Features of audiovisual design of arcade slots
1) Audiovisual goals
Instant readability: the player ≤1 understands the state of the round and the goal.
Emotional modulation: sound/video lead the "excitation curve" (voltage → discharge).
Game feedback: Each action has a visible/audible result.
Performance and availability: 60/90 FPS on mobile, understandable content under all conditions.
2) Visual system
2. 1. Composition and hierarchy
The main objects (goals, multipliers, timer) are 20-40% larger than the environment.
Attention zones: rule "1-2-3" (1 main element, 2 secondary, 3 background).
Grid 8pt; important HUD elements are closer to the center, outside the "dead zones" of the thumb.
2. 2. Color and contrast
Minimum UI/background contrast: WCAG ≥ 4. 5: 1.
Functional palette: neutral background, accent colors of statuses (success/risk/error).
Color safety: Deuter/Protan/Tritan modes; do not encode meaning only in color - add a form/icon.
2. 3. Typography and icons
Basic pin HUD 14-16 pt (mobile), key numbers 24-32 pt.
Hits UI ≥ 44 × 44 pt (minimum) with a margin of up to 56 pt on the portrait screen.
The icons are simple, with a silhouette shape, without small details in <24 px.
2. 4. Animations and time
Microanimations 120-200 ms; transitions 180-300 ms; "award" 400-800 ms.
Easing: OutCubic for appearances, InCubic for departures, Elastic for dosed (rewards only).
Hit-stop (frame stop) 50-120 ms on critical hits; screenshake amplitude ≤ 8-12 px, duration ≤ 120 ms.
2. 5. Camera and VFX
Parallax 1:0. 6: 0. 3 (foreground/midplane/background).
Post-effects (bloom, motion blur, chromatic aberration) - economical; are disabled in the settings.
Particles: budget for devices - low (≤150), mid (≤300), high (≤600) at the same time.
2. 6. Mobile and ›
Default portrait; the elements are reached with the thumb (the "big circle" rule).
Safe-area for cutouts/gestures; interactive no closer than 16 pt to the edge.
60 FPS minimum; target 90/120 to high-end when effects are degraded.
3) Sound system
3. 1. Music
Themes for the genre: crash/action - 110-140 BPM; puzzle - 80-110 BPM.
Adaptability:
3. 2. SFX (taxonomy)
Action (clicks, swipes, hits), UI (navigation/error), State (timer/risk), Reward (combo/wine), Fail.
Frequency ranges:
3. 3. Mix and volume
Integral level: -16... -14 LUFS, peaks ≤ -1 dBTP.
Ducking: voice/system prompts priority music by 6-10 dB.
Anti-fatigue: prohibition of frequent "sawing" SFX> 6 kHz; a cycle of music without noticeable seams.
3. 4. Space and positioning
Stereo as a base; pseudo-binaural for FPV/VR sections.
Panorama: UI-SFX closer to the center; world - on stage.
3. 5. Silence and pauses
Dramatization of climaxes: a short silence of 200-400 ms before the "big" event enhances the effect.
3. 6. Haptica (mobile)
Easy tactile response to Good/Perfect/Fail (short patterns of 10-60 ms).
Vibration switch in settings; do not duplicate sound and vibration for each event.
4) Audio/Video/Gameplay Sync
Sound triggers - authority server when playing online; tolerance ± 1 frame (16.7 ms @ 60 FPS).
"Sound before light": SFX start 1 frame before peak animation makes the impact "palpable."
Timer signals: − 3/ − 1 sec audio tics + visual flashes.
5) Thematic integrity and branding
Art Bible: Palette, Shapes, Light, Particle Style/VFX, Typography.
Audio bible: key/tempo, sound palette, layer rules, jingles of levels.
Uniform statuses in all channels (color/sound/icon say the same thing).
6) Affordability
Color modes, subtitles of key SFX ("ticking timer," "critical risk").
Options: reduce visual noise/action effects, limit flashes (photoepilepsy).
Volume control: master/music/SFX/voice separately.
7) Performance and technical budgets
Graphics:
Audio:
Tools: audio middleware (e.g. Wwise/FMOD), mix snapshots by state (menu/battle/reward).
8) Pipeline and quality control
Assets are named 'AV _ [Type] _ [State] _ [Priority] _ [v]'.
Source versioning and location (scenes/font presets/animation curves).
Release freeze checklists: contrast/size/hit zones/particle noise/volume levels/peaks.
Hardware shooting gallery assemblies: high/medium/low presets (effects/particles/frame rate/audio bitrate).
Usability tests: time-to-understand (≤3 s), error rate on clicks, recall icons, AB tests of the tempo of music.
