Adam Hay
@unusualcadence.co.uk
BAFTA winning musician and audio designer | Finji / Hangar 13 / Media Molecule / Chinese Room / Wish / Rare / Frontier / TT Games | Arpeggios through dusty electronics.
Pinned
Adam Hay
@unusualcadence.co.uk
· Oct 21
Hello! I'm Adam and I do sound and music for games and things. I'm currently working with @finjico.bsky.social but here's some things I made earlier: www.unusualcadence.co.uk
I like the sound of cassette tapes and tube amps and old VHS recordings.
I like the sound of cassette tapes and tube amps and old VHS recordings.
I was going to go to AdventureX but forgot to book tickets! Now I'm going to have FOMO all weekend! Boooo!
November 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I was going to go to AdventureX but forgot to book tickets! Now I'm going to have FOMO all weekend! Boooo!
Oneohtrix Point Never - D.I.S. (Official Video)
YouTube video by Oneohtrix Point Never
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by Adam Hay
Audio (sound effects, music, and dialogue) has a weird relationship with temp assets, mostly because of issues revolving around human psychology.
Problem #1: How do you communicate that something you're hearing is temp?
Problem #1: How do you communicate that something you're hearing is temp?
The annoying thing about the "oh we left a placeholder" generative AI slop excuse is that that is EXACTLY NOT how you should be using placeholders. Anything "not obviously terrible with a panicked hurried half-awake glance" is getting shipped.
In gamedev, if you're using a placeholder asset, best practices involve marking it as placeholder so garishly and offensively clearly PLACEHOLDER that you can't possibly miss it. Also flagging that asset in the dev process so it can be identified quickly before the final build.
November 19, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Audio (sound effects, music, and dialogue) has a weird relationship with temp assets, mostly because of issues revolving around human psychology.
Problem #1: How do you communicate that something you're hearing is temp?
Problem #1: How do you communicate that something you're hearing is temp?
This is my biggest turnoff in modern AAA games, please stop having characters or side characters babbling away. ‘There’s a ledge there’. ‘We can go that way.’ ‘Need to find a way up.’ Please stop talking and let me play!!
re prime 4 discourse, todasy is as good a time as any to say:
video games talk AT you way too much in the 2020s!
i'm not talking abt too much narrative (not a real issue). i'm talking abt a constant, patronizing use of narration to /predigest/ everything from challenge to mood to emotional impact!
video games talk AT you way too much in the 2020s!
i'm not talking abt too much narrative (not a real issue). i'm talking abt a constant, patronizing use of narration to /predigest/ everything from challenge to mood to emotional impact!
November 14, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This is my biggest turnoff in modern AAA games, please stop having characters or side characters babbling away. ‘There’s a ledge there’. ‘We can go that way.’ ‘Need to find a way up.’ Please stop talking and let me play!!
Reposted by Adam Hay
10/10 take. No notes.
November 7, 2025 at 5:49 PM
10/10 take. No notes.
Sometimes my job involves growling through a cardboard toilet roll tube in to a bowl of water to make monster noises. The line between creativity and madness is a thin one for sure.
October 27, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Sometimes my job involves growling through a cardboard toilet roll tube in to a bowl of water to make monster noises. The line between creativity and madness is a thin one for sure.
Continuing my adventure game binge with Loco Motive! It's got a great Orson Welles 'ahh the french!' reference in it, just for me.
October 26, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Continuing my adventure game binge with Loco Motive! It's got a great Orson Welles 'ahh the french!' reference in it, just for me.
Quite some ways in to The Drifter, I think this is the best adventure game I've played since Norco. Would highly recommend for the atmosphere and art alone!
October 25, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Quite some ways in to The Drifter, I think this is the best adventure game I've played since Norco. Would highly recommend for the atmosphere and art alone!
youtu.be/BcUTwnkrq88?...
Phantom Brickworks are my favourite Bibio releases. Sounds rising through the murk of old tapes and delay lines are so emotive to me. Loops that go on endlessly, decaying and changing slowly. I'd love to make a game again befitting of such a soundtrack.
Phantom Brickworks are my favourite Bibio releases. Sounds rising through the murk of old tapes and delay lines are so emotive to me. Loops that go on endlessly, decaying and changing slowly. I'd love to make a game again befitting of such a soundtrack.
Bibio - PHANTOM BRICKWORKS (LP II) (Full Album)
YouTube video by Bibio
youtu.be
October 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
youtu.be/BcUTwnkrq88?...
Phantom Brickworks are my favourite Bibio releases. Sounds rising through the murk of old tapes and delay lines are so emotive to me. Loops that go on endlessly, decaying and changing slowly. I'd love to make a game again befitting of such a soundtrack.
Phantom Brickworks are my favourite Bibio releases. Sounds rising through the murk of old tapes and delay lines are so emotive to me. Loops that go on endlessly, decaying and changing slowly. I'd love to make a game again befitting of such a soundtrack.
Voodoo is one of the greatest albums of all time. RIP D'Angelo.
October 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Voodoo is one of the greatest albums of all time. RIP D'Angelo.
Reposted by Adam Hay
📚 My current contract is coming to an end in Dec so I am now looking for new work!
⭐ I am an award-winning & expert/lead game writer & narrative designer.
🌎 I am interested in long & short term contracts & consultancy, ideally remote.
Let's chat!
hannahnicklin.com
linkedin.com/in/hannah-nicklin
⭐ I am an award-winning & expert/lead game writer & narrative designer.
