Cookie Cutter is a brawler–metroidvania with a wild, underground aesthetic. My role was to shape its sonic identity through impactful, unconventional sound design and energetic, raw music. The result is a weird yet powerful soundscape, tightly tied to the game’s frantic pace and narrative.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1924430/Cookie_Cutter_Overkill_Edition/

Overview & Planning

The scope was vast: 65 player moves, 17 enemies (avg. 5 moves each), 6 bosses, 9 levels with unique music and environments, plus menus, items, and cutscenes. Careful planning and organization were essential to manage this workload efficiently and deliver consistent quality across all assets.

https://www.nicolacamposd.com/s-projects-side-by-side-1

Sound Design & Music

I combined foley, field recordings, and digital synthesis to build a fully organic sound world. Old machinery, engines, metals, analog/digital synths, and live instruments were blended to achieve depth and character. No predefined libraries were used—each element was crafted to reflect the game’s unique tone.

A key innovation was ensuring harmonic coexistence between SFX and soundtrack: every sound was designed in the same tonal framework as the music. This created a tight synergy between gameplay, action, and emotion.

The music itself was built to handle long play sessions (12–20 hours) without repetition. Tracks were composed in modular sections that adapt dynamically between exploration, platforming, and combat, with seamless transitions. Intelligent sequencing ensured variety while maintaining mood consistency. Careful BPM and key choices guaranteed rhythmic and acoustic alignment with gameplay.

Dialogue Design

I edited, designed, and implemented all in-game dialogues. The approach varied by character: the protagonist’s lines were polished for clarity, while others (like Regine) required extensive processing and creative design using Melodyne and other tools to match their personalities. Dialogues were then integrated into gameplay and cutscenes for narrative cohesion.

Implementation in Unity & FMOD

All audio was implemented using FMOD within Unity. I developed custom systems to handle:

SFX clarity in chaotic battles using hierarchies, occlusion, and ducking.

Dynamic music transitions across gameplay phases and boss fights, with event-based variation.

Snapshot events & command tracks to handle complex scenarios, despite minimal support from the dev team.

Profiling & Mixing

Through extensive play-testing, I refined priorities, event triggers, and overall mix balance. This ensured clarity, immersion, and performance stability across the full game experience.