9) Genre accents (examples)
Crash/blitz: counter/rising tone curve, short sharp SFX, minimum background.
Bonus shooter: rhythmic "clicks" of hits, pulsating bass on the line, short hit-stop.
Puzzle: soft timbres, warm background, emphasis on "collected/connected."
Platformer: clear steps of height/speed by sound, jump/landing of different keys.
10) Legal restrictions and ethics
Age tags, flash/vibration warnings.
Restriction on "screaming" jingles in night mode (option "night sound").
Transparency: the absence of deceptive visual "buffs," the sound should not signal an event that does not exist.
11) Audiovisual metrics
Reading UI: time to correct action, share of misses on goals.
Reactions: average window of perfect hits (ms), miss/near-miss distribution.
Rewards: hold after "big" animation, CTR on repeat.
Audio comfort: volume complaints,% muted music/SFX, fatigue score (session length vs mute).
Performance: P90 FPS, drops with "mass" effects, audio drops.
12) Pre-release checklist
Contrast and pin observed; goals and statuses are read in ≤1 seconds.
Volume within -16... - 14 LUFS; ≤ -1 dBTP peaks ducking is set up.
Hit-stop/screenshake in limits; outbreaks do not exceed safe thresholds.
Particles/post-effects on budget for low/mid/high.
Availability: subtitles of key SFX, color modes, volume sliders.
Smoothness 60 FPS on mid-device; audio without clipping/seams.
AV consistency: color/sound/icon report the same status.
Result
Effective audiovisual design of arcade slots is a systematic work with reading statuses, accurate feedback timing and emotion control through sound and movement. Clear budgets, adaptive mix/music, discreet effects, high FPS and availability turn the arcade slot into an understandable, responsive and exciting product that works equally well on any device and for any audience.
Instant readability: the player ≤1 understands the state of the round and the goal.
Emotional modulation: sound/video lead the "excitation curve" (voltage → discharge).
Game feedback: Each action has a visible/audible result.
Performance and availability: 60/90 FPS on mobile, understandable content under all conditions.
2) Visual system
2. 1. Composition and hierarchy
The main objects (goals, multipliers, timer) are 20-40% larger than the environment.
Attention zones: rule "1-2-3" (1 main element, 2 secondary, 3 background).
Grid 8pt; important HUD elements are closer to the center, outside the "dead zones" of the thumb.
2. 2. Color and contrast
Minimum UI/background contrast: WCAG ≥ 4. 5: 1.
Functional palette: neutral background, accent colors of statuses (success/risk/error).
Color safety: Deuter/Protan/Tritan modes; do not encode meaning only in color - add a form/icon.
2. 3. Typography and icons
Basic pin HUD 14-16 pt (mobile), key numbers 24-32 pt.
Hits UI ≥ 44 × 44 pt (minimum) with a margin of up to 56 pt on the portrait screen.
The icons are simple, with a silhouette shape, without small details in <24 px.
2. 4. Animations and time
Microanimations 120-200 ms; transitions 180-300 ms; "award" 400-800 ms.
Easing: OutCubic for appearances, InCubic for departures, Elastic for dosed (rewards only).
Hit-stop (frame stop) 50-120 ms on critical hits; screenshake amplitude ≤ 8-12 px, duration ≤ 120 ms.
2. 5. Camera and VFX
Parallax 1:0. 6: 0. 3 (foreground/midplane/background).
Post-effects (bloom, motion blur, chromatic aberration) - economical; are disabled in the settings.
Particles: budget for devices - low (≤150), mid (≤300), high (≤600) at the same time.
2. 6. Mobile and ›
Default portrait; the elements are reached with the thumb (the "big circle" rule).
Safe-area for cutouts/gestures; interactive no closer than 16 pt to the edge.
60 FPS minimum; target 90/120 to high-end when effects are degraded.
3) Sound system
3. 1. Music
Themes for the genre: crash/action - 110-140 BPM; puzzle - 80-110 BPM.
Adaptability:
- Vertical remixing - layers (rhythm/bass/pads/melody) are included by state.
- Horizontal resequencing - seam transitions A→B→C by events.
- Leitmotifs for status (tension, victory, risk).
3. 2. SFX (taxonomy)
Action (clicks, swipes, hits), UI (navigation/error), State (timer/risk), Reward (combo/wine), Fail.
Frequency ranges:
- Actions - medium-high (2-6 kHz) for readability.
- Awards - wider spectrum + sub bass for "weight" (50-120 Hz).
- Sound "gradation of importance": the more valuable the event, the longer/more complex the layer and richer the harmony.
