Aground Zero Original Soundtrack

About the project

Coming off of the release of the successful pixel-art mining and crafting RPG Aground (2020), Fancy Fish Games began development on Aground Zero to be a 3D spinoff. It takes place during the events of the original game, although knowledge of Aground is not necessary to play. In the game, you are deep underground, and all alone with a cheery AI companion. You will have to mine and build to survive, and search for other survivors to help you and hopefully reach the surface.

Though the game is set in this semi-unknown apocalyptic sci-fi world, it sonically boldly leads listener’s with surprises at every turn. Bethea complements Aground Zero’s 3D art style with nine dynamic/adaptive tracks that masterfully extend the sound world beyond typical survival crafting game music fantasy and light electronic sounds. The soundtrack is imbued with themes reminiscent of the original Aground soundtrack but conflates nostalgic harmonic textures and rhythmic ambiguity with unexpected music form underpinning dense layers related to the game mechanics (i.e. switching items in the U.I., exploring multiple areas, combat and more.) All of the music was designed with the player in mind first. The goal was to break the monotony of game loops in survival / crafting sims by inditing seamless fusion transitions for a harmonious game-play experience.

Fancy Fish Games / Chase Bethea

About Fancy Fish Games: Fancy Fish Games is an indie game development studio dedicated to creating imaginative experiences. Games that are designed to make you wonder, and ask questions - either during actual play, or upon reflection.

About Chase Bethea: Chase Bethea is a freelance Multi-Award Winning Video Game Composer/Technical Music Designer who has been working professionally in the industry for over a decade and scored over 25 games thus far. Bethea has received many accolades throughout his career. In 2010, he won Best Music in Motion Graphic and Poetry Award. In 2013, Chase’s score from the successful flash Horror game, I Can’t Escape, developed by Fancy Fish Games, received an honorable mention in the Indie Game Magazine. His second soundtrack for the game Cubic Climber earned a Noteworthy on Destructoid. In 2016, Chase was nominated for the 2015 Annual Game Music Awards for Artists of the Year – Independent Composer by VGMO (Video Game Music Online)