History Main / SoundCodedForYourConvenience

** The above mentioned example of Ben Underwood, blind since age 3 and still being able to play ''Pokémon'' games, is actually not too [[IncrediblyLamePun far-fetched]]. Each Pokémon has a unique cry when sent out (save for a few from the first generation that share cries due to sound limitations). Sufficiently experienced players can recognize the most common Pokémon by only their cry. Presumably, he learned to play once a sighted friend explained what the sound effects mean.

* ''VideoGame/NetHack'' doesn't let its lack of sound stop it from using this trope in the form of textual notices such as, "You hear someone cursing shoplifters.", "You hear crashing rock.", or even "You hear the roaring of an angry bear!". The source code includes hints that it'll soon be possible to go deaf.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', you'd hear a distinctive ringing noise whenever a "soldier" enemy noticed your presence. Holding out your sword and walking into walls let you "tap" them, and bombable walls would make a low, hollow sound to let you know. The "secret revealed!" jingle is practically iconic.
** And don't forget ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'': "This compass has a new feature: a tone will tell you if a key is hidden in a room when you enter!"

*** ...If a Phantom spots you ''and'' if you managed to make your {{Tsundere}} ExpositionFairy, who is [[DemonicPossession possessing one]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment snap]].
** ''Spirit Tracks'''s tunnels are usually simple enough to go through. One three separate occasions, however, a rocktite spawns behind you, with the music going from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q63XNCzfIs4 this]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50EpYW_lkQ this]] as it gets closer... and closer... Oh, and it's sometimes invulnerable to cannon fire, you have to shoot the ExplodingBarrels when it's next to them.

* ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' has shell horn which, when picked up, announces when a puzzle is completed.
** As important is the little "trap" sound, which usually means [[strike:it's a good idea to turn around and run ''immediately.'']] OH GOD[[WarpWhistle F2 0 F2 0 F2 0 F2 0 F2 0 F2 0 F2 0 F2 0]]

* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' has certain actions announced so it's easier to know what's going on: calling in an assist will have the announcer yell "Crossover!" as well as the character calling the assist saying something along the lines of "I need help!". The character doing the assist will announce they're leaving once they're done with the attack. Pushblocking will have the announcer yell "Advancing guard!" Initiating an Air Combo will have the announcer yell "Air Combo!", a team aerial combo will have him yell "Team Aerial Combo!" and if it is countered he'll instead yell "Team Aerial Counter!". Finishing the combo has him [[IdiosyncraticComboLevels react]] to it with something like "[[ComicBook/XMen Uncanny!]]" or "[[VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe Viewtiful!]]" depending on the number of hits. Performing a Snap Back has a little snapping sound and if successful has the announcer yell "Snap Back!" and knocking an enemy team member out will have the announcer yell "Down!" in addition to the cries of the downed opponent. The announcer also yells out your Hyper Combo gauge level if you fill a bar, and yells "Maximum!" upon reaching 5 stocks. There's also a flashing sound when a hyper combo's initiated and the much more terrifying sound of what seems to be a greek chorus gasping when a Level 3 Hyper Combo is performed, as it is that much more dangerous.

* The ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series has these too. There's the distinctive "Ping!" sound of the Home-Run Bat and certain moves if they hit a sweet spot, indicating powerful attacks, the crackling sound of someone's shield breaking, the crowd cheering for a character that does well and the announcer popping in to announce that a player has been knocked out of the game if there's more than two players.

** Absent a small percentage of the time, meaning the thudding of the dragon landing behind you is the only warning you get... just to freak you out.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' sure loves its sound effects. The most iconic is the ScareChord upon being sighted by a Large Monster, very helpful if the monster is offscreen or you wouldn't know it's after you. The music can also help you narrow down what monster noticed you...unless the monster is a Khezu, who has a distinct ''lack of'' BGM.

