Scenario 2: Tap Heroes: Idle Adventure

Game Music Scenarios
August 06, 2024•3 min read

If you clicked on this, you were probably looking for realistic practice with game music client briefs. Here's a scenario that shows what developers need from composers - perfect for building your skills without the pressure of a real project.

Have fun :)

Game Overview

Genre: Idle/Incremental
Platform: Mobile (iOS/Android)
Art Style: Colorful pixel art with modern effects
Target Audience: Ages 18-35, core gamers who like progression systems

Game Lore:
In the realm of Eternia, heroes are powered by the collective belief and support of the people. Players take on the role of a mystical overseer who can channel this belief into tangible power through tapping. The more you tap, the stronger your chosen heroes become, allowing them to venture deeper into the Infinite Dungeons that threaten the realm.

Each hero represents a different class and comes with their own backstory. There's Zara the Swift (rogue), Marcus the Steadfast (paladin), Luna the Wise (mage), and dozens of others unlocked through progression. The dungeons are procedurally generated, with different biomes every 25 floors - from haunted forests to crystal caves to floating sky islands.

The core progression involves upgrading heroes, unlocking new abilities, discovering artifacts, and prestige systems that reset progress for permanent bonuses. Players can participate in weekly events, guild challenges, and seasonal content that introduces limited-time heroes and dungeons.

Core Mechanics: Tap to deal damage, automatic combat continues when idle, exponential progression curves, multiple prestige layers.

Musical Brief

From: Mike Rodriguez, Game Director
Subject: Idle Game Music - Think Epic but Chill

"What's up! So we're making an idle clicker game, but we want it to feel way more epic than most mobile games. Players will be hearing this music for HOURS at a time (our retention analytics show 2-3 hour average sessions), so it needs to be engaging but not annoying.

Track List:

  • Main game theme (5-6 minutes, perfect loop)

  • Boss battle music (2-3 minutes, more intense but still chill)

  • Prestige/upgrade fanfare (15 seconds, feels rewarding)

  • Menu music (3-4 minutes, welcoming but not sleepy)

  • Event music (4-5 minutes, special but not jarring when it replaces main theme)

The vibe: Think of it like... you're in an epic fantasy world, but you're management, not the hero. You're coordinating this epic adventure from your magical command center. Heroic, but contemplative. Epic, but not exhausting.

Music that nails this feeling:

  • Some of the calmer tracks from Civilization VI

  • The more ambient moments from Skyrim

  • Background music from Stardew Valley (that chill but engaging quality)

Critical requirements:

  • Absolutely MUST loop seamlessly - any audio pops or gaps will drive players insane

  • Dynamic range should be controlled - no sudden loud moments that would shock someone playing with headphones

  • Should sound good on phone speakers AND with headphones

Technical:

  • 48kHz/24-bit WAV files

  • Provide both stereo mix and stems (we might want to adjust levels based on user feedback)

  • File naming: [GameName][TrackName][Version].wav

Timeline: We're hoping to get first drafts in 3 weeks for internal testing, final versions 2 weeks after feedback.

What to avoid:

  • Anything too "videogamey" with bleeps and bloops

  • Overly repetitive melodies (seriously, our testers will quit if they hear the same 4-bar loop 1000 times)

  • Classical "epic" trailer music - this isn't that kind of game

Hit me up with questions! We're really excited to work with someone who gets the idle game vibe."

Back to Blog