Synthesizing an '80s soundtrack fit for a king in Kingdom Eighties

gamedeveloper.com:

Kingdom Eighties is a sidescrolling strategy game, but instead of featuring the kings and queens from past entries in the series, the player guides camp counselors on bikes as they try to save their '80s towns. It brings the same strategic play the games are known for but steeps it in an era of synthesizers and skateboards.

Game Developer spoke with Andreas Hald, the game's composer, to discuss the process of how they feel out what a game should sound like, how they worked with '80s-era equipment to capture the right sound and feel for the game, and how the limitations of that equipment helped inspire the composer to create wild new sounds for the project.

Kingdom Eighties is a base-building game involving kids, bikes, and forts, all set against the backdrop of the 1980s. What appealed to you about this project?

The eighties! I’m an '80s baby, and I have a big love for '80s music and the era in general. I’m also really into synthesizers and own a huge collection of vintage synths. I’ve always been dreaming of a project like this coming along where I could use all my analogue equipment and go full-out on synths.

I played Kingdom Two Crowns and loved it, and the fact that they were about to shake it all up and take a hard turn sounded challenging and fun. I knew very little about the project when I first got a hint of it, but as I got to know more, the story-driven aspect of it really appealed to me and talked to my work as a composer for film and media, as well as the way I see myself as a “musical dramatist” (translating thoughts into musical sounds) and storyteller. The first visuals I got looked stunning and instantly made me hear and feel the vibe, and the fact that it looked gorgeous really inspired me.

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