Writing a Voidpet Musical

I'll start by saying that I've already written 11 songs I'm very excited about, and can't wait to share them with you! Otherwise I wouldn't have the audacity to write this post. However, getting them polished, produced, and animated is a whole other story, so it will be a while before you experience them. All you get is my yap for now.

Why a musical, you might ask?

Reason 1: My favorite way to tell stories is through first person character development. I love putting myself in the shoes of a character and exploring how they think (or sing). That's quite the opposite of what you get in a game, where all characters are experienced in third person through the eyes of the player.

Reason 2: I believe visual and auditory design is at the core of Voidpet's DNA. We started on TikTok building our brand through art and trending sounds. While writing Hands of Greed was perhaps the most fun and freedom I've had worldbuilding without product constraints, I think the degree to which you can experience the magic of the Void is limited without music and animation.

Reason 3: I grew up a few blocks south of Broadway's theatre district and studied musical theory, piano, singing, and acting throughout most of my childhood. I always thought those were only things I only did because I had a tiger mother who left me no choice. But now, I feel fortunate to be able to draw from that background and create something unique for a game universe.

Reason 4: I have a bone to pick with Lin Manuel Miranda.

Why I have beef with Lin Manuel Miranda

Okay I'm sorry, that's a ragebait header. The truth is he doesn't even know I exist, and I'm really nothing more than an early, diehard superfan. But he did go to my school, and I remember him performing his early drafts of Hamilton in front of my 6th grade classroom.

I specifically remember him performing said Hamilton drafts right when 12-year-old me had just written the most epic 24-page poem of her life, and I was so excited to have locked in the role of Rapunzel for our school's 6th grade play. I really thought that 2010 was going to be my golden year–I could sing, I could write, and I was going to be a star.

Then all of a sudden, this random man shows up and starts rapping about US history. And just like that, the whole class is absolutely down atrocious for him for the rest of the academic year, and of course my poem about Gilgamesh is now completely forgotten.

'Gilgamesh, the proud and arrogant king // sought to attain most everything'...
What a basic, boring, amateur line. Sounds like a freaking 6th grader wrote it.

F*** my life. I deleted the poem from my mom's computer and never looked back.

If my writing sucks that bad compared to some random hobbyist from my local school? Better give up now and try and be a tech mogul or something instead.

To top it all off, I subsequently choked on a jellybean in the middle of my Rapunzel solo, so it sufficed to say that my dreams of being a star were officially over that year.

So now what?

Now that I've grown up a bit and built out some of my tech business dreams, I'm starting to calm down a little and think that maybe I'm not the absolute worst songwriter in the world after all. Maybe I should just write some more music if I like doing it so much. Maybe I don't have to eternally compare myself to that guy who wiped the floor with me in 6th grade. Or maybe I still will, and just lean into the anime-like absurdity of it all with a little bit of humor.

About the songs we're working on

1. HAUNTED PLAYGROUND

This first one is a group intro song where every character gets a verse. It references the abandoned playground in the middle of Something Park—a place where early players would go to catch rare Voidpets. The recurring line is "I don't run from my shadows, they run from me,"–an echo of Voidpet's central theme of examining your emotions head on.

In this song, everyone gets a silly bit about how their humanity gets the best of them, and yet they still persist with absurdity and optimism. It's a toast to the human condition, and a playful nod to what the Void stands for.

2. TRUE ANTAGONIST

Char's song is a rallying cry that prompts you to wonder whether or not to take his side.

It starts with a sassy piano and horns, and ironically shares quite a few musical themes with the song of the very antagonist himself. With pure instruments and little to no synthetic texture, this one is designed to feel like a gritty, no-frills, raw, technical angst anthem without any special effects or shortcuts.

3. DRAW THE VOICES

Alt's song is full of real instruments, and all about making art. While he struggles to wake up in time for class, he spends his energy daydreaming, wanting to draw the Voidpets that visit him at night.

The not-so-hidden message is that it's also about the founding story of Voidpet. We began with nothing more than artwork, drawing black and white monsters based on emotions.

4. DYNASTY TOMORROW

Pandora sings about the burden of being the eldest child. She sees her siblings as small, lost children all alone in a vast Void, and herself as the only one who can protect them.

This one is also about the perception of smallness. And the ambition to build something huge. The duality of being both an underdog with heart, and a fearsome, organized machine.

5. SHOOT ME DEAD

Pecunia sings about life like it's a game. She admits to being a hacker and scammer, and the musical texture is ethereal and synth heavy to feel effortless and smooth.

She also views her own family inversely to how her sister does, proclaiming them the winning team, and inviting the listener to join. It's up to you to decide which sister's interpretation is more correct.

6. BLOOD IS RED

Volo's song is about blood and the color red. The string motif in the instrumental is a nod to his canonical violin skills.

This one has several layered references, some Latin adjacent to his name, and a driving rhythm designed to reflect the intensity of his Seeing Red ability. The goal of this one is to invite the listener into his trance-like focus and euphoric thrill.

7. ROUNDING ERROR

Luden sings about feeling trivial in a high stakes family where everyone is larger than life.

Unlike the other Windfalls, his instrumental is the least theatrical, with more indie rock-sounding drums and guitar over ethereal electronic classical hybrids. Texture wise, this one is designed to feel a little out of place–similar to how Luden feels about being the adopted 5th Windfall.

8. YOU'RE ENOUGH

Hyphen's song is a lighthearted anthem of impostor syndrome. The instrumental is sparkly and airy, representing the vertigo of shiny new heights and the lightheaded rush of ensuing anxiety.

"You can do it, you're enough! You are strong and you are tough!" Is the little affirmation she repeats to listener–and of course, herself.

9. MAKE A WINDFALL

Promise has the only song with no repeating lines. He's caffeinated, seizing control of his narrative over a driving rhythm, and speaking directly to his sister Pandora–or alternatively, to the listener.

His pitch escalates in each section. First, a wry remark to not stand in the way of your own success. Second, to simply sell your soul. And third, a audacious guarantee of finality and profit.

10. RAH RAH

Tilde's signature line here is "Rah-rah-running your mouth ah-ah"–as she taunts her haters for falling victim to their own convoluted thought spirals. While her verses are fast paced patter, her chorus simplify to wordless vocalization–a nod to her bias for action.

This track is fast paced, jubiliant, with punchy drums and synth textures to match her fire.

11. DELETE Y0U

Zero emphatically sings about... deleting people. His song features an instrumental motif that rapidly descends, representing a descent into the dungeon, a descent into chaos, and the enduring race towards a lower, more prestigious ranking on his twisted leaderboard.

His song is full of little references to numbers, game mechanics, philosophy, and his relationship with the Windfalls. It's also about architecting complex systems and the allure of endless challenge. The very forces that make gameplay exciting.