** Olimar's {{VideGame/Pikmin}} have a distinct dying sound which is helpful if you want to know if you need to pick more. This then becomes a SubvertedTrope as it sounds very similar to Ness' PK Flash, so you can get confused.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' does this, and has similar sounds for when most monsters aggro... an exception is the undead Fomors and Shades, which are pretty much enemy versions of [=PCs=]. You never hear them coming until it's too late. Being undead, it adds to the creepy factor.

** The ambient sound effects of air moving through a cave become more intense when you're near a dirt wall between cave sections, in case you're having trouble distinguishing it from normal cave walls.
** Soft, chirp-like beeps mean there's a lost helmet or the batteries to a cargo crate nearby, which means you're in for some bonus loot!

** The various Glyphids all give distinct cries to let you know what's coming even if you can't see it yet, from the high-pitched screechs of Glyphid Grunts, to the gurgling croaks of an acid-spraying Menace, to the [[EvilLaugh sinister, throaty chuckles]] of a [[TheDreaded Bulk Detonator]]. This makes the regular Glyphid Exploders all the more dangerous because the only audio cues they give is a high-pitched hissing, which you might hear [[JumpScare right in your ear]] just before they [[ActionBomb detonate.]]

* The StreetFighter series has a distinct high pitched sound for when a character gets stunned, letting you know they're open to any attack at that point.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'', there is a device that emits a different sound based on the direction it is pointing. If you memorize these sounds, you can later use them to navigate a maze in a different age. Otherwise, or if you're deaf, you'll have to do the maze the old-fashioned way: try every path.

* ''Videogame/{{Subnautica}}'''s creatures all make lots of noise, and have unique, distinctive calls. Learning which creature makes what sound is crucial, as it will allow you to instantly distinguish between a [[GentleGiant Reefback]] just saying hello, and a [[SeaMonster Reaper Leviathan]] about to crack your submarine open like an eggshell and swallow you whole.

* ''VideoGame/{{MAG}}'' has a characteristic sound when you inflict a headshot.
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', where enemies loved to suddenly teleport to prescripted areas, the idle sounds of these enemies were played in these areas even before they started to teleport. And the teleporting itself was done with one fixed sound.
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', with its close captioning ability, distinguishing enemies becomes much easier. 'Barnacle pull', you know, 'Headcrab alert', 'Combine: chatter' and, of course, '*moan*'.
** ''Half-Life 2'' also had a very noticeable sound warning for the poisonous headcrabs: a very loud cry that sounded like a cross between a dolphin and a rattlesnake. Since these enemies could temporarily reduce your health and make you a OneHitPointWonder, this could be extremely helpful... if the aforementioned sound and the effect that their attacks caused weren't nightmare fuel.
*** The developers mentioned that playtesters tended to drop everything to focus on where that sound was coming from and kill it.
** Different types of zombies also make different noises; compare the normal zombie moans with the watery, throaty rasping of the Poison Zombie or the Fast Zombie's very bunched-up panting.
* In ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'', suicide bomb soldiers emit a continuous "aaaaarrrgh" scream when they're coming at you, allowing you to tell where they're coming from, especially if they're behind you. The distinctive whine of chainsaws tips one off to the presence of the chainsaw-wielding pumpkin-men. Pretty much every enemy makes their distinctive sounds, often from StockSoundEffects.
** Hilariously, you can sometimes find them idle. They mutter little "argh?"s to themselves.
* This dates back quite a bit. Both ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' and ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'' have recognizable sounds for enemies. From the growls of the zombiemen, to the hisses of the imps, and the veritably pants-filling roar of Barons of Hell, every single monster (well, aside from the zombies, who all have similar noises) has its own unique alert sound. Zombies and imps will produce relatively human-like cries of pain upon being damaged, while all other hellspawn will just monotonously moan.
** "[[GratuitousGerman Schutzstaffel.]]" Your pants will fill if you hear this and you can't see the SS trooper, as damage is surprisingly realistic, and a sustained MP40 spray to your back is not something you want to experience.
** It also proves very useful in Wolfenstein 3D when differentiating between solid walls and secret passages that are immovable for some reason - the sound can be a little off-putting if you don't expect it.

