Design Statement
I interpreted the theme track through one central idea: resonance. Its voices responding to one another suggested the feeling of being heard and understood. In Girls’ Voice, players explore women’s lives and difficulties, responding through music to express a shared message: “I AM HERE”—we are here together.

Initially, I planned to combine microphone input, Morse code, and musical call-and-response, making this message something players could physically perform. During development, that combination proved too demanding. I therefore made the Space key the primary input, with the microphone remaining optional. Holding and releasing a key preserves the expressive rhythm of sound and silence while making participation more accessible.

Each successful connection adds an instrumental part. Earlier voices remain, gradually forming an ensemble that carries everyone the player has encountered.

Representing women’s struggles also revealed the limits of my own understanding. Some resolutions feel almost magical, and I recognize that real difficulties rarely disappear so easily. My central hope is that players, especially women, feel that their experiences deserve attention, that someone is willing to listen, and that they do not have to feel alone.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Launch: Open the itch.io game page in a desktop browser and click Run game. Allow the initial download to finish, then click Start game. Fullscreen and headphones are recommended. No installation is needed.

Explore: Use the arrow keys or click with the mouse to fly. Press E to call and look for an answering ripple. Move close to the responding object, then press F or click it to interact.

Resonate: Listen to the short rhythm first. Hold and release Space to answer with short and long sounds. Alternatively, choose Microphone and hum, pausing between sounds. Pitch is not scored. Use the replay button to listen again.

Progress: Each successful encounter adds another musical part. Explore onward to meet seven voices and reach the final album. Esc pauses the game; the question-mark button opens help. Progress is saved automatically in the current browser.
Technical notes: Space is the default input, so a microphone is optional. The first load downloads approximately 154 MB. Clearing browser site data may erase progress.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://youtu.be/lksiklkvLHo

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. This game contains AI-generated content. I used ChatGPT/Codex for design iteration, programming, debugging, English text, and assistance with musical composition and arrangement. OpenAI image generation was used to create and revise character, environment, and other visual assets. I directed the project and selected and revised the results through iterative playtesting. The piano uses the credited Salamander Grand Piano samples by Alexander Holm (CC BY 3.0).

This game includes authorized open-source materials.