Free Water Sound Effects
Water splits into two jobs that need different files. Continuous water, a stream or rain or waves, wants a long seamless loop played quietly forever. Event water, a splash or a footstep in a puddle, wants a short clip with several variations. Files recorded for one job rarely work for the other, so search for the loop and the splash separately.
Everything here is free to download from the source site. These results come from Freesound, OpenGameArt. Licences vary by file and are shown on each card. Nothing is hosted by us, and every link goes to the original page so you get the current version and the real licence terms.
Toilet Water Tank Cover.wavCC (see page)
Elle Can 2 Water-Gain_03-01_S_L-Gain_01CC (see page)
WaterScolma-2xME66-05.wavCC (see page)
Tap water 2 (med).flacCC (see page)
Running Water in Sink - 220718_001_Tr6CC (see page)
water dropsCC (see page)
water shower and close button.wavCC (see page)
water.mp3CC (see page)
water wheel mill in the forest 4CC (see page)
Rain Water Dripping SoftlyCC (see page)
water_tappingmetalspoon_metalbowl.wavCC (see page)
Water_Paddle_soft_024.wavCC (see page)
Water from pipe 5CC (see page)
Water PipeCC (see page)
Road TexturesVarious CC![[LPC] Animated water and fire](https://api.cinevva.com/thumb?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopengameart.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fthumbnail%2Fpublic%2FWaterAndFire_1.png&w=320&h=320&q=80)
[LPC] Animated water and fireVarious CC
WaterVarious CC
Isometric road tiles (water expansion)Various CC
War on Water: GFXVarious CC
LPC Animated Water and waterfallsVarious CC
29 grounds and walls (and water) (1024x1024)Various CC
16x16 tileset (with water, dirt & forest)Various CC
Water Magic EffectVarious CC
Texture: WATERVarious CC![[LPC] Water Fountain](https://api.cinevva.com/thumb?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopengameart.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fthumbnail%2Fpublic%2FWaterFountain.gif&w=320&h=320&q=80)
[LPC] Water FountainVarious CC
water splashVarious CC
Grass and Water TilesVarious CC
Animated Ocean Water TileVarious CCSearch all sound effects in the live asset library →
Using these sounds in a game
Download the highest quality version available, then convert for delivery rather than shipping the original. For the web, OGG Vorbis or compressed MP4 audio at a modest bitrate is fine for effects, and the difference is inaudible under gameplay.
Two habits cover most of the quality gap between hobby and professional audio: keep several variations of any sound that repeats, and randomise pitch slightly on playback. If you can't find the exact sound you need, the sound effect generator makes one from a text description, and the music generator handles the soundtrack.
Check the licence on each file. Freesound and OpenGameArt both host a mix of CC0, attribution, and share-alike work, and the requirements are per-file, not per-site.
Licences, briefly
CC0 means public domain: use it commercially, modify it, ship it, no credit required. That covers everything from Kenney, Quaternius, KayKit, Poly Haven, and AmbientCG.
Freesound and OpenGameArt host a mix. Some files are CC0, others are CC-BY (credit required) or CC-BY-SA (credit required and derivatives must carry the same licence, which is a real constraint on a commercial game). The licence is set per file by whoever uploaded it, so check the source page before you ship.
The complete guide to game asset licences covers what each one actually requires and where teams usually get it wrong.
More free sound effects
Free Footstep Sound Effects · Free Explosion Sound Effects · Free Ambient Sounds and Backgrounds · Free UI and Interface Sound Effects · Free Gun and Weapon Sound Effects · Free Engine and Machine Sound Effects · Free Door and Interaction Sound Effects
Or search every source at once, and see the complete guide to free game assets for the full picture on where this art comes from and how to use it.