So It is getting around that time of the year and I am getting in the mood to scare. So that begs the question, What really scares you? This is for games of course, what could happen in a game, specifically RM games that make you jump, cringe, cower or just itch with anticipation? I'd like to see some of these ideas implemented as well, so tell up!

I'll go first: For me, one of the creepiest thing a game can have is music and sound effects, sure jump scares get me and I have anticipation for scares as well, but what sets off that anticipation is good creepy music, or sound effects that are subtle and creepy at the same time.

First person game set on the night, without music or sounds. That at least used to be only way I found being actually somewhat scared but that was years ago. I have since then played many horror games which claim to be scary but have just gave me some tension.

Now one could ask why no music and sounds? For me being on 100% quiet environment for long time is not natural unless I'm going to sleep.

Hm, the unknown? I remember playing a silent hill demo back in the PSone days and I was in a dimely lit classroom and all of a sudden these strange little creatures came out of nowhere to attack me, I couldnt tell what they were! The looked like little naked demon kids. I was so scared I had to run out of the room!

I'm with Clord - an FPS game (with at least sounds) will scare the crap out of me. I don't know what's behind me or what's beside me at all.

Old school horror games used to freak me out, but now I can simply shrug them off.

What scares me is the unknown - like the darkness, you don't know what's out there or anything.

Ghosts (LIKE THE FLOATING HEAD ONE IN FATAL FRAME) does it for me as well!

I love games, which you don't KNOW what could happen. Where everything could happen at once, or NOTHING could happen XD
one minute a BIG scare, then a trick...where people think you are about to be frightened again, and actually you're not.

Also really dark room's in which you can barely see past the end of your nose...*shudders*

When I make stuff in an RPG with fear in mind, I try more towards disturbing my audience than cheap sudden things jumping out. Sort of how the latter part of Earthbound was done, with heavy doses of cosmic horror.

Having the hero of the story go crazy and start murdering the rest of the party, or find out they're not real and suddenly have everything fall apart, is way more frightening than stuff like you'd find in a haunted house.

My personal fears are heights and spiders, but you couldn't really make the former scary without some Vertigo style camera tricks, and the latter is overdone.

i've never really been scared in game. Except a bit in Penumbra, though. ( ' ') What scares me in games is:

- Having something you can't see immediately hunt/ stalk you
- Tense music with no relief
- random things that happen in the background; like a random figure flickering when you go down a hall twice.


i remember playing that school level in Silent Hill. : p i think the thing that was the hardest for me was feeling like i was shooting actual people, with the blood and everything... >.<'\

With RM in mind there really only seems to be two methods of scaring people; the first is simply to shock- loud noises, things 'jumping' onscreen, you know what I mean. Bulma previously described this as 'cheap' but really all it does is play on our instincts, if its actually able to trigger those then, frankly, its doing something right.

The other method is a little more 'highbrow', supposedly more profound- its the story. Its understandable why this is given more consideration as, if delivered successfully, it plays on our minds, our source of reason, and continues to play on our mind, rather than our instincts. Something like this requires an expert storyteller and so deserves a little respect but suppose I propose the reverse? Would you think less of a 'belly-laugh' when compared to political satire?

The element of uncertainty is probably the most important aspect of a good horror game to my mind. Not knowing where you are, what's going on, and if what your seeing and doing is really real are all big drives for me in a horror game. Anyting that makes the player question their own perspective and/or sanity is to be desired. Some possible ideas for RPG Maker include reoccuring sequences with subtly different results, distorted views of a known area, and timers that force playerrs to move through things before they have a chance to understand something and then deal with the consequences of their choices.

A combination of uncertainty and well-chosen music certainly scares the bejeezus out of me, that's for sure.

Shit popping up out of nowhere when you examine NPCs or random objects can generate some good scares, but what really sells me are bloody sprites and tilesets; those are the perfect things to use if you're shooting for something really dramatic.

What gets me is playing with a gamer's expectations. The easiest way to do this is to teach them a set of unspoken 'rules' then go against it. Establish a safe place (Like a save point) or something, then mess with it later when they've become comfortable. If they can kill monsters, and none of them leave bodies, make one just leave a body behind so they're forever paranoid of it, and get them with something else.

Just came across this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lawxkSB13J8...5M1JavPCOr_Uydg

Some good points backed with solid examples, so its worth the five minutes out of your day if you're serious about making a horror game.

"Horror protagonists tend to be people you can identify with."

