Downtown Zuzu

Challenge Results!!!

What an amazing challenge - 21 tracks were created in total and 20 were able to be used directly in the mod! That is a whole lot of incredible music created by members of our server, truly inspiring and a testament to talent in the community. The music is now being built into the game mod and will be released as well as an album, which I will link here when its published. I'm so proud of the quality of the tracks created, you must check them out!

Challenge!!!

Our next challenge is going to be very exciting, because not only could your tracks end up on an Album, they might end up in an actual game as well!! Your challenge this round is to write an original track for Downtown Zuzu, which is a mod created by XxHarvzBackxX for Stardew Valley!

Each track needs to be about 2:30 long and must loop seamlessly, and it will play in the background for a specific location in the game. Below are a list of locations and their required styles. Each person will be allocated one location each (DM dGecko with your choice for allocation - first in best dressed).

If some of the submitted tracks are considered suitable then XxHarvzBackxX will run a session to show us how those tracks are incorporate into the mod, so you will see the process from a Game Dev's perspective and we can all learn a little about that as well!

After the challenge if anyone wants to continue to make tracks for Downtown Zuzu we will have a dedicated channel in our new GameDev Zone where your can post candidate works, and.... we will make a Stardew Valley Album to collect all the tracks and release them on Bandcamp as well. I think this will be a great opportunity to kick-start our collaborations with Game Developers!

To participate in the challenge, DM dGecko with your choice of one of the locations below. Have backup options if its already taken. If we get more than 8 challengers we will double up on locations as we can have a few City tracks for example.

You should submit your entries in WAV format 44.1khz, 16bit.


1. Area 'Cave Level 1'
Music Style: Chill-ish, gives sense of exploration while remaining calm.
Length: ~2:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: sense of exploration, relaxed but reminds player about the threat of monsters and danger
Significant points: take a look at existing Stardew mines music for reference.
Instrumentation preferences: electric piano, synth, drums, bass.

2. Area 'Cave Level 2m'
Repeat with above specification

3. Area 'Cave Level 2d'
Repeat with above specification, with the added context that it is in a beautiful cave filled with gems and crystals and should be slightly more wistful.

4. Area 'Cave Level 2j'
Repeat with above specification, with the added context that it is in a sort of, underground forest / jungle. Could switch up instruments and give a more jungle-y feel.

5. Area 'Cave Level 2l'
Repeat with above specification, with the added context that it is in a lava-cave. Think about 'inside a volcano'. Long wavey synths might work nice for this, but it's up to you.

6. City General
Music Style: Moving quickly, busy feel, but not over the top / overwhelming.
Length: ~2:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: Make the player feel as if they are part of a busy, moving community. Put them in awe (similarly to Toby Fox's CYBER CITY)
Significant points: Listen to the existing city music we are looking to replace / keep alongside your tracks.
Instrumentation preferences: electric piano, synth, drums, bass-y rumble synth

7. Joja HQ
Music Style: Corporate, eerie.
Length: ~2:00 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: Make the player feel that something is off. Appear normal, but seem off under the covers.
Significant points: Listen to the existing HQ music we are looking to replace / keep alongside your tracks.
Instrumentation preferences: french horn, oboe, trumpet, xylophone, viola / violins (orchestral stuff)

8. CEO Office
Music Style:
Corporate, eerie.
Length: ~1:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: Make the player feel that something is off. Appear normal, but seem off under the covers.
Significant points: make this feel really ominous, but don't make it to the point where it feels like it's leading up to a bossfight or anything.
Instrumentation preferences: french horn, oboe, trumpet, xylophone, viola / violins (orchestral stuff)

9. Nightclub
Music Style: Energetic, feels fun and exciting.
Length: ~2:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: exciting, sense of community and fun
Significant points: listen to existing music.
Instrumentation preferences: synth, DnB

10. Sanctuary Cafe
Music Style: Country-ish music, warm, close-knit community
Length: ~2:00 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: relaxed, warm feeling you get when with friends and family
Significant points: listen to existing music
Instrumentation preferences: trumpet, flute, drums, bass, piano, anything really (within reason)

11. Kahuna Resort
Music Style: Tropical
Length: ~2:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: relaxed, chill, real feeling of forgetting your worries
Significant points: listen to existing music.
XxHarvzBackxX composed this track so would be nice to stick as close to this one as we can, make them a similar feel
Instrumentation preferences: steel pan, flute, cowbell, light drums. stick to theme and you can use what you want.

12. Zuzu Desert
Music Style: Tropical Length: ~2:30 looping
Feeling or mood to portray: busy, but still pretty relaxed. not over-whelming
Significant points: listen to existing music
Instrumentation preferences: steel pan, cowbell, drums, synth