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Luna: Inside My World's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #34 | 4.196 | 4.196 |
| Correlation to theme | #34 | 4.196 | 4.196 |
| Overall | #42 | 4.043 | 4.043 |
| Quality | #50 | 4.174 | 4.174 |
| Impression | #61 | 3.957 | 3.957 |
| Creativity | #186 | 3.696 | 3.696 |
Ranked from 46 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Game Summary: “Luna - inside my world”
Artwork by: MORNCOLOUR (ig: @mornclor)
All tracks are composed on Cubase 11 and sketched on Musescore 4. I used various libraries from Orchestral Tools, Spitfire, Eastwest, and others, plus sound design from synthesizers, mainly with Arturia Pigments.
Plot:
- Premise:
Luna is a young girl who, after the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, shuts herself off from the world. One evening, exhausted from grief, she falls asleep at the foot of an ancient tree in the pine forest in front of her house.
- Development:
Luna wakes up in "Thalassia," an enchanted underwater world populated by marvelous creatures, hidden cities, and soap bubble-shaped balloons. This extraordinary place seems to be fueled by dreams and positive emotions.
However, the beauty of Thalassia is threatened by a growing darkness, representing Luna's melancholy and sorrow over her grandfather's death. As she explores this enchanted world, Luna realizes that her negative emotions are corrupting Thalassia, turning into malevolent creatures.
- Conclusion:
With the help of Thalassia's inhabitants, Luna embarks on an inner journey to face and overcome her fears. In the end, she fights and defeats an evil being that embodies her sorrow, thereby saving Thalassia from darkness and finding inner peace.
- Epilogue:
Luna wakes up in the real world, at the foot of the tree, feeling stronger and more serene. She has regained stability and joy in life, ready to face the future with new awareness, having overcome her grief and saved an enchanted world in the process.
Gameplay:
"Luna's Dream" is an adventure RPG where players explore Thalassia, solve puzzles, and interact with inhabitants to uncover secrets. At first, the atmosphere is quiet, but as Luna progresses, she discovers that parts of the city coincide with her unexplored subconscious. This subconscious creates obstacles, insecurities, and fears, translating into puzzles to solve and bosses to defeat.
Players can gather resources and craft items to enhance Luna's abilities and overcome challenges. Each boss represents a manifestation of Luna's negative emotions, and by defeating them, she gains new skills and powers. Defeating the final boss allows Luna to save Thalassia and find the strength in her real life to start living again.
Short Soundtrack Summary:
- M1 - “Main Theme” is designed as the game's intro music.
- M2 - “Echoes of Silence” is the music that plays immediately after the grandfather's death.
- M3 - “Gates of Thalassia” describes the entrance to the city, with the background choir chanting a Latin phrase “Portar Thelassia apertae sunt.”
- M4 - “Whispers of Thalassia” is exploration music within one of the underwater dungeons in the game.
- M5 - “Final Boss” is the music that accompanies the final battle against the last boss.
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
1. The "Main Theme" is designed as the start music for the game. It serves as a sort of overture for the entire game development: the initial sound cell is minimal; a solo cello describes Luna's sad mood; the pizzicato strings represent the enchanted world she will discover, and the aleatoric strings depict the confusion in her mind due to her grandfather's loss.
2. "Echoes of Silence" serves as the soundtrack for the moments immediately following her grandfather's death. The bassoon theme and drone textures symbolize Luna's devastated soul and are intended for an animated scene where she recalls moments spent with her grandfather. Subsequently, the aleatoric strings develop the same musical motif present at the end of the main theme.
3. "Gates of Thalassia" is music written for an in-game animation: the moment Luna passes through the gates of the enchanted city, and a grand choir announces in Latin: "Portae Thalassia apertae sunt." The strings then develop the harmony of the choir. Elements from the main theme, such as the kannel arpeggio in the background and the textured voices, are always incorporated.
4. "Whispers of Thalassia," on the other hand, is a level music piece. As such, it seeks to be non-intrusive and to relax the player while wandering in the marine world, trying to solve puzzles, explore, or find various materials for crafting items.
5. The final music is dedicated to the final boss. Epic in nature (inspired by Elden Ring and the Souls series in general), it becomes darker yet simultaneously melancholic and heroic. I aimed to convey the various emotions of the game, adding the grandeur of the endeavor to save the world.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/user-444151823/sets/luna-inside-my-world-ost-composing-jam-7?si=41789a9c51ca487e80539bd9f56f87ca&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Video + OST on YT --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpPXrcEyoH8
Number of tracks5
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
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Comments
Such a well made OST, I love it! The orchestration was really nice and I like the switch from peaceful and intense songs. I can't really say that much since I only have around 3 mins to make this before the submission period ends but from what I've heard you've done an amazing job with these tracks! These sound like something I'd actually hear from a video game, so plus points for that too. Overall just some really good work!
That's all I have to say, have a great day and good luck on the ratings! :D
This is the last track I heard. Glad I got to it in time because it's absolutely stellar.
