---
key: mechanic/voice-audio--family-15
type: mechanic
id: voice-audio--family-15
lang: en
title: Recognizing objects and states
summary: >-
  The player identifies an object, word, action or state through sound features
  and selects a matching response.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/voice-audio--family-15/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/voice-audio--family-15.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/voice-audio--family-15.md
aliases:
  - Recognizing by sound
tags:
  - Voice and sound
  - Hearing as perception
sourceIds:
  - source-80237a48bc835f80
  - source-317fcb9b7089efa8
  - source-3701fe141eec2167
  - source-3f737da5825c0658
sources:
  - id: source-80237a48bc835f80
    title: AudioWizards
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/1215350/AudioWizards/?l=dutch'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-317fcb9b7089efa8
    title: Unheard
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/Unheard/?l=english'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-3701fe141eec2167
    title: Song Quiz / Volley
    url: 'https://www.weekend.com/volleygames'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-3f737da5825c0658
    title: Duolingo
    url: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: voice-audio
    id: family-15
    title: Voice and sound
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/voice-audio/#family-15'
    categoryIds:
      - hearing
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Recognizing by sound
    description: >-
      The player identifies an object, word, action or state through sound
      features and selects a matching response.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/learning-duo-pronunciation-3.webp
      width: 665
      height: 1440
      game: Duolingo
      sourceUrl: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/content.duolingo.com/How+to+practice+English+pronunciation+on+Duolingo/IMG_3253.PNG
      credit: Duolingo
      rights: © Duolingo. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: 'Duolingo: distinguishing dock from deck'
      alt: 'Duolingo: distinguishing dock from deck'
      markers:
        - x: 47
          'y': 52
          label: The two words differ in their vowel sound
    tips:
      - Allow sound replay unless memory is the intended challenge.
    examples:
      - title: Duolingo
        url: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked
  sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/voice-audio
---
# Recognizing objects and states

id: voice-audio--family-15
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/voice-audio--family-15
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/voice-audio--family-15/

The player identifies an object, word, action or state through sound features and selects a matching response.

## At a glance

![Duolingo: distinguishing dock from deck](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/learning-duo-pronunciation-3.webp)

[Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/) · © Duolingo. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. The two words differ in their vowel sound

- Allow sound replay unless memory is the intended challenge.

- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/)

## How it works

Identify an object, action or state through sound.

## Variants

### Identification

<a id="family-15-branch-1"></a>

- Recognize a person by voice. <a id="family-15-branch-1-variant-1"></a>
- Recognize enemies, animals, objects or tools by sound signature. <a id="family-15-branch-1-variant-2"></a>
- Identify material or surface through interaction sounds. <a id="family-15-branch-1-variant-3"></a>
- Identify a song, melody or musical instrument. <a id="family-15-branch-1-variant-4"></a>

### State

<a id="family-15-branch-2"></a>

- Assess a mechanism's condition through its operating sound. <a id="family-15-branch-2-variant-1"></a>
- Hear threat, health or resource changes through a designed cue. <a id="family-15-branch-2-variant-2"></a>
- Distinguish preparation, execution and completion. <a id="family-15-branch-2-variant-3"></a>
- Find an object sounding different from the others. <a id="family-15-branch-2-variant-4"></a>

### Classification

<a id="family-15-branch-3"></a>

- Select a countermeasure for the sounding threat type. <a id="family-15-branch-3-variant-1"></a>
- Group sounds by a common property. <a id="family-15-branch-3-variant-2"></a>
- Detect a new or unfamiliar sound. <a id="family-15-branch-3-variant-3"></a>
- Infer a mapping between sound and game properties. <a id="family-15-branch-3-variant-4"></a>

## Context and limits

A working design-space map: 27 families, 81 branches and 324 variants. Voice control, audio-based play and communication can combine or exist separately. Released-game examples support particular techniques; supplementary combinations are design proposals.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.

- [AudioWizards](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1215350/AudioWizards/?l=dutch) (id: source-80237a48bc835f80)
- [Unheard](https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/Unheard/?l=english) (id: source-317fcb9b7089efa8)
- [Song Quiz / Volley](https://www.weekend.com/volleygames) (id: source-3701fe141eec2167)
- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-english-sounds-tab/) (id: source-3f737da5825c0658)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors