ChopShop
5 person team
Aug 2025 - Dec 2025
QuickQuest
Casual Turn-Based RPG
Composer / Sound Designer
Overview
This game was a mobile project designed to be played in very short
bursts. Each boss fight typically lasts no more than one minute, then
the player is whisked off to the next fight.
The soundtrack for this game features a handful of short
retro-style RPG tracks that cycle as the player defeats bosses. There
is also a victory track, a defeat track, and a main menu track, each of
which is unlikely to be heard for longer than a few seconds.
The entire soundtrack consists of bitcrushed MIDI tracks and
sound samples. I used relatively few tracks to emulate hardware
limitations retro RPGs had to work with.
Main Menu Theme
Simple, spirited, and invigorating. I used the trumpets to outline a simple theme which is then reinforced by percussion and a quarter-note bassline. The short loop time gives it an effective stop-and-start cadence which is almost military and encourages the player to not wait too long on the main menu.
Wyvern Theme
The Wyvern is one of the bosses the player faces. His theme is fast-paced and calls to mind images of heroic battle. Persistent square wave chords introduce the track and percussive and harmonic elements are slowly added until the tension is broken by an aggressive lead synth. The first half of the lead line establishes a theme while the second half rapidly throws varying flourishes at the listener. This track captures the classic essence of "Knight vs Dragon" and filters it through a retro RPG aesthetic.
Lich Theme
The Lich's theme is slow and ominous. It begins with staccato arpeggios with chromatically descending lower triads. The stacatto slowly gives way to legato as the percussion ramps up. Funereal bells and double kick drums enter later and drive the track home. I did my best to make this track sound like facing an evil creature of death.
Dullahan Theme
The Dullahan's theme is both bestial and militant. Tritones and heavy percussion drive home the looming menace of the creature. I added strings later on to add an exotic flair and bring more harmonic elements to the piece.
Victory Theme
I designed this track to be the musical equivalent of catching one's breath after an intense struggle. There is a sense of calmness but also a looming "next battle" that draws ever closer. The slow parts between melodic passages actually run at a lower tempo.
Defeat Theme
This track is intended to capture the despair of loss. Slow string chords, funereal bells, and complete absence of percussion all work towards evoking this emotion.