Full Games List
Featured Games
New Games
Reviews
Media
Images
Blogs
Game Updates
Images Feedback Summary
Game Design Highlights
Tutorials
Articles
Scripts
Utilities / Plugins
Resources
Engines
Engine Bulletins
What is Makerscore?
Past Events
Achievements
Misaos
Forums
Post History
Chat
New to RMN?
Full Store List
RMN Music Pack (free)
SO WHAT ABOUT HORROR/SCARY GAMES?
Posts
Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant
View playlists
CloseI'm thinking about starting a horror game soon. I'm not going to give out any details, but while I was brainstorming on the project I had the idea to start this topic. So, with that said...
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
When I say horror games I mean any game in general that was made to be scary. Go.
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
When I say horror games I mean any game in general that was made to be scary. Go.
nickad
261
author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56658#msg56658 date=1232247399I say what makes horror games, well, scary, is the lighting and background music/ambience. If the lighting is dark, it gives a sense of being alone, and that something might be dwelling there. Also, a subtle ambience may also invoke suspense, at least, that is my opinion of it.
I'm thinking about starting a horror game soon. I'm not going to give out any details, but while I was brainstorming on the project I had the idea to start this topic. So, with that said...
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
When I say horror games I mean any game in general that was made to be scary. Go.
Basically this type of thing.
demondestiny
889
author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56658#msg56658 date=1232247399
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
The atmosphere in the game is what really invokes fear. Along with the atmosphere having music that fits the scene also helps is making it look scary.
VerifyedRasta
581
The Mirror Lied was the closest an RM game got to being scary, and it wasn't scary, just creepy.
author=demondestiny link=topic=2919.msg56673#msg56673 date=1232252363author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56658#msg56658 date=1232247399
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
The atmosphere in the game is what really invokes fear. Along with the atmosphere having music that fits the scene also helps is making it look scary.
I have thought to myself before, "Is a game scarier with creepy music or just no music at all (only in certain areas, of course)?" I usually tend to think when the BGM in a game suddenly fades out, yet you still have control over the character (as in not for a cutscene), it creeps me out and makes me stop for a moment.
And, Nickad, that was some spooky shit.
VerifyedRasta
581
F.E.A.R. definitely lives up to it's name. That game is really scary, i used to think resident evil was bad. I never got a scare like that from videogames in ages.
demondestiny
889
author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56677#msg56677 date=1232253446author=demondestiny link=topic=2919.msg56673#msg56673 date=1232252363author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56658#msg56658 date=1232247399
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
The atmosphere in the game is what really invokes fear. Along with the atmosphere having music that fits the scene also helps is making it look scary.
I have thought to myself before, "Is a game scarier with creepy music or just no music at all (only in certain areas, of course)?" I usually tend to think when the BGM in a game suddenly fades out, yet you still have control over the character (as in not for a cutscene), it creeps me out and makes me stop for a moment.
And, Nickad, that was some spooky shit.
It depends how you use the music really. What makes F.E.A.R. really scary are the effects they use. Blood on the walls, dark figures etc.
author=demondestiny link=topic=2919.msg56684#msg56684 date=1232255535
It depends how you use the music really. What makes F.E.A.R. really scary are the effects they use. Blood on the walls, dark figures etc.
Exactly. That's one thing I'm trying to decipher, how to make an RM game look scary. It's pretty easy to do in a first person game on 3D plane, but is it even possible to do that on an RM game where you have a zoomed-out, overhead view of the character and his/her surroundings?
nickad
261
author=demondestiny link=topic=2919.msg56684#msg56684 date=1232255535As well as the effects they use, they also incorporate suspense, as well as the occurrence of radio transmission static. It's pretty effective too! It basically tells you when to get scared.author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56677#msg56677 date=1232253446author=demondestiny link=topic=2919.msg56673#msg56673 date=1232252363author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56658#msg56658 date=1232247399
What aspects of horror games do you find actually invoke fear into either yourself or in the general public.
The atmosphere in the game is what really invokes fear. Along with the atmosphere having music that fits the scene also helps is making it look scary.
I have thought to myself before, "Is a game scarier with creepy music or just no music at all (only in certain areas, of course)?" I usually tend to think when the BGM in a game suddenly fades out, yet you still have control over the character (as in not for a cutscene), it creeps me out and makes me stop for a moment.
And, Nickad, that was some spooky shit.
It depends how you use the music really. What makes F.E.A.R. really scary are the effects they use. Blood on the walls, dark figures etc.
author=nickad link=topic=2919.msg56687#msg56687 date=1232255881
As well as the effects they use, they also incorporate suspense, as well as the occurrence of radio transmission static. It's pretty effective too! It basically tells you when to get scared.
Pretty much. like I said before, when things go silent all of a sudden for no reason, that's basically telling me "get scared, you little bitch"
Also, here's another question.