3. 3. Mix and volume
Integral level: -16... -14 LUFS, peaks ≤ -1 dBTP.
Ducking: voice/system prompts priority music by 6-10 dB.
Anti-fatigue: prohibition of frequent "sawing" SFX> 6 kHz; a cycle of music without noticeable seams.
3. 4. Space and positioning
Stereo as a base; pseudo-binaural for FPV/VR sections.
Panorama: UI-SFX closer to the center; world - on stage.
3. 5. Silence and pauses
Dramatization of climaxes: a short silence of 200-400 ms before the "big" event enhances the effect.
3. 6. Haptica (mobile)
Easy tactile response to Good/Perfect/Fail (short patterns of 10-60 ms).
Vibration switch in settings; do not duplicate sound and vibration for each event.
4) Audio/Video/Gameplay Sync
Sound triggers - authority server when playing online; tolerance ± 1 frame (16.7 ms @ 60 FPS).
"Sound before light": SFX start 1 frame before peak animation makes the impact "palpable."
Timer signals: − 3/ − 1 sec audio tics + visual flashes.
5) Thematic integrity and branding
Art Bible: Palette, Shapes, Light, Particle Style/VFX, Typography.
Audio bible: key/tempo, sound palette, layer rules, jingles of levels.
Uniform statuses in all channels (color/sound/icon say the same thing).
6) Affordability
Color modes, subtitles of key SFX ("ticking timer," "critical risk").
Options: reduce visual noise/action effects, limit flashes (photoepilepsy).
Volume control: master/music/SFX/voice separately.
7) Performance and technical budgets
Graphics:
- Sprite atlases, butching, ≤150 -200 draw calls/frame (mobile mid).
- Textures 1024-2048 for HUD, 512-1024 for secondary; LOD and meep levels.
- GPU particles, material caching, transparency limitation.
Audio:
- Streaming music buffer, SFX in memory (frequently used).
- Codecs: Opus/Vorbis; music 96-160 kbps VBR, SFX 48-96 kbps (in duration).
- Sample Rate 44. 1/48 kHz; mono for short SFX (economy), stereo for "big" effects.
- RAM-budget audio mobile: 20-40 MB (core-set), high-end up to 60-80 MB.
Tools: audio middleware (e.g. Wwise/FMOD), mix snapshots by state (menu/battle/reward).
8) Pipeline and quality control
Assets are named 'AV _ [Type] _ [State] _ [Priority] _ [v]'.
Source versioning and location (scenes/font presets/animation curves).
Release freeze checklists: contrast/size/hit zones/particle noise/volume levels/peaks.
Hardware shooting gallery assemblies: high/medium/low presets (effects/particles/frame rate/audio bitrate).
Usability tests: time-to-understand (≤3 s), error rate on clicks, recall icons, AB tests of the tempo of music.
9) Genre accents (examples)
Crash/blitz: counter/rising tone curve, short sharp SFX, minimum background.
Bonus shooter: rhythmic "clicks" of hits, pulsating bass on the line, short hit-stop.
Puzzle: soft timbres, warm background, emphasis on "collected/connected."
Platformer: clear steps of height/speed by sound, jump/landing of different keys.
10) Legal restrictions and ethics
Age tags, flash/vibration warnings.
Restriction on "screaming" jingles in night mode (option "night sound").
Transparency: the absence of deceptive visual "buffs," the sound should not signal an event that does not exist.
11) Audiovisual metrics
Reading UI: time to correct action, share of misses on goals.
Reactions: average window of perfect hits (ms), miss/near-miss distribution.
Rewards: hold after "big" animation, CTR on repeat.
Audio comfort: volume complaints,% muted music/SFX, fatigue score (session length vs mute).
Performance: P90 FPS, drops with "mass" effects, audio drops.
12) Pre-release checklist
Contrast and pin observed; goals and statuses are read in ≤1 seconds.
Volume within -16... - 14 LUFS; ≤ -1 dBTP peaks ducking is set up.
Hit-stop/screenshake in limits; outbreaks do not exceed safe thresholds.
Particles/post-effects on budget for low/mid/high.
Availability: subtitles of key SFX, color modes, volume sliders.
Smoothness 60 FPS on mid-device; audio without clipping/seams.
AV consistency: color/sound/icon report the same status.
Result
Effective audiovisual design of arcade slots is a systematic work with reading statuses, accurate feedback timing and emotion control through sound and movement. Clear budgets, adaptive mix/music, discreet effects, high FPS and availability turn the arcade slot into an understandable, responsive and exciting product that works equally well on any device and for any audience.
