How I Composed Rutrum Soundtrack

I composed the soundtrack for Rutrum, an indie game by uncertainkey, released on Steam on September 2, 2026. The game combines drop-and-merge puzzles with roguelike deckbuilding and combat, following a character digging underground to escape indentured servitude.

Before writing a single note, I spent time with the art and the story. Rutrum is about digging deeper and deeper, so the music needed to feel like it was going somewhere too, getting stranger and more intense the further down you go.

Puzzle players listen to the same loop for a long time, so the tracks had to stay interesting without getting in the way of thinking. I kept the main loops calm and focused, and saved the bigger moments for combat and bosses.

The bosses, like the Crystal Ribcage and the Mushroom Forest boss, are where the soundtrack gets to show its teeth. Each one has its own motif, so players can recognise who they are fighting before they see it.

You can listen to previews of the soundtrack in the Music tab, and play the game on Steam.