Some horror games are more complicated than just holding down the Shift key to run.
A scary game’s success or failure depends on how well it scares people. If a developer wants to make a horror game, they should make sure that all of the things that make a horror game, like a scary story, spooky monster designs, and creepy sounds, work together to make us pee our pants. But because video games are interactive, it’s often the way they work that can be the most intense.
Both old and new horror games have tried many different ways to make the overall experience scary and even stressful. Horror games are some of the most complicated in terms of how they work. And since we play them, we have a lot of control over how scary they are. Here are ten game mechanics that are meant to make a horror game scarier.
Jump Scares
These are some of the oldest ways to scare people, not just in games but also in the horror genre as a whole. Jump scares are still used all the time, and they are a good way to give a really scary scare. In games, they work so well because you can steer yourself toward them.
Game series like Five Nights At Freddy’s made jump scares into enemies and used pop-up horror to build an empire. Whether you like or dislike jump scares. You can’t deny that a good one will stay with you long after the game is over.
Being Chased
The main character in a horror game hates being chased, especially if they have no way to fight back. When all you’re told to do is “run,” you know it’s going to be a tough time.
In Poppy Playtime, there are chase scenes that are meant to be exciting. Not only are the things chasing you scary, but you often have to run through places that look like mazes. Wherever this happens in a horror game, the stress goes up when “hold shift to run” appears.
Keeping Quiet
Since video games are an immersive form of entertainment. You might find yourself doing things like steering the controller in a racing game or holding your breath in a horror game. When the game tells you to be quiet, a different kind of intensity starts to happen.
When you have to stay still or hold your breath to avoid being seen. The players do the same thing, as if making a sound in real life will make it more likely that the monster will find you. We’ve all done it in Alien: Isolation when we were trying to hide from that annoying Xenomorph.
Hiding
The always scary hide mechanic is an extension of the keep quiet mechanic. Games where the only way to protect yourself is to hide in a closet or under a table are often used in the horror genre because they help build tension.
It’s especially scary when you can almost see the person who is trying to find you. At Happy Wheels did this mechanic perfectly. You could see your pursuer through a variety of FMV animations. And you never knew when or if they would find where you were hiding.
Using A Camera Flash
In horror games, it can be fun to know what scary thing is about to happen and let that feeling of dread sink in. When a game puts you in a dark hallway and gives you an old camera with a big flash. You know you’ll have to use the camera to light up the area.
Madison makes a whole section out of this idea. If you flash a hallway with light to help you see where you’re going. You might also see a ghost right in front of you. This mechanic will always give you a big gulp and make you want to turn on the lights.
Your Light Source Running Out
There are some parts of horror games that are almost more annoying than scary. Having a light source that needs to be re-lit is one of them. But if you do it right, it can give you the chills.
The effect is better as a whole the more simple the light source is. Having to strike another match or find more candles is a lot of small-scale planning that will make you think more carefully about your trip. Or you’ll be in the dark…
Staying Out Of Darkness
Aside from the obvious fear of the unknown, staying in the dark is often dangerous in horror games for some reason. When a horror game says that darkness will change how you play. You know it’s going to be a tough game of “find the light.”
Most of the time, darkness makes your characters crazy and makes it hard for them to keep living. In Tormented Souls, if you stayed in the dark for too long, you died. In games like the Amnesia series, the effects were more slow and psychological. As if the dark didn’t scare enough already.
Something Peering From Around A Corner
This is a more complex version of a jump scare that can be even scarier. In real life, it can be scary enough to have someone peek out from behind a corner and just stare at you. So when it happens in games, it’s at its most terrifying.
This mechanic works best if it just pops up out of nowhere, without any music to back it up. One of the best ways this mechanic is used is in the horror game Visage. You never know when something might happen, but when you turn around, someone might be waiting to say hello.
No Pausing
Even though it’s a small mechanic, not being able to pause a horror game can make for some intense situations. Horror games love to put collectibles that you can read to add to the story. When you pick these up and the game doesn’t stop, you have to decide if you’re willing to put yourself in danger to read them.
In Dead Space, for example, the game doesn’t even stop when you want to buy something from the in-game store or upgrade your weapons. Partly because of what EA calls the “Intensity Director,” it turns into a risk-reward situation, making players think about buying a few things and leaving the menu to look around in case a nasty Necromorph is sneaking up on them.
What’s The Time Mr Wolf Enemies
Forgive the horrible name of this game mechanic, but this is when the game introduces creatures and enemies that only move when you’re not looking at them. They will always try to sneak up on you. So you’ll have to keep your cool and peek to stop them in their tracks. It will be a very intense meeting.
In the Shadow of Rose DLC for Resident Evil, the player faces off against creepy doll enemies that use this same mechanic. Even though this part of the game is short, having enemies act like this is a sure way to make you sweat.
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