Blank Slate

Click above to download the game from Itch.io.

Blank Slate is an adventure RPG developed by the 2023-2024 graduating class at the University of Tulsa. In this journey, players awaken in a mysterious valley, uncovering their ability to absorb traits from the world’s inhabitants to halt the ominous decay endangering the world.

I served as a Composer, Sound Designer, and Audio Programmer, composing 3 of the game’s 6 open world soundtracks and personally designing SFX and implementing many audio systems.

Learn more about Blank Slate:

Project Roles

I was a Composer, Sound Designer, and Audio Programmer.

Composing Musical Narrative & Motif Design

My composition work focused on creating a cohesive emotional thread through the use of a central “Main Theme” motif. This theme evolves alongside the player’s power and understanding of the world.
All tracks can be previewed in the Open World Compositions section below.
The Awakening:
- Introduced in the Opening Tutorial, the motif begins as a sparse, atmospheric arrangement. It then transitions into the Opening Cutscene music, building in intensity to mark the start of the player’s quest.
The Final Return:
- For the game’s climax, I developed a nonlinear dynamic version of the motif. This complex arrangement serves as a thematic “return to form,” rewarding the player’s progression with a grander, more intricate iteration of the melody they first heard at the start.

Audio Programming & Technical Implementation

Battle Music Logic:
- Programmed a system that tracks enemy aggro states in real-time. This system updates Wwise states to dynamically trigger or fade music layers based on the immediate threat level to the player.
Region Triggers:
- Implemented Wwise region triggers to ensure smooth transitions between environmental soundscapes as the player explores the valley and the floating island. Cutscene Integration:
- Programmed the logic for music synchronization during narrative beats and cutscenes to ensure emotional impact aligned with visual cues.

Sound Design & UI

Ability & Reward Feedback:
- Composed and implemented custom stingers for unlocking new abilities and completing quests. I also implemented unique ability sound cues to provide tactile feedback for the core “ability absorption” mechanic.
Interactive UI:
- Integrated all UI sounds, including inventory interactions and button feedback, to ensure a polished user experience.
Technical Polish:
- Developed and implemented functional volume setting sliders, giving players full control over their audio mix.

Open World Compositions

My composition for this game was deconstructed as individual instrument tracks to support maximum interactivity in-game. I’ve made a custom audio player for you to hear the music as intended. Take a listen!

Custom Mixes: Audio elements can be played individually. You can mute or adjust the volume of specific tracks to hear the composition mixed differently.
Playback Controls: Use the Play/Pause buttons to toggle the full composition, or Reset Progress to resync tracks if you’ve soloed specific layers.