Main feedback is that some of the instruments feel a little flat and could use a bit more reverb. A nice reverb would really help this track overall and I can tell it would just take it to the next level. The composing is top tier.
So... Do I understand correctly that you have done an incredible job creating such a high-quality and cool soundtrack?
I like it) Thanks!
Thank you so much for your kind and sincere words! I noticed that you started following me on SoundCloud, and I really appreciate it. It shows that you genuinely mean what you say, and that makes me really happy! Thanks again 🙏🏻.
Luna: Main Theme: I love the cello melody, the performance quality is nuanced and really wonderful. The guitar plucking is a really cool effect. The ending with the cello and the string “insect” effect (that’s what I call them - I have never heard the term aleatoric before!) is really cool and unique!
Echoes of Silence: The overall tone is somber which helps convey your themes of grief well. The string effect gives the sense of chaos and almost like you are being watched. The pads also do a good job to raise tension.
Gates of Thalassia: I really like the choir! Which instrument software do these come from and would you recommend them for someone looking for a good choir instrument to get? This track feels like a very emotional moment.
Whispers of Thalassia: The simple pizzicato strings and piano with the gentle string drone gives the sense of a safe area or a village at night. I am really impressed by this piece because it has the sense of motion without having too much harmonic motion - which works really well for a level theme.
Final Boss: Again I love the male choral voices. The slow cello and snare build-up give the sense of a really dark boss. I think the fact that the energy doesn’t get too high makes this boss theme more emotional and impactful.
Overall: Wow, I am very impressed with each of your tracks and how they come together to create a dark heroic story from which I can very clearly imagine it backing a very high quality game. I am going to refer back to this in the future for inspiration. Excellent work and thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for your detailed and genuinely interested comment! I'll try to respond to a few points in order. In the "main theme," the tremolo-style arpeggio is played on two kennel (an Estonian instrument similar to a harp). And "aleatoric" is indeed the right term to describe these particular string movements—look it up on YouTube; it's a unique technique, especially for building tension, in my opinion (I love it in certain parts of *The Lord of the Rings*... if I'm not mistaken, it's used when the fellowship is standing before the entrance to the Mines of Moria. That whole scene features aleatoric music).
For the choir library, I used EastWest's "Diamonds." I highly recommend it, especially because you can write custom words or phrases. In general, EastWest libraries are very good for choirs; there's also a newer one by Native Instruments that looks intriguing, though I haven't tried it yet.
Lastly, I really appreciate the compliments on the tracks and the soundtrack as a whole, and I'm glad to have been able to inspire you! Thanks again.
The composition here is great! The instrument choices are all great and I really like those moments of "sorrow" where instrumentation gets darker, I thought that added a lot to the tracks. The video was also super cool!
My favorite track was Final Boss Theme!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment because, out of all the soundtracks I've listened to, I think yours is by far one of the best, if not the best! So thanks again. I'm glad you liked my submission 🙏🏻
This is so haunting and enchanting, my favourite has to be Echoes Of Silence with how you used the strings to create that uncanny atmosphere at the end. Beautiful work!!
thank you so much!!☺️🙏🏻
Your explanation of how you fit the theme is excellent! Making orchestral decisions to fit the theme is a super important step in my eyes!
thank u so much!!🙏🏻
I wanted to explain the story in detail because I wrote it before composing the game's music. I wanted to make sure the thought process behind the soundtrack was clear... I hope that came across well.
This is one of the most impressive soundtracks that I have heard! The story pairs supremely with the music, and the themes that you are able to convey are excellent. Props to you!
It makes me emotional to read such things about my soundtrack; I really appreciate it, thank you so much! I'll be happy to listen to yours later on.
Those violins coming wildly but softly were a really cool touch to the main theme, I love what they add.
Then great musical narration with the return of this motif in the second track.
The choirs and deep cello in the third song add deepness to the story developpement. Well thought :)
The fourth track was a nice break with it's light instrumentation a calm vibe. It still maintain some tension, great for the solving puzzle part that you imagined!
The final boss theme wasn't that epic, but it managed to give me a strong heroic vibe while being very cohesive with all of the previous experiences. Nicely made :)
Thank you so much for the compliments! I really appreciated your analysis 🙂
Definitely has some Journey vibe, sounds really great , composition and orchestration is well done, sounds fantastic. Everything is cohesive with great moment and even more like rom/com type of music in Whispers of Thalassia, great mix of all the genres in this album. Well done !
thank u so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻☺️
Really enjoyed this. Reminds me a bit of Yann Tiersen's work, there is this whimsy and otherworldly edge to it. Strong buildups and swells, which I love. Wonderful variety of sounds across the songs, but it all still feels connected to the same world. Great work!
This is a gorgeous OST. The sounds to represent confusion took me off-guard, in a good way! I've just started my journey in orchestral composition and aspire to write pieces that sound this nice one day. Small critique: I think the drums in "Gates of Thalassia" could use more reverb and volume, maybe a secondary lower tone to help fill them out more. Great job!
