Original ambient electronic soundtracks for Rising River (Official Selection, SIGGRAPH 2025 Immersive Pavillion)

This video demonstrates gameplay from my NYU Master’s thesis project: an audio-based 3D puzzle game developed in Unreal Engine 5. The game simulates various visual impairments, challenging players to rely primarily on technical audio design solutions for navigation and puzzle-solving.

Level Progression & Technical Audio Highlights:

Level 1 (Simulated Glaucoma): Introduces core spatial audio navigation mechanics. Players use custom, player-triggered 3D audio cues (implemented via UE5 Blueprints and Wwise) to locate objectives and avoid obstacles within limited peripheral vision. Custom attenuation curves provide distance feedback.
Level 2 (Stealth Challenge): Focuses on noise management and dynamic audio. Features include player-generated sound detection and dynamic music shifts (using Wwise States controlled by Blueprints) to reflect the current tension level.
Level 3 (Simulated Blindness): Presents puzzles requiring auditory differentiation. Players must identify musical chord tones and navigate complex spaces by comparing room acoustics using only reverb characteristics.
Level 4 (Simulated Color Blindness): Culminates in a systemic audio-driven challenge. Players navigate a dynamic bridge where the safe path is decoded from rhythmic drum patterns in the music, while platform heights adjust in real-time based on spectral analysis of a synth track using UE5’s Synesthesia NRT.

Core Technologies:

The project utilizes Unreal Engine 5, with core logic implemented in Blueprints. Wwise is integrated for spatial audio (including dynamic reverb via AkSpatialAudioVolumes), detailed attenuation control, and dynamic music layering.

Sound design demo reel created by Kaiyang Zhao, containing redesign for Diablo 4, Valorant, League of Legends, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, in addition to my official sound design for the GKART(QQ Speed) Mobile CG clip.
(Version 4, uploaded on 03/13/2025)