* Due to the general lagginess of online multiplayer, competitive shooter games tend to have some sort of noise to confirm that you've managed to land a blow against an opponent. One of the first examples was ''VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena'', with its clown nose-like "honk".
* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' had its distinctive "clang" for damaging a player's shields. ''Descent III'' went with a softer, less distinctive "pop", which was not popular among ''Descent'' fans.
** ''CommandAndConquerRenegade'' had a similar system for confirming when you got a kill with its infamous "boink" sound. This was useful to know, since it was sometimes difficult to tell if your bombardment was killing anything, as well as being a fun part of the Renegade experience.
** ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' has the additional mechanic of showing your opponent's shields go down with a distinct "pop".
*** This practice was continued with ''World At War'', ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'', and ''Black Ops''.
* In just about every First Person Shooter gives grenades a distinct sound when they are thrown because frankly it's just not fun to die from a grenade silently rolled into your cover spot from behind. Sometimes it's a ticking noise, sometimes it's a loud pinging sound when they hit a surface (which can be particularly unrealistic, though [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality acceptable]], when it always makes the same metal-on-metal ping sound even if it lands in dirt), and a visual cue is often also added such as a light on the grenade (''VideoGame/HalfLife2'') or an indicator on your HUD that you're within a grenade's blast radius (''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'').
* The enemies in ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' usually make plenty of noise to let you know they're around. The Splicers will talk or sing to themselves, breaking into mad ranting when they actually catch sight of you and the Big Daddies make whale-like moans and ground-shuddering footsteps while the Little Sisters talk happily to them. With time, you can even learn to distinguish between Splicer-types by the sounds they make with their weapons (melee-types scrape their weapons against the ground, gun-types compulsively snap their pistol cylinders open and shut, Spider Splicers produce a metallic noise with their climbing hooks and so on). The security drones also make helpful buzzing noises as they fly around.
* The ''tink-tink'' of a bouncing grenade is very clear and audible in ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Call of Duty 4]]'', even when thrown on dirt or grass. This makes it useful to know when someone is flinging a grenade your way, as you can hear the sound before the grenade warning icon appears.
* ''VideoGame/RedOrchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad'': The soundtrack, specific for Russian and German sides, is supposed to change to be more somber when your team is losing, and more grand while your team is winning!
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy''
** In the main games of this subseries, all the hidden powerups make a distinctive humming sound that is often the the player's first clue that there's something to find in the area. The sound's volume and stereo positioning can help narrow down its location.
** The Metroids themselves make an odd chittering sound before they attack Samus. (They didn't do this in the 2D games, but then you didn't have to worry about one sneaking up behind you and catching you unaware!)

* ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'' (''FEAR'') has its soldiers chatter to each other on radios, a la ''Half-Life''. [[FridgeLogic Even though the plot says that they're all being controlled psychically]].
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', sentries beep occasionally, so you can hear them before they see you, and they also have distinctive firing sounds. Almost every weapon in the game also has their own distinct sounds to let you more easily identify what your enemy has in his hands. If you're a spy, this can lead to you blowing your cover if you're not careful.

*** MEDIC! - While this DOES alert your teammates to heal you, it also alerts enemies on who is an easy target...
*** [[MemeticMutation SPY SAPPIN MAH SENTRY!]] - Either your Engie needs help, or it's time to rush in and finish the job
*** OM NOM NOM - Kill the Heavy before his sandvich can heal him!
*** Hear a bugle? Get out of the way. It's a Soldier with an area-of-effect attack/defense/self-healing buff and he's coming your way. Or...go find him and stick close to him to gain those same benefits. The two teams have team-specific bugle noises, so you can tell which side is using it.

* Most guns in ''Day of Defeat'' have their own sound, giving you some clue to what class of enemy you're facing. In particular, the Garand rifle used by the Allied riflemen makes a very distinctive sound when it ejects an empty clip - a handy clue to the other side that the soldier is out of ammo.
* Both the ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'' and ''VideoGame/Metro2033'' series of games use a high pitched buzzing to indicate the use of telepathic powers.

