Getting started on a horror game

>What do you think are some important qualities in making a great horror game?
Tension, dread, suspense. Have some jump scares, but be original with them, and don't always deliver. Leave the player hanging when they expect one.

Also sections that do not make "logical" sense. Whenever there's something that throws me off, it makes me feel uneasy because I do not know what to expect. It's always really memorable and fun. The bodies lodged in walls in Yahar'gul in Bloodborne come to mind, as well as the otherworld in SH obviously.

I loved Silent Hill. Never got around to 4 though. I haven't bothered playing the later ones, as I've not heard good things. Also heard Team Silent had nothing to do with the ones after 4.

You can very safely discard all Silent Hill games after 4

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Dinosaurs

>read Illuminatus! Trilogy
>discover all that Cthulhu and Leviathan shit is tied to the Satanic Illuminati
>the Justified Ancients of Mu and discordians are opposed to all of it

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Isn't the entire point that they're evil though? Like I'm not about to don robes and go worship Azathoth.

Definitely sound design. Also a sense of dread? Like Scissorman in Clock Tower PS1 shows up in your location if you take too long exploring or trying to figure out a puzzle. Of course you don't want it to be too frustrating.

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But anyway, yeah I will have to give that a read. Thanks for the suggestion.

Don't let them get too comfortable, and punish idle thumbs. Got it.

N

Some people i know keep trying to say the Justified Ancients of Mu are associated with Cthulhu, is all.

Also wondering what your opinions are on games like Home Sweet Home, if you've played it? Just now started it.

Like what kind of gameplay are you going for, is there gonna be combat like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, or Fatal Frame or is it gonna be like 'run away and hide' while exploring & trying to get a good end type of deal like Clock Tower or the Echo Night games? And then there's things like horror rpgs etc etc

So, you want a interactive movie

I'm thinking of starting it out as a run-and-hide, puzzle game kind of deal, but later on using various methods to kill the enemy/enemies. I'm wanting to give multiple options to how you could go about it, with your choices affecting the ending. But I'm wanting to try and leave out actual "combat". Knowing you can fight your enemy kind of kills the horror and makes it more of a thriller. I'm still on the fence about it.

When I say "puzzles" I kinda mean finding enough information to know what to do to move on. (Completing a ritual to get a key to unlock a door, kinda like Hexen II.)

Most of the good horror games I've played (and I haven't played many) were ones that capitalized on feelings of powerlessness, having a thing that could fuck you up and there was very little you could do about it but try and escape.

If something is scary but you can fuck it up, it basically immediately stops being scary to me.

Fear to me is that sensation of a mix of the unknown and a threat.

Possibly an ending being that the enemy actually dies. Also I'm wanting a Fallout: New Vegas ending style. Like your options in specific parts of the game effecting a part of the ending, but not the entire ending. Like how picking up a few pieces of paper wouldn't kill a damn eldritch horror, but it would probably ease a restless spirit or something like that, getting it's own separate mention.

>various methods to kill the enemy/enemies
my first thought is that you could look into the Deception games where you lay traps, but it sorta leans towards you having power. Now that I think of it, the ps1/early ps2 era had a shitton of Resident Evil clones or horror games. Then again I haven't looked into the indie scene with recent horror titles.

Rule one. Don't rely on soi jump scares.
Rule two. Don't rely on soi atmosphere.

In Haunting Ground, the player has no choice but to flee from their pursuers until their boss fights, which are puzzles utilizing the environment to defeat the enemy rather than traditional combat.

I love that. Will have to check it out.

Very sound advice.

Will have to check this out too. Making a list.

it also had neat details like how your first pursuer (Debilitas) always left doors open while your 2nd one (the maid Daniella) always closed doors she went through or be hiding somewhere - she could be more dangerous but you can distract her with mirrors where she'd freak out and give you a chance to escape although she'd break them soon after