Cats N Critters Style Sample
(Orchestral, Fantasy, Cinematic)
Instruments: Orchestra
This is the first sketch of the musical style for the upcoming dungeon-crawling party game Cats N Critters.
Music Pillars
Bordering the Theater of the Mind
The music dances between a small, cute ensemble style and a dramatic full orchestral fantasy style.
Smaller Than Life, Larger Than Life
Little moments feel big, big things feel little. Dramatic, but cute.
Bridging Bygone Eras
The style spans Baroque (circa 1700) and Romantic (circa 1850) genres, avoiding both Classical and beyond 1930.
Stay Awhile and Listen
The game’s sound invites new players and captivates them with twists and turns of continuous variation.
Thematic Guidelines
Core Style Elements (The “Do”s)
- Arpeggios
- Triple and compound meters
- Mixolydian and Dorian modes
- Minor V, flat VI, flat VII, flat II
- Major keys with meandering into parallel minor
Conflicting Elements (The “Don’t”s)
- Backbeat rhythms
- Overuse of percussion
- Synthesizers
- Four-on-the-floor grooves
- Latin
- Blues scale
Instrumentation
Small Ensemble
All instruments are to be live recordings, not software.
- Clarinet
- Peruvian Flute
- Kalimba
- Small Percussion
- Violin
- Acoustic Guitar
- Electric Guitar
- Voice
- Piano
- Soprano Recorder
- Alto Saxophone
Orchestra
Use live recordings when possible, some software instruments acceptable.
- Piccolo
- Flutes
- Oboe
- Clarinets
- Bassoons
- French Horns
- Trumpets
- Trombones
- Tuba
- Violins
- Violas
- Cellos
- Contrabasses
- Mixed Percussion
- Timpani
