in the game: wolves and bears, and their behaviour patterns are different. Wolves are fast, move in groups, and attempt to surround the player. Bears act alone, but they have a large detection range and are extremely dangerous. Therefore, enemy audio cues can help players perceive threats before they actually see the enemies. For example, distant wolf howls, growls, footsteps, or rustling in the grass can help players judge whether they are approaching a dangerous area. This kind of audio feedback can strengthen the survival experience and help players make decisions about routes and resource management.

In addition, sound can provide feedback for player interactions. The game includes interactions such as picking up items, equipping objects, using the flare gun, using poultices to restore health, talking to characters, and entering key locations. If these actions lack audio feedback, players may feel that their actions are unclear, or they may not be sure whether the system has responded. Appropriate UI sounds, pickup sounds, item-use sounds, and environmental change sounds can help players understand the results of their actions more clearly.

Therefore, in this project, sound design is not only about making the game “sound more complete”. It is also part of how the player understands space, danger, interaction, and progression. It serves both atmosphere and mechanics. Especially in a game that relies on exploration, survival pressure, and a multiple-ending structure, sound can become an important bridge between player behaviour and system feedback.