🌎 I am interested in long & short term contracts & consultancy, ideally remote.
Let's chat!
hannahnicklin.com
linkedin.com/in/hannah-nicklin
October 15, 2025 at 6:46 PM
📚 My current contract is coming to an end in Dec so I am now looking for new work!
⭐ I am an award-winning & expert/lead game writer & narrative designer.
🌎 I am interested in long & short term contracts & consultancy, ideally remote.
Let's chat!
hannahnicklin.com
linkedin.com/in/hannah-nicklin
⭐ I am an award-winning & expert/lead game writer & narrative designer.
🌎 I am interested in long & short term contracts & consultancy, ideally remote.
Let's chat!
hannahnicklin.com
linkedin.com/in/hannah-nicklin
We don’t use Wwise
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 12, 2025 at 3:34 PM
We don’t use Wwise
Flea Dodge is going to give me an aneurysm I swear to god
October 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Flea Dodge is going to give me an aneurysm I swear to god
Thank you to the viral clip of Bob’s Burgers I saw to remind me to do a big backup this weekend!
October 4, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Thank you to the viral clip of Bob’s Burgers I saw to remind me to do a big backup this weekend!
Reposted by Adam Hay
Solar Sleep System is out now - available on all digital platforms to stream or buy!
Sleep / Stargaze / Meditate / Focus / Daydream / Walk / Write / Paint / Pray / Play to 1h 18m of very #ambient spacey dreaminess 🖤 🌘
open.spotify.com/album/5Mpgxn...
Sleep / Stargaze / Meditate / Focus / Daydream / Walk / Write / Paint / Pray / Play to 1h 18m of very #ambient spacey dreaminess 🖤 🌘
open.spotify.com/album/5Mpgxn...
October 1, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Solar Sleep System is out now - available on all digital platforms to stream or buy!
Sleep / Stargaze / Meditate / Focus / Daydream / Walk / Write / Paint / Pray / Play to 1h 18m of very #ambient spacey dreaminess 🖤 🌘
open.spotify.com/album/5Mpgxn...
Sleep / Stargaze / Meditate / Focus / Daydream / Walk / Write / Paint / Pray / Play to 1h 18m of very #ambient spacey dreaminess 🖤 🌘
open.spotify.com/album/5Mpgxn...
I had my hopes up for the new Skate, but it’s not doing it for me. The sticky physics are disappointing, but the corporate wrapping is borderline distressing.
September 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I had my hopes up for the new Skate, but it’s not doing it for me. The sticky physics are disappointing, but the corporate wrapping is borderline distressing.
Imagining some sort of Willy Wonka-style tour through an incredible sardine factory.
September 27, 2025 at 5:15 AM
Imagining some sort of Willy Wonka-style tour through an incredible sardine factory.
In Portugal having a coffee and there’s an eagle just chilling out in the tree next to us
September 22, 2025 at 3:25 PM
In Portugal having a coffee and there’s an eagle just chilling out in the tree next to us
Reposted by Adam Hay
This is why everything sucks. It's not trans people. It's not immigrants. You are being robbed blind before your eyes and those same people also own all the tech and media networks to tell you that the cause is not them
September 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
This is why everything sucks. It's not trans people. It's not immigrants. You are being robbed blind before your eyes and those same people also own all the tech and media networks to tell you that the cause is not them
Reposted by Adam Hay
I wonder if the Prime Minister might have anything to say today about how the world's richest man urged a huge fascist mob to effect a change in government and incited them to violence, because I feel like that's not something we should encourage
September 14, 2025 at 8:02 AM
I wonder if the Prime Minister might have anything to say today about how the world's richest man urged a huge fascist mob to effect a change in government and incited them to violence, because I feel like that's not something we should encourage
Reposted by Adam Hay
Two trials will be repeated endlessly despite always producing the same results:
1) Does UBI work? (yes)
2) Does AI improve productivity? (no)
1) Does UBI work? (yes)
2) Does AI improve productivity? (no)
M365 Copilot fails to up productivity in UK government trial
: AI tech shows promise writing emails or summarizing meetings. Don't bother with anything more complex
www.theregister.com
September 6, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Two trials will be repeated endlessly despite always producing the same results:
1) Does UBI work? (yes)
2) Does AI improve productivity? (no)
1) Does UBI work? (yes)
2) Does AI improve productivity? (no)
Last nights session of Silksong made me think ‘oh no, they’ve overturned the difficulty’ coz I got stuck on a difficult main path area/boss. Turns out I missed one thing that would have trivialised the whole section. A character even tells you about this.
September 7, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Last nights session of Silksong made me think ‘oh no, they’ve overturned the difficulty’ coz I got stuck on a difficult main path area/boss. Turns out I missed one thing that would have trivialised the whole section. A character even tells you about this.
Silksong and Hollow Knight would both be better if bosses needed 2 or 3 less hits per phase.
September 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Silksong and Hollow Knight would both be better if bosses needed 2 or 3 less hits per phase.
£15.99 for Silksong is bananas cheap. Here we go!
September 5, 2025 at 6:45 PM
£15.99 for Silksong is bananas cheap. Here we go!
Reposted by Adam Hay
The mental health benefits of not knowing any history right now must be massive. Moving through your day with total equanimity. What happens next? Who knows? Maybe something good
August 26, 2025 at 7:51 PM
The mental health benefits of not knowing any history right now must be massive. Moving through your day with total equanimity. What happens next? Who knows? Maybe something good