Evan Higgs
Audio Design
I'm a game designer based out of Edmonton with a love for audio and a passion for accessibilty.
Within the Vault:
Made for the course INTD 450: Computers and Games in Winter 2023 as the capstone of the computer game development certificate. As Sound Designer, I created and implemented the sound effects for the game, while also implementing the music. All audio was implemented through Wwise, taking advantage of the dynamic state of the game to create a unique sonic experience. As Producer, I communicated with the team regarding scheduling and dependencies, identifying potential obstacles to our deadlines and leading the team in scope reduction. As Accessibility Designer, I identified unintentional barriers to play and created alternative solutions to achieve the intended experience, while also providing the team with resources to practice accessible design in their own disciplines.Within the Vault won ‘Best Gameplay’ at the UofA Game Awards and ‘Best Art Style at Game Con Canada’ from CGMagazine.
Roles: Lead Producer, Sound Designer, Accessibility Designer
Tools Used: Reaper, Wwise, Godot, Figma
Timeline: 18 Months
Roles: Lead Designer, Assistant Audio Designer
Tools Used: Reaper, Figma, Miro, Google Sheets, Twine
Timeline: 4 Months
Subject 219:
Developed in Fall 2021, Subject 219 was made by Zero Sum Games as apart of the course MST 350 - Understanding Video Games. As the Lead Designer, I created the initial concept of the game, maintaining design documents and creating charts outlining the game logic. I also wrote our feedback surveys and led playtests. When needed, I assisted our lead Sound Designer, attempting to follow their sonic style. Subject 219 won 'Best Game of MST 350' at the annual awards ceremony.As a text adventure with multiple endings based on player behaviour, the largest and most rewarding challenge was balancing and iterating on the player choices to make each ending feasible to achieve.
Siblings' Story:
Developed in Winter 2021 over 4 months, Siblings' Story was made by Back Alley Games as apart of the course CMPUT 250 - Computers and Games. As the Audio Designer, I was in charge of foley, music, and voicework. Siblings' Story was nominated for the Artistic Merit award and Game of the Year at the annual game awards.One of the more complex elements of the sound of Siblings' Story was its use of spoken blackout poetry, as seen in the trailer. This involved mixing multiple takes of each voiceline to achieve a coherent sound that was not thrown off by changes in cadence or pronunciation.
Roles: Audio Designer
Tools Used: Audacity, Reaper, RPG Maker MV
Timeline: 4 Months
Fascinated by Audio. Advocating for Accessibility.
I graduated from with a Bachelors in Psychology and a Certificate in Computer Game Development from the University of Alberta. There I delved into the local game development scene, helping to lead a local student group called The Games Den, participating in game jams and community events, and eventually showcasing my work at GDX and GameCon Canada.I approach sound design from a function-emotion-creation lens. I first identify the primary function of a sound, what other sounds it competes against and its mechanical goal relevant to the player. Knowing that, I describe the emotions informing that function and pushing the player forward. Is it a rise in tension or a sudden release? Is it a question or an answer? Finally, I take this knowledge into the sound's creation. The previous steps inform when to step outside of the limitations of realism for the pursuit of an informative and emotive sound.
