The Sound Design of Blackjacket
- Alaire Lavelle
- May 15
- 2 min read
All clips and screenshots are provided by me.
I've recently been playing Blackjacket by Mi'pu'mi Games, and have been having an absolute BLAST. In the game, you play as the nameless man in the Blackjacket, which you use to hide cards in your sleeves to win games of Blackjack in the Underworld. The game sees you confronting your family and the grief associated with them, and of course dueling them in increasingly absurd games of Blackjack. The sound design is absolutely no slouch however; created by Wobblersound (David and Markus Zahradnicek), the use of foley and musical chimes is excellent.
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Just listen to all the excellent bits of foley in this clip! From the little metallic flicks of the coins, to all the different variations in the sound of the cards being flipped and placed. According to the opening credits in the game, FMOD was used to implement the sound for this game, so I'm curious if each of these variations were recorded individually or modulated via FMOD. Nonetheless, it makes for an incredibly satisfying card game experience similar to something like Balatro or Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers.
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Similarly, the little musical stingers throughout the game add so much charm. In an otherwise very dark and low-mid heavy soundscape, these bits stand out in the best way. They really remind me of the moments in Binding of Isaac when entering an Angel Room; that same feeling of light in the dark.
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The music in this game is also absolutely stellar. There are some background pieces that I can't find credits for, but the main two songs in the game, Earthing and Through the Dark, are by Vanbur. I had never heard of this artist before, but the incredible ethereal sound that it gives the game cannot be understated. One of these songs triggers during a boss fight I won't name for risk of spoilers, but it absolutely makes it stand out more than any other fight in the game. The stellar voice acting cast adds so much to these scenes as well, with just the right amount of ghostly reverb for these lost souls, akin to something like Hades.
Overall, I've had such a good time playing this game, but the sound is one of the major compelling reasons why I keep jumping back into it. It's so satisfying, with a delicious touch of musical goodness in all the right places.
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