I can hardly believe it, but I participated in a Game Jam for the first time, specifically focused on game music! In this post, you'll find out which jam I took part in, what my game jam experience was like, and the results of the jam. I can already tell you that for a first time, I'm definitely satisfied with the results.
Picture from Alternative Soundtrack - Music Jam #2
The Alternative Soundtrack - Music Jam was organized by Aurélien Castel, a French video game music composer active on Itch.io. This jam challenges game music composers to step out of their comfort zones by rewriting an existing track. At the start of the jam, a game is randomly selected, and participants are tasked with reimagining one of its songs. They then have 10 days to submit their work. After the submission period, everyone—participants and non-participants alike—has 5 days to rate the tracks. The Alternative Soundtrack - Music Jam is a monthly event, offering regular opportunities for composers to test their skills.
Preparation
When the theme was announced, I felt an enormous sense of relief! I've been playing Animal Crossing for years, and I've already spent countless hours in New Horizons. I was familiar with the track we had to rewrite, as well as the overall style of Animal Crossing music. This was a perfect starting point for my first game music jam. My preparation mainly involved carefully reading the assignment details and understanding what aspects would be evaluated.
Additionally, this jam has a Discord group, which I joined. There, I was able to ask all my questions and get a sneak peek at what others were working on.
The Process
First, I had to decide whether to stick with my own style or dive deeper into the ACNH style. Since this was my first game music jam, I decided to stay true to my own style while drawing inspiration from an earlier Animal Crossing game on the Nintendo DS. I started experimenting on Logic Pro for iPad and quickly came up with a fun little tune. However, that tune didn’t fit the game at all, so I set it aside for another project.
I opened a new file and started fresh. This time, I managed to capture a beach vibe, and I was able to build on that. After two days of playing around with the music, I moved on to mixing—a real challenge since I was still learning the ropes. The day after mixing, I gave it another listen and made a few adjustments here and there. The track was finished!
I uploaded it to SoundCloud and YouTube and submitted it.
Results
Overall, I finished 45th out of 56 participants, which isn’t bad for a first attempt! Here are my rankings in the individual categories:
- Creativity: 38th with 3.476 out of 5 stars
- Credibility: 39th with 3.238 out of 5 stars
- Composition: 43rd with 3.143 out of 5 stars
- Impression: 44th with 3.095 out of 5 stars
- Sound Quality: 47th with 2.905 out of 5 stars
In addition to the star ratings, everyone can also leave comments. These comments often highlight what someone liked about your track and offer suggestions for improvement. Here are some of the recurring points I noticed (translated from English):
Strengths:
- The chiptune vibe was very well executed.
- The minimalist approach suits the game perfectly.
Suggestions:
- The bass is panned all the way to the left, which doesn’t sit well in the mix. Try placing the bass more centrally.
- Adding some counter-melodies could make the track more interesting.
If you want to read all the comments, click here.
Conclusion
Participating in a game jam can be quite nerve-wracking, even when you’re only responsible for composing the music. You never know the theme in advance or whether you’ll be familiar with the game. If you don’t know the game, you’ll need to do more research than someone who is already familiar with it.
When it comes to mixing, I’ve learned that balance is crucial. Personally, I didn’t find the bass panned to the left to be an issue, but since it was mentioned frequently in the feedback, I’ve realized that the bass should be more centered. Participating in these jams gives me valuable feedback and learning opportunities.
I definitely plan to join more game jams, and I’m already signed up for the third Alternative Soundtrack Jam. If you’d like to stay updated on my submissions, consider subscribing to my Game Music Newsletter or follow me on Twitch, where I regularly stream my sessions.
About me
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kyra van Meijl, a singer and composer specializing in retro 2D platform puzzle games.I was born in 1998 in the province of Brabant in the Netherlands. From a young age... Read more
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