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City of Octopolis - Pearl of the Octopoids.'s itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Did you imagine the town ? | #5 | 3.889 | 4.125 |
| Creativity | #5 | 4.007 | 4.250 |
| Composition | #6 | 3.771 | 4.000 |
| Overall | #6 | 3.724 | 3.950 |
| Correlation to theme | #7 | 3.771 | 4.000 |
| Quality | #11 | 3.182 | 3.375 |
Ranked from 8 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Theme
Correlation to theme
In creating this song, I used the sound of bubbles to convey the nature of water and the ocean -- the natural habitat of Octopi. I also used a soundfont instrument titled "water piano."
Furthermore, I created lore befitting of the song and befitting of the Octopus theme. You can read the lore on the project page, but I will recap it here:
"A theme song for an underwater city inhabited primarily by octopus people. The city of Octopolis.
The sunlight never reaches the city, and it has become the go-to place for people seeking to live the night life. The bustling metropolis is always active and is filled with numerous locations to indulge -- casinos and clubs and the likes.
The seabed that Octopolis is built upon is brimming with bright, luminescent crystals, creating a truly beautiful and magnificent sight to behold."
Streaming service
https://on.soundcloud.com/sBiX
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Comments
City of Octopolis: The bassline with the organ-y instrument certainly work together to give an underwater nightlife vibe. This is a great city theme and would definitely work for a JRPG as you describe. Something that I thought was really cool whether or not it was intended, there is an instrument that plays from the beginning that is difficult to identify, but it serves as a percussion instrument pounding 8th notes that I imagine as an octopus slamming all 8 of its arms on a table or dealing out 8 cards at a casino poker table or something. I think the bubble SFX are tasteful and add to the ambience without distracting. I like the slow down at the end of the loop which makes it feel like maybe the night is coming to a close, but then it starts right back up again like a city that is constantly bustling.
Did I imagine the city?: I certainly did! I like your textual imagery guidance for imagining a night city with glowing crystals underwater, but I think you did a great job of conveying all of those aspects in your music and a similar image would have popped into my head even if I had not read the description ahead of time. Overall nice work and thank you for sharing!
Hey! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the track~
The percussion instrument that you are referencing is, I believe, an open hi-hat. It was part of a soundfont sample. (A Spyro Soundfont, in particular.)
Now I am imagining Octopoker, lol.
I'm laughing at myself because I could totally imagine an octopus with glasses and a suit, kinda like Octodad! Loved the vibes and the lore behind it!
Ha! Well, let us hope that he is less clumsy than the titular Octodad.
It definitely sounds nightlife!
The bubbling sounds are carefully placed in the rhythmic base, it's great.
I can imagine the water city at night.
I don't know why, but I imagine a point'n click, with a bouncer blocking the entrance of the casino until you find an octopus disguise.
I agree. After reading the story for the song. I can totally picture a scenario in which you need to find someone in one of the night clubs but either need a disguise or need to do quest. Or maybe you need to buy a pass but need the towns currency so you go and place Octoslots or Deepsea Squeeze'em (like Texas Hold'em).
Haha . . . Well, now that you mention it, I can see it.
What I usually imagine when listening to the track is something more akin to a PS1/PS2 JRPG. Something in the vein of FF8, or Shadow Hearts. I envision traveling through the different locales of the town, with fixed camera angles and the likes.
If I could give you more than 5 stars for Composition, I would. I rarely have this feeling with composers on e.g. Itch, but I loved the song from second one! The rhythm was very cool. I didn't think it matched the theme much until I read your lore - the while 'night life, casino and club' concept explained your choices perfectly! I did hear the bubbles nicely too, to still give some 'watery' vibe. Definitely original, definitely catchy, and with the lore in mind, executed excellently!
Thanks!
Originally, I planned to go a more industrial route and describe it as a futuristic Octopus city, but as I was creating the piece, I started to lean more towards a jazz-inspired feel, and the lore started to reconstruct itself in my mind. This turned out to be a fun decision, as it has been quite a minute since I've composed a track with a jazzy influence.
Also, a fun little fact to highlight the water/ocean aspect: The piano sound that I used is called "Water Piano," from the Spyro Soundfont, haha.
It's very cool! The composition makes this song quite mysterious, like if the city of Octopolis is guided by sins. Liked a lot the lore you took the time to write, it really add to the experience!
the one thing i'm more mixed with is the mixing. Everything sounds a bit too loud, so it's kind of hard to listen to.
But overall really good track, keep up the work!
Thanks! Perhaps in the future, I will re-balance the audio levels and the likes. I sometimes struggle with that aspect in music.
I fully intend to refine this track, as I joined the jam with only 9 hours to spare, and thus, this piece was very, very last minute. Some aspects about it had to be rushed. Nonetheless, I'm pleased with what I was able to come up with on the spot.
It was a fun exercise!