Meet a Game Sound Designer
by Lu Chien-hung · Oct 2026
When we think about video games, we usually think about graphics and stories. But what would a game be without sound? Our reporter talked with Rita Kao, a sound designer at a small game studio in Taichung, about a job that many players never notice.
Q: What exactly does a sound designer do? A: I create every sound you hear in a game except the music: footsteps, doors, rain, monsters, even the little "click" when you open a menu. Good sound tells players what is happening before they see it. If you hear something behind you, you turn around.
Q: Where do the sounds come from? A: Some come from libraries of recorded sounds, but I record a lot myself. For a dragon's roar, I once mixed my own voice with a lion's growl and the sound of a rusty gate. For walking in snow, I squeezed a bag of cornstarch near the microphone. It is surprising how objects can produce amazing effects.
Q: How did you get into this ? A: I played the guitar in high school and loved recording songs on my computer. At university I studied music, but I realized that I enjoyed with sounds more than writing melodies. I made sounds for student games for free, and those projects became my .
Q: What skills does the job require? A: Of course you need good ears and some knowledge. But patience matters just as much. A single sound may be changed fifty times before it feels right. You also need to communicate well, because you work closely with artists and programmers. Most of all, you need . Listen carefully to the world around you, and start recording. You don't need expensive equipment to begin.