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This is probably more a problem with me being unable to find statistics which i am absolutely certain must exist in some form: How many people play with the sound off/on when playing browser games or very casual mobile games. Because in my experience: nobody, but that is too subjective.

The question i want to answer for myself: Is it worth adding sounds to my game. But I dont want to base that decision off of my personal experience (sound is always off), but rather some cold hard fact.

They must exist somewhere, someone must have compiled that data, but I cant find it anywhere...

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Is this really a numbers question? How many players would need to play with sound before you'd consider it worthwhile to add to your game? 10? 100? 1000? \$\endgroup\$
    – DMGregory ♦
    May 19, 2020 at 15:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ @DMGregory Despite what the question implies, I want to believe that this isn't a question of no sound, but to what degree sound is needed. Sound is a feature just like everything else. If the stats show it isn't important to a specific genre, maybe a simple background track is all that is needed and then those resources can be focused elsewhere. \$\endgroup\$
    – jeromedruss
    May 20, 2020 at 15:25
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Hobbamok I would caution you, no matter how many people play on silent (I am one) when you are expecting sound, but there are no sound effects, it is jarring. Perhaps some stats around reviews mentioning audio (or lack of) would also be helpful. \$\endgroup\$
    – jeromedruss
    May 20, 2020 at 15:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DMGregory yes it really is a numbers question, because then I can put those numbers in context to the other expected numbers (players, interest etc.) and then, as jeromedruss says, weigh how much effort the sound department deserves (if any at all) \$\endgroup\$
    – Hobbamok
    May 26, 2020 at 20:04

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I just happened to run across 73% of mobile play with sound (a bit old but probably a decent starting point). https://toucharcade.com/2013/11/05/73-of-mobile-gamers-play-with-the-sound-on/

My own game, Six Ages, has over 80% of music on (I only track the iOS build, so it might be different on PC).

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I think you're underestimating the importance of sound in a game, especially sound effects.

To some, sound can add immersion, or tension, that usually applies to the music and enviromental sounds, if immersion is not what you want, then it's understandable why that would be turned off.

But sound can also give feedback to what's happening.
Imagine adding a sound just to hitting/destroying a target. You no longer have to focus on the unit if is hit/destroyed, but you can now also hear that it hits.
And that kind of feedback applies to a lot of things: shooting, charged shots, running out of ammo, Critical Hits, Combo's, getting hit, well-timed moments, ect.

Even if it's not something that would apply to you, it's certainely going to be worth adding for those who do play with sound. Implementing sound effects like these makes it prehaps the feature that makes your game feel 'alive'.

It's perhaps not an answer towards "Where can I find stats on how many users play with sound?",
but more towards your other question: "Is it worth adding sounds to my game?"

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    \$\begingroup\$ It is worth adding the sounds for the reason you mention, but keep in mind that there are contexts where a player cannot use sounds. E.g. a parent playing a game after the kids are asleep, or a teen playing their game on their bus ride to school (or secretly playing a game while their parents are asleep). For those reasons, when possible, a second type of feedback is necessary. \$\endgroup\$
    – Vaillancourt ♦
    May 3 at 11:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ I can understand those enviroments from experience, haha. I also had these moments I had the sound turned off for such reasons, but a game with no sound at all doesn't have that same feeling of satisfaction. It's not something I would leave out for everyone just because there are some circumstances where the sound is muted. (Of course, that's where the stats come in on how many users play with sound) \$\endgroup\$
    – Steven
    May 4 at 6:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, I agree with you, sounds should be added to the game. \$\endgroup\$
    – Vaillancourt ♦
    May 4 at 10:31

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