* All enemy robots in ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' have their distinctive sound, although some of them are (intentionally) hard to hear. Notable are the ticking sound (of the super mech with homing missiles, meaning you need to ''get cover NOW''), the weird screech of the Omega (which tends to fly straight at you and self-destruct) and ''particularly'' the whiny screech of the [[DemonicSpider vulcan driller]] (to which you should condition yourself to ''immediately'' fire a homing missile at it).
* In ''VideoGame/BlockNLoad'', if you don't have the area radar'd, dig-tool sounds are the best clue you have that someone is digging a tunnel into your base. Most heroes have a distinctive sound for their tool, so you can gauge the level of threat that's about to show up. Also, spawn quotes are a handy indicator that an enemy respawn pad is nearby, and some heroes' noises can help you find an enemy who's trying to hide.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', the voice line when a character uses their ultimate ability differs depending whether they are on your team or the enemy's team.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'', there are tons of sound cues in the game. There are the distinct sounds of each champions' weapon and abilities, the [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Ultimate callouts]] that can be heard from anywhere on the map, the jingling tune when your RegeneratingHealth activates, and the chime that plays when your Ultimate is ready.

* In [[VideoGame/XComEnemyUnknown X-COM: Enemy Unknown]] and it's DLC Enemy Within there are sound cues to tell you what enemies are on the map. Most [[OhCrap recognizable]] are screeching calls of [[DemonicSpiders Chryssalids]] and booming footsteps of [[WalkingTank Sectopods]]. In the DLC, Meld Canister sound also becomes more 'frantic' as its timer approaches zero.

* Both the STALKER and Metro: 2033 series of games use a high pitched buzzing to indicate the use of telepathic powers.

* There's a ''very'' distinct audio cue for knowing there's a dragon nearby in [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]. You'll be running through the wilderness or through an open town and there will be a sort of echo off in the distance, sounding as if it was carried in on the wind. Or just that straight up roar, rush of wind and dramatic battle music.

** In the third game, your shakalaka companions cheer when they carve/gather an item, make a distinct rattling noise when they're about to perform a dance and another distinct rattling noise when the dance is underway.

* In ''Franchise/SilentHill'' one through three, the PC was given a portable radio. It emitted static noise when there were monsters nearby. And since the outdoor area of Silent Hill is covered in dense fog and the indoor areas are frequently ''very'' dark (God bless the flashlight), the noise was a much very welcomed forewarning.
** By the way, that helped very much to scare the player at those rare moments when an enemy ''did not'' register on radio. Or when the radio decided to screw with you and go off when there ''[[NothingIsScarier aren't]]'' any enemies.
** One of the non-enemy radio sounds (high pitched squealing, supposedly signals the increasing evil presence) is featured in one of the [[VideoGame/SilentHill1 the first game's]] tracks ("Over") on the soundtrack. This track also includes the sound of the drawbridge motor.
* It's easy to know when you've killed everything in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' because the music stops.
** Not to mention the distinctive noises creatures such as the [[DemonicSpiders Regeneradors]] make in later levels. And their equally creepy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du59y3lTznk theme music]].
** The old-school ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' games put this to good use. The camera angles rarely let you see what was ahead, so you had to listen for the tell-tale sounds of zombie moans and monster footsteps to know what you were in for.

* PreexistingEncounters and {{Scripted Event}}s aside, the random ghosts from the ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'' series sometimes announce their presence by having their background music start up before they show up on-screen. It helps that all of the ghosts have their own individual songs so that you know what's coming.
** Then there's the Carpenters from the third game. The same song is used for all of them, despite there being three different kinds of Carpenters (the weaponless Man in White, the Man in White that has the spear, and the Engraved Man).

* In ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'', every weapon type has a different sound (although some have very similar sounds, like the Squiffers and the Bamboozlers). When played in surround sound or with headphones, the game also plays sounds coming from other participants in their specific direction, so an observant player can react accordingly. Every action a player makes also has a unique sound effect, such as shooting when out of ink or when his or her [[LimitBreak special weapon]] is ready for use, so they can be fully aware of their status without needing to look at the HUD.