Hmmm, while it's true you typically like ordinary protagonists, what I've found to be more interesting is seemingly ordinary protagonists, who at some key point reveal themselves to be much worse than whatever is chasing them. (Which he mentioned briefly as type 3 of protagonists later)

I've been playing Corpse Party lately. Should be the prime example of a horror game done in RPG Maker (PC-98 version was done with RPG Maker, the PSP remake isn't but still retains the RPGM-ness)

The game did something like what Mutation said in what could possibly be the creepiest part in Chapter 1.



The contrast with the previous scene and the build-up to what happens is amazing on practice. Sets the perfect atmosphere and creeped the hell out of me.

The game also makes use of long hallways with nothing on them, you easily become paranoid of your surroundings since you know something bad can happen anytime soon. Not to mention the occasional appeareance of spirits that would try to kill you in one touch, setting up tension. Of course, the stinger is the VERY DETAILED descriptions of your deaths, never thought that some fitting sounds and knowing every little detail of how I'm dying could be so creepy.

Nevertheless, I think I prefer being spooked and creeped out than having some monster pop out of nowhere. Give you that "something's wrong here" feeling.

For me, it has to be the uncertainty of imagining myself in a situation I'm not familiar with. That's why Silent Hill and Fatal Frame are so good, in my opinion (I guess I'll throw Amnesia in there too). It's the atmosphere of not quite knowing what's around the corner, knowing that something is off, but not being able to put your finger on it. You know SOMETHING's gonna happen, just not when.

A good game that did this (and really scared the Hell out of me) is an indie game called SCP-087 that came out recently. The game essentially boils down to you descending a dark stairwell. After a random number of flights, something jumps out at you. It's scary because you know something's coming, but you can't prepare for it because you don't know when.

For me, I like the game to have a great/interesting story even though its going to scare me. Story is a big part of gaming for me, it really sucks me into the game. If I am really focused on a game, things will scare me easier. Another big part of this is a creepy sort of surreal soundtrack, this really immerses you into the creepy setting. If done right, not knowing whats behind the next door, can be scarier than an actual jump scare. I also enjoy games that give you a false sense of security, then something scary or unexpected happening when you least expect it. Hope this helps

A game with a fright like amnesia....That is what would scare me. I have actually never played it but from what I have heard dog that game is frightening.

What in a game scares me? Suspense with a mixture of unexpected surprises. Also, I have this really bad fear around a dark setting with really old classical music (such as in Bioshock).

Most definitely for me pitch dark rooms where you are unable to see far away with noises of the creature/s but you are not exactly sure where are they going to come from.

Best scenario of this is amnesia when you are in the underground sewer or whatever it was.

I also have a big fear of swimming when I can't see the bottom or it's dark. Feel like some shark or something could come at me but that is mostly a phobia of mine :x

What scares people the most is the unknown. This can be achieved by using sound effects that don't quite sound like anything real, it makes them afraid because they can't link the sound to anything.

Also, never tell a player how your game works if you're trying to scare them. The greatest way to ruin a scary game's experience is to know how the game works. Do your best to eliminate lag when scary things are about to happen and try not to make the scares repetative.

IN GENERAL
*the prospect of bad things happening to Like-able characters
*Miss-able items or events
*Cheap Enemies
*cheap attacks
*bad luck
*mistakes and miscalculations
*What if the lights were out in this room?
*What if the light's when out while I was in the middle of this room?
*what if the game arbitrarily takes my stuff!
*Things that could happen in real life or things that you think could happen in real life at night.
*Not knowing how badass this boss will be.
*When was the last time I saved? Hm. For that matter, when was the last time I GOT to save?
*Time Limits.


To me, classic RESIDENT EVIL games are scary because:
*when you lose, you don't get a game over, you DIE!
*Having limited supplies. Fear of running out. Worry about rationing.
*The music. Also, those rooms with no music.
*Sound effects you can't identify. "WHAT is making that noise?" or "What is making THAT noise?"
*Jump scares which are used to make you think there's going to be danger sooner or later.
*Having to re-trace dangerous situations.
*Variance: sometimes you can decapitate zombies with shotguns, sometimes they survive and get you. Sometimes you miss completely. Sometimes zombies go down if you shoot them in the legs, sometimes they don't care. Sometimes there's one kind of enemy in this room, sometimes there's another. Items that aren't always in the same place.
*Camera angles and stiff controls (not a complaint!)
*Being alone.
*Being lost.
*Being trapped/cornered.
*Being in unfamiliar, unsafe place.
*Being overwhelmed by number or degree of tasks.
*Bosses that make me feel like I'm in danger (pun intended, also legitimate item).

NOTE: The sight of Gore, violence, gross stuff isn't necessarily scary, although the threat of such can be.