What would it take to make an RM game scary?
Shinan
4314
There are a couple of things that tend to make me a bit uneasy. One is the atmospheric background stuff. Diaries, tape recordings, things that show that something happened here before. For example a game that is very non-scary otherwise, Portal, has got a moment where you go through the facade of the levels and into the background with the writing on the walls. There's something tragic about what is beyond that and while not exactly scary it gives a certain amount of... uneasiness with the whole thing.
Another one is the things appearing and disappearing. Preferably not in a scary flashbang way (Although the effect of a lightning and in the flash you see a shape that is not there in the dark rarely fails) but instead in a silent way. You walk by and something small happens. But it's somehow accentuated. Portraits whose eyes follow you. A book that falls over when you walk over a certain floorboard (and when you come back the book is standing up again).
The third is carousel music. Of course it can easily be overdone but the whole thing with childhood innocence and stuff makes music boxes and children particularily scary. Of course this is usually scary in the sad way. There's a hint of innocence lost when you stare at the ghost of a child who is crying and shouting out for a parent that will never come while the music box is playing.
The fourth scary thing is the Coming of the Inevitable. This is more of the jump variety but it can also be used greatly in more silent areas. There's a monster or something and it is hunting you and it will never stop. You're locked in a room and you hear the claws scratching the doors and there's no way out. The wait. It's usually the wait that kills you. Once the monster's through the door all scary stuff goes away and is replaced by either a pure panic or a bit of calculating fighting. The Inevitable is usually great if combined with the first thing (diaries and hints) since it builds up the monster and you may hear all kinds of things about it before you actually encounter it.
In horror less is usually more. The less you see or understand of what is hunting you the more scary it is. A big disgusting tentacled monster isn't scary in the least, except for the initial panic of meeting it.
Which I guess brings me on the topic of panic. Which is also a good thing. However the thing to remember with panic and games is to make the panic object big and scary and hard enough to warrant a bit of "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" but still not ever be so hard that it'll actually kill the player. Since the scare factor always goes down for each time you have to meet the monster. In horror games Trial and Error is the worst way to go. The way to keep up suspence is by having the game easy enough that the player will never have to replay a section while keeping it hard enough to always keep the player on his toes. (This is really damn hard to accomplish. But I think, for example, that the Resident Evil games do this very well. Except for the more recent games with Quick-Time Events that kill you outright)
And speaking of panic the best moment of panic I've ever encountered must be the Werewolf in Vampire - Bloodlines. It's an unstoppable juggernaught that you have to run away from for a certain amount of time. And when you lock yourself in the bathroom and hear that thing pounding the door with no way to escape you most certainly feel that panic...
Another one is the things appearing and disappearing. Preferably not in a scary flashbang way (Although the effect of a lightning and in the flash you see a shape that is not there in the dark rarely fails) but instead in a silent way. You walk by and something small happens. But it's somehow accentuated. Portraits whose eyes follow you. A book that falls over when you walk over a certain floorboard (and when you come back the book is standing up again).
The third is carousel music. Of course it can easily be overdone but the whole thing with childhood innocence and stuff makes music boxes and children particularily scary. Of course this is usually scary in the sad way. There's a hint of innocence lost when you stare at the ghost of a child who is crying and shouting out for a parent that will never come while the music box is playing.
The fourth scary thing is the Coming of the Inevitable. This is more of the jump variety but it can also be used greatly in more silent areas. There's a monster or something and it is hunting you and it will never stop. You're locked in a room and you hear the claws scratching the doors and there's no way out. The wait. It's usually the wait that kills you. Once the monster's through the door all scary stuff goes away and is replaced by either a pure panic or a bit of calculating fighting. The Inevitable is usually great if combined with the first thing (diaries and hints) since it builds up the monster and you may hear all kinds of things about it before you actually encounter it.
In horror less is usually more. The less you see or understand of what is hunting you the more scary it is. A big disgusting tentacled monster isn't scary in the least, except for the initial panic of meeting it.
Which I guess brings me on the topic of panic. Which is also a good thing. However the thing to remember with panic and games is to make the panic object big and scary and hard enough to warrant a bit of "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" but still not ever be so hard that it'll actually kill the player. Since the scare factor always goes down for each time you have to meet the monster. In horror games Trial and Error is the worst way to go. The way to keep up suspence is by having the game easy enough that the player will never have to replay a section while keeping it hard enough to always keep the player on his toes. (This is really damn hard to accomplish. But I think, for example, that the Resident Evil games do this very well. Except for the more recent games with Quick-Time Events that kill you outright)
And speaking of panic the best moment of panic I've ever encountered must be the Werewolf in Vampire - Bloodlines. It's an unstoppable juggernaught that you have to run away from for a certain amount of time. And when you lock yourself in the bathroom and hear that thing pounding the door with no way to escape you most certainly feel that panic...
demondestiny
889
author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56689#msg56689 date=1232256231
Also, here's another question.
