Andrew Hair

Symbiosis

Symbiosis is an open-world music game which places the player in an environment that responds to their interactions with music. This game was developed with the intent of exploring the boundaries of sound design and score in games, generative music systems in game environments, and ecological modelling in game systems. Symbiosis was developed by Andrew as part of his final-year degree project, and was created using Unity with Wwise audio integration.

With this project I wanted to emphasise player choice as a vital component in creating narrative. Each interation in the game presents the player with an opportunity for both self-interest, and altruism. Symbiosis reflects on the ongoing ecological crises the world faces, specifically our individual roles in those issues.

As an experience, Symbiosis is audio-centric. The consequences of the player's choices are reflected in both the short and long-term evolution of the game soundscape. If the player chooses to neglect the world in favour of personal indulgence, the environment will respond with a desolate, dissonant soundscape. Conversely, if we neglect our own needs, we will struggle to even hear the world around us.