* Set to be taken UpToEleven inside ''VideoGame/RedOrchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad'' - the soundtrack, specific for Russian and German sides, is supposed to change to be more somber when your team is losing, and more grand while your team is winning!

* For a roguelike game, ''Videogame/{{DRL}}'' takes this UpToEleven. Every enemy type has its distinct sound, and with the use of stereo sound, the player can tell that the demon is close to the left or far to the right, and the use of this sound is essential for survival. It is not a perfect tool, however, since some enemies of the same type share their sounds. And it's quite a difference to walk into the face of a [[{{Mooks}} former human]] armed with a basic pistol and a [[EliteMook elite former commando]] that can melt your face off with one shot.

* Most likely [[InvokedTrope invoked]] in ''VideoGame/EatLeadTheReturnOfMattHazard'' features mooks that [[UpToEleven announce their every move in a verbose way that cannot be misinterpreted by the player.]]

* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'': Some of the zombies have a sound cue before they enter the screen, such as Dolphin Riders, Balloons, Diggers, Pogos, Jack-in-the-Box. This lets you know that you're about to fight one, as they can be very dangerous to an unprepared player.

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', as a standard BeatEmUp, doesn't really need complex audio cues (though different sets of mooks have different cries). What it does matter with are the Lovikov Balls; powerups found hidden throughout Santa Destroy that make a distinct humming sound when they're nearby.
** Also, you'll know when Speed Buster's WaveMotionGun is about to fire - she yells something at you. Usually it's ''"Fuck you!"'' Useful if you're in the wrong direction to see its charge-up glare.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Killer 7}}'', just about every enemy laughs when they spawn. This is useful because they're normally invisible until you press a button to scan for them.

Compare VariableMix and RecognizableBySound. See also ColorCodedForYourConvenience for the visual variant.

** The game has some very distinct noises for its special zombies. Boomers sound like someone drowning and/or vomiting, Smokers cough and hack like a...smoker, Hunters have a very distinct growl and screech, Witches will sob and whimper, Spitters squeal softly to themselves, Jockeys laugh like madmen, and Chargers have a nasal growl like a wild boar or rhinoceros. You won't need to learn to recognize the sounds Tanks make, because they're always preceded by a big booming fanfare that tells you [[OhCrap you're about to get wrecked]].

* ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'' (''FEAR'') has its soldiers chatter to each other on radios, a la ''Half-Life'' . . . even though the plot says that they're all being controlled psychically.

** There's also a particular [[CriticalAnnoyance disconcerting]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWTJRLW6uRM beeping noise]] that lets the player know when his/her active Pokémon in battle have a low amount of HitPoints remaining.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall'' isn't particularly difficult if you know how to prepare for what you hear. A rumbling squeak? Spider: Free Action to avoid paralysis. A shriek? Skeleton: blunt weapons work best. A raspy shriek? Vampire Ancient: Spell Reflection or Spell Absorption. A dark laugh? Daedra Lord: run like hell the other direction.

* For a roguelike game, [[Videogame/DoomTheRoguelike DoomRL]] takes this UpToEleven. Every enemy type has its distinct sound, and with the use of stereo sound, the player can tell that the demon is close to the left or far to the right, and the use of this sound is essential for survival.
** It is not a perfect tool, however, since some enemies of the same type share their sounds. And it's quite a difference to walk into the face of a [[{{Mooks}} former human]] armed with a basic pistol and a [[EliteMook elite former commando]] that can melt your face off with one shot.

* ''Videogame/{{Subnautica]]'''s creatures all make lots of noise, and have unique, distinctive calls. Learning which creature makes what sound is crucial, as it will allow you to instantly distinguish between a [[GentleGiant Reefback]] just saying hello, and a [[SeaMonster Reaper Leviathan]] about to crack your submarine open like an eggshell and swallow you whole.