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Align the Stars's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Quality | #56 | 3.958 | 3.958 |
| Impression | #61 | 3.833 | 3.833 |
| Overall | #83 | 3.692 | 3.692 |
| Composition | #90 | 3.708 | 3.708 |
| Creativity | #111 | 3.542 | 3.542 |
| Storytelling | #123 | 3.417 | 3.417 |
Ranked from 24 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
I was pretty burnt out musically going into this jam, so I wasn't as productive as I'd have liked to be. Still, I think a couple of the tracks turned out pretty good.
I used a bit of both of the text and image prompt as my inspiration. The first thing that caught my eye in the image was the gorgeous sky. This combined with the idea of a Summer night made me want to make a stargazing soundtrack. I went back and forth many times on what kind of game to make, but settled on a puzzle game since it could accommodate a shorter soundtrack. The idea I settled on was a game that used the rotation of stars in the sky to make puzzles out of constellations, although I didn't entirely figure out how it would work since that part's not important.
Track 1: Main menu. I tried to capture the expansiveness of the night sky with this ambient-leaning track.
Track 2: The primary track for the game. Plays as you work on the puzzle. I tried to make it more interesting, while being something that would help you focus and you could listen to for a bit.
Track 3: Puzzle completion. When the stars finally all align and you beat the level, this little track plays. I think the reverse-sounding chords fit well with the rotating cycle of stars.
Track 4: Credits. Made this one before I settled on the game idea but thought it was too finished to just scrap. I think it works as a fun track to listen to while credits roll.
I used Ableton Live 12. Most of the sounds were made with the Arturia Minifreak, with a few samples and Ableton stock devices.
Hope you like it!
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
Musically, there isn't much of a connection. I mostly just tried to make music that reflected how the primpts made me feel. I think the atmosphere of the tracks matches the vibe of the image well. Additionally, I composed this for a hypothetical stargazing puzzle game. To me, stargazing matches the feeling and literal weather tendancies of Summer nights, so I think it fits well. I also really like the sky in the image, so that was some inspiration.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://randomperson21.bandcamp.com/album/align-the-stars
Number of tracks4
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Any project
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Comments
This is really a great submission.
The bassline in summer Stargazing is really, really nice.
The overall mix is also really good.
Great work!
I think the overall sound of the album sounds pretty good. Really great use of different instruments and it's all really mixed well.
I personally wish that there were some sort of jingle at the very beginning of the third track to signify that you completed the level. But maybe that's not the type of puzzle game you envisioned making so I won't make much of it.
Great submission, Summer Stargazing was my favorite track :)
Minifreak sounding great here, especially all the bass tones. All the songs fit the starry night vibe well. Musical highlights for me are the intro buildups dropping into the main jam on both Shooting Stars and Summer Stargazing, had me bopping my head.
I can feel the awesomeness of the MiniFreak; if you know, you know ^^
The groovy electro you're going for is right up my alley so I'm pretty biased. Plus I love the almost chiptuny retro feel. I can totally imagine a puzzle game using these tracks, especially the ARP on "Summer Stargazing".
This is fantastic, all of these tracks are really well mixed. I honestly admire the drum track in Shooting Stars, and obviously all the synth sounds are great!
holy shit the ambience is really awesome IT MADE ME FLOAT
Really nice work, I enjoyed the atmosphere you built across these tracks. They capture the stargazing vibe well and fit nicely with the puzzle game idea. Shooting Stars felt a little aggressive compared to the others, but overall, I think you pulled this together really well, especially while feeling burnt out. Awesome job. :)
Open Sky - So spacey! I love it! Long drones and sprawling sound make a really cool image.
Shooting Stars - Really cool, this feels pretty climactic, but also chill? It's a weird dichotomy you found, but it works real well!
The Cycle Repeats - Love the campfire SFX! Again, very spacey, but it really works in this context.
Summer Stargazing - Yeah, this is definitely an ending track, I love it a lot, really cool soundscapes here.
Nice job!!
I love this kind of music, cosmic motifs that take you far, far into space. And on the other hand, the tracks themselves are so kind and cozy.
I love how dynamic everything is in this OST. Well mixed too!
Good job getting this done despite the burnout! My favorite track: Open Sky.
Nice textures right off the bat, I definitely got the feel of stargazing as you described right from the first track. Overall solid entry, and love that juicy drum beat on the last track!
I really liked this submission. The last track was definitely my favorite!
The first track reminded me of the music for the game Flow. Very ethereal and doesn't feel tied to a tempo of any kind really.
I like that you varied it with more percussive and involved tracks too. Makes the OST feel more complete and engaging.
Your take on the theme is also well done with a game I can easily visualize.
Thought I'd be chilling on a beach on a summer night listening to this but I ended up In another galaxy somehow.
I want to preface this review with this: you made wonderful progress despite being burnt out. It's no small feat outputting all of this; well done.
Open Sky was wondrous and a perfect stargazing track.
Shooting Stars felt like a night-time platformer, it seemed to have more action than I'd have imagined for a puzzle game.
The Cycle Repeats, I'm aware it's the puzzle completion track, but this feels more like the puzzle main theme to me. This is the kind of track that I could find myself getting lost in, when trying to solve a puzzle. Relaxing, dreamy, letting me take all the time in the world.
Summer Stargazing is a banger of a credits theme; you managed to basically cram in a vaporwave hit. This feels like a standalone hit.
All in all, this soundtrack felt dreamy and full of awe, with your instrument choices especially. Were they cohesive for a puzzle? I suppose it depends on the kind of puzzle being made, how much action is put into it, how relaxing or not it is. It was, however, an enjoyable listen. All the very best!
These are awesome! I’m very impressed you made these all while being burnt out (I feel that…), I seriously could never tell. Really liked the sound of this ost, and it fits perfectly for a puzzle game (even the Credits fitting in pretty well). My personal favorite is Shooting Stars. Something about the intro makes me feel like I’m getting ready for lock in whatever puzzle is next.