Thank you so much for the kind words🙏🏻
Yes, I know, unfortunately, "Gates of Thalassia" is the track I managed to edit the least due to lack of time😔
First of all thanks for rating my OST, it means a lot!
I have watched the Youtube Video and it was a very nice experience. The Text combined with the music was very powerful and really immerses one in the story.
It was a very nice arrangement and the Choirs were amazing. It all had a similar vibe, wjcih added to the story building, really characterizing Thalasia.
I think as a game OST it would need to be a bit more loopable, but that would probably work if the remainder was just cut.
Overall it was still a very nice OST, that really fit the character you described, keep it up :D
Regarding the loops, I understand what you're saying: the only two loopable tracks are "Whispers of Thalassia" and "The Final Boss Song" because they are indeed the only ones intended for gameplay scenes rather than cutscenes. Nonetheless, thank you for the feedback and for taking the time to watch the YouTube video🙏🏻
Very well done orchestral writing! Pedal points, doubling and all of these types of techniques do wonders to a cinematic ost like this one!
I liked how Whispers of Thalassia is a nice divergence from the rest of the music, and it shows flexibility as a composer. The only thing I wish is that you did more of it - a little more variation could really help spice up an OST, though it should be fitting to the theme and the composer's vision of the music. But of course, this is still great, and definitely deserves lots of praise!
Great job!
Thank you so much for the feedback! Of course, I need to create more, as the game is still incomplete. Given only a week, I preferred to focus on fewer pieces but with more attention to detail, aiming to represent the key moments of the game for now. Naturally, for the game to be complete, it will need 15-20 tracks.
Very beautiful and well put together soundtrack. I loved the direction you went for the orchestration. My favorite track is Echoes of Silence. I've nver heard such an eerie track before. Whatever you did in the second half maade it sound so beautifully scary.
Thank you so much, coming from you, it means even more 🙏🏻
Absolutely beautiful music - goes so well with the story of the game! My favourite is "Gates of Thalassia" - love the choral sound with the drum - like someone is knocking on the gates.
Love how you give all the lines and instruments the space to breathe and convey what they're meant to - it really gives a wonderful grasp of the emotion. Really lovely!
Thank you! Seeing the taikos in "Gates of Thalassia" as someone knocking on the door is an interesting interpretation. I hadn't thought of that, but it's a great representation.
Great submission! I was stunned by the variety of your instrumentation skills! It permits to create so much ambiences and tell a real good story!
What is the VST you used for the choirs in "Gates of Thalassia", they sound great!?
My favourite track as "Final boss", love the dynamic you created!
thank u so much!!☺️🙏🏻
The choir library I used is hollywood choirs from EastWest Sounds
Cool soundtrack! Everything is very atmospheric and fit the story really well. The instrumentation sounds great and everything is diverse yet still cohesive. I especially liked the choir sounds you used. Well done!
thank you so much, i appreciate it!
Fantastic arrangement! A lot of really beautiful story-telling moments throughout the tracks (btw I really like the effect you made in 'Echos of Silence'!). Would not be surprised if you gave this to me and told me it was straight out of Lord of the Rings. Excellent job!!
thank u, i appreciate it!!🙏🏻
Main Theme - Heavy emotions with the strings I feel, delving deeper inside the track into the pan flute and mallet percussion I am really liking the changes in the sound. Nice climatic build up and back into the strings and lute sounding instruments sounds real beautiful!
Echoes of Silence - Heavily gives me Brothers A Tale of Two sons vibes, not going to give the exact spoiler to what I am talking about but if you know you know! And if you haven't it, give it a try, track I am heavily referring to is Naia! Again heavy emotions. amazingly executed!
Gates of Thalassia - The Taiko/or whatever drum is overpowering in this one, either you want to turn everything else up or just slightly down so it's more balanced, but after hearing more of the track, I think just tuned down for the quieter section and crescendo into the fuller section. Besides that, good work!
Whispers of Thalassia - Very nice and relaxing for sure a good track for doing puzzles or side content
Final Boss -Building up to a nice big and epic piece, personally think the choir can be a tad bit more up front but still solid!
Nice work!
I really appreciate your technical comments! These are the first I’ve received, and I imagined someone would notice. It's clear you have an ear for recognizing certain instruments that aren’t very traditional (the only mistake in the main theme was the lute; if you were referring to the arpeggio, it's a kannel), and for picking up on some of the mixing flaws that I also notice. Especially in Gates of Thalassia, the taikos are really loud; unfortunately, I couldn’t mix the track properly (the low frequencies could also be reduced in volume) due to a lack of time… just look at the time I posted the submission, haha! I completely agree with you about the choirs in the Final Boss music: I personally like that mix, it’s very balanced (though obviously it’s a quick mix), but I would have brought the choirs a bit more forward with some compression! I really appreciate your advice, and when the contest is over, I think I’ll replace the tracks with more appropriate mixes (for example, today I’ll upload a version to YouTube with better volume balance in Gates of Thalassia).😉🙏🏻