Horror - what makes a game scary?

[Gary]

Things that come out of no-where scare me, but only in games, movies are not even the least bit scary for me.
And I think third person seems to really kill the feeling that your "in" the game, it's more like watching someone that you control. Only once have I been scared in a thirdperson game.

Though Dead Space was a bit scary, I don't play many horror games though, as it's hard to find something that would scare me. Seeing blood and gore everywhere or seeing someone getting ripped apart isn't a bit scary for me, I find it cool but not scary. Surprising things scare me and knowing that one guy can kill you if you don't kill it fast enough(if I have some large amount of health then I feel safe).

[krainert]

Perhaps the Half-Life health system is a bit of a scare-kill? A Portal/CoD system may work better as it's impossible to gain additional health. That also takes away the most obvious reason to work slowly and safely through maps and encourages players to advance in a more steady pace.

[TicTac]

I think that a health system like L4D, where you have to be immobile for a period of time and physically dress your wounds (FC2 as well, when you're critical) really puts the pressure on. You can't just run over a medkit, and likewise you can't just run away from an enemy while you magically heal. You're vulnerable for the period of healing.

Also, I agree, gary, that FirstPerson will make you much more attached to the character, and immersed in the experience, than ThirdPerson. If you get the player to feel like they're IN the game (1st FEAR game did that for me, as well as that game (I can't remember it right now ._., ) mentioned in this thread multiple times. (The demo for it takes you down into these mines, you have no weapons but you can clearly see and hear creatures, forcing you to hide from them or run)

[amckern]

I like the fear you get in boss maps before you get to the arena - SIN Episodes - running through the car park on 15 health, and keep coming up against armor - don't know where the next med kit is

Any non boss arena's, where your health is low is always a rush - FEAR 2's lift arena, the big water project inspired map in mirrors edge, etc.

[NoFace]

Maybe you can get ideas from this: it causes a lot of suspence
Animation:
http://www.biteycastle.com/taken.htm

[krainert]

Maybe you can get ideas from this: it causes a lot of suspence
Animation:
http://www.biteycastle.com/taken.htm

Thank god that was so predictable. My heart rate only doubled.

[TicTac]

lol

[coder0xff]

I love Adam Phillips' work. You should look him up on newgrounds. His art work is awesome.

[Kvackabill]

I think the feeling of helplessness is the worst, but also the most entertaining. Like in Alien vs Predator, when all those aliens ran towards you from every corner of the screen, you nearly pooped your pants. I think that sense of panic was what made that game scary not necessarily the aliens appearance or such.

Silent Hill was another scary game but it was a pretty calm experience if you compare to the AVP.. and another approach to horror. The thing is, it was very depressing and unpleasant, though fascinating at the same time.. after I finished I almost regretted playing it though because the ending was so depressing.. and that is scary but not in a good way, it just made you feel like crap.

[Guessmyname]

One good way to disorientate players is to stick stuff at odd angles. For example, if either A) part of the map has/is collapsing or B) the laws of physics have just gone out to lunch, you could have an entire area at a slant. Remember that corridor in the Forest Temple of Ocarina of Time, that twists? There's actually a little 3rd party program that would let you do that sort of thing with displacements, called Twister as memory serves (It deals in curving displacements. Useful program). Because nothing says 'even reality is trying to screw you over' like Mc Esher.

Another fun thing you could do is set up prop_dynamics with the zombies, using the idle pose for the 'slumping surprise' when they're playing dead. Unfamiliar players will think it's just another corpse, anyone with Half-Life experience will probably recognise it, thinking 'that's gonna get up and attack'. Place it conspicuously (so that even people who don't recognise the pose will realise something's up), add flickering lights, and puzzles / environments that force the player to look away from the corpse, and you have one very evil, and slightly meta, little situation, where the player is expecting something to attack... and it never actually does, toying with the player's preconceptions. Paranoia fuel, in other words.
(Players would have to be unarmed for this, or they'd probably just shoot the zombie and realise the trick)

[krainert]

Remember that corridor in the Forest Temple of Ocarina of Time, that twists?

I never played any of the Zelda games (except a single one for the Gameboy Advance of which the final boss I didn't even beat), sadly, but I take it this is what you're referring to:

Pretty cool. Could be freaky.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean zombies aren't out to eat your brains.

[Guessmyname]

Yep, that's the one.

[riffraffselbow]

It's probably been said before, but CONTRAST, CONTRAST, CONTRAST. You need to have lulls in the scary, or horror turns to slasher action damn quick. Anticipation is what scares us most; fear of what we don't know, not what we do.

Always keep to somewhere between a 3:2 to 4:1 Dark:Light ratio; any more light and you are moving into that weird style of Psychological Horror that's based on things not happening, any less and you're just a slasher flick.

That said: Don't be afraid to invert the rules; The Shower Scene in Psycho worked because it inverted the traditional assumptions (not so traditional any more, the concept has been ridden to hell and back) that there are "safe" places. Have the lights go out. Have the character's companion (be it literal or metaphorical; Alyx versus the writing on the walls in Portal, for example) disappear.

On that note, companions are often seen in horror films for a reason; they work. A companion can be something as metaphorical as a style of lighting, or, say a type of weapon (try taking away all AR2s from the player in a HL2 level, for example). But always remember, contrast. Contrast is important even in non-story portions of your game/level/whatever; look at, once again, the psycho shower scene. She moves from the hotel room, which has hard lighting, somewhat ominious, to the bathroom which has soft lighting, comforting. This is, as I said, inverted by the Psycho.

As a side note, what I'm saying only really applies to "true", story-based horror, not the Alien Versus Predator "OH GOD THAT THING JUST RIPPED HIS BALLS OFF" horror. So don't try to apply it there.

[Habboi]

So I tested my dissertation horror level on some users and interestingly one guy said that he didn't feel scared once I took away his weapon. Another said "Oh this isn't good" when he picked up the weapon.

Point being, seems a weapon suggests that they have to use it against "something" and that causes them to freak out. When I used a weaponstrip to remove it people felt a little more relaxed which funny enough worked to my advantage as I had a "boo" scene right after removing it.

[krainert]

I think that depends heavily on the subject. Some get stressed from the feeling of helplessness and being chased, some from the escalation towards a confrontation.