What would it take to make an RM game scary?
Pretty much what we have already discussed which is the use of effects such as blood, dark figures, voices being heard in the distance. Also having a dark atmosphere with music to fit the atmosphere well.
author=Fallen-Griever link=topic=2919.msg56730#msg56730 date=1232280516
I think building up tension is the best way to keep the game scary. Make the player think that something is going to happen or that something is going to jump out at them through the use of good, atmospheric music and mapping that looks like it has the potential to do something new. Personally, if you want any hints, download Backstage and play that. That's probably the most tense RPGMaker game I have ever played.
You're probably right there, I downloaded Backstage 2 and I was tense most of the time, thinking a monster was going to pop out at any moment.
Has anyone here played the RM game "The Longing Ribbon"? I think that was one game that was meant to scare you, or at least a little bit. I actually did maybe once or twice for me, but that's it, after that I was expecting it. Also, when I was younger, I got really scared by the game Splatterhouse 3 for Sega.
But, yeah, tension really does it. I watched a video on youtube last night. I don't remeber the name of it but it was just stationary picture of room with a rocking chair sitting in the center. The subject of the video was ghosts and I was tense as hell. Near the end of the video the rocking chair rocked back and forth a few times, and then... all of a sudden... SOME CREEPY ASS, DEMONIC LOOKING WOMAN APPEARED AND QUICKLY CRAWLED TOWARDS TO SCREEN!!!! She got so close that the only thing you could see was her face and I freaked out. So theres another thing that scares me: when things creep toward you quickly, like really quickly.
Darken
3952
I don't get rm2k3 horror games, they're never scary or creepy. It's probably because it's 2D. When it's in 3D you have to look behind you, theres rooms and stuff you have to watch out for, the dark can be a useful scare tactic, and it's a bit more realistic. Now normally I hate realism in any video game, but adventure horror games are an exception. You have to make the atmosphere as real as possible in order to trick the player into believing he's actually in a haunted mansion or w/e.
The only scary 2D game I ever played was Clock Tower, but that was probably because of the shitty controls and getting away from the scissor monster was intense. Even then that was more of a sidescroller. You're dealing with a top down 2D game where the character you control will most likely be a heavily edited RTP chibi sprite. Not so scary.
The only scary 2D game I ever played was Clock Tower, but that was probably because of the shitty controls and getting away from the scissor monster was intense. Even then that was more of a sidescroller. You're dealing with a top down 2D game where the character you control will most likely be a heavily edited RTP chibi sprite. Not so scary.
VerifyedRasta
581
author=Mitsuhide_The_Vagrant link=topic=2919.msg56689#msg56689 date=1232256231
What would it take to make an RM game scary?
Not using a DBS is one step in the right direction.
Seriously, all battles should not be Turn-based. The only real way to give someone a scare on an RM game, is to have Real Time battle systems, where things pop out of nowhere.
Demicrusaius
877
I agree. No turn based battles.
A very important factor in horror games is the feeling you might die soon. Let's examine the difference between Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2.
In the first one, bullets are scarce. There is not a whole lot of monsters and you are constantly running out of bullets (unless you've played before) so the next room holds a lot of mystery.
In the second one, there are hundreds of zombies and loads of bullets. This game has more "jump out at you" scares, but when you feel prepared to face down a bunch of zombies, they aren't scary anymore.
And I didn't find Silent Hill scary at all. Maybe some of the reality swapping, but I felt like the atmosphere was over compensating for a dodgy fighting system. And there are so many monsters, I never found them scary.
Balance is key. And remember less is more sometimes.
A very important factor in horror games is the feeling you might die soon. Let's examine the difference between Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2.
In the first one, bullets are scarce. There is not a whole lot of monsters and you are constantly running out of bullets (unless you've played before) so the next room holds a lot of mystery.
In the second one, there are hundreds of zombies and loads of bullets. This game has more "jump out at you" scares, but when you feel prepared to face down a bunch of zombies, they aren't scary anymore.
And I didn't find Silent Hill scary at all. Maybe some of the reality swapping, but I felt like the atmosphere was over compensating for a dodgy fighting system. And there are so many monsters, I never found them scary.
Balance is key. And remember less is more sometimes.
VerifyedRasta
581
author=Demicrusaius link=topic=2919.msg56750#msg56750 date=1232301456
I agree. No turn based battles.
A very important factor in horror games is the feeling you might die soon. Let's examine the difference between Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2.
In the first one, bullets are scarce. There is not a whole lot of monsters and you are constantly running out of bullets (unless you've played before) so the next room holds a lot of mystery.
In the second one, there are hundreds of zombies and loads of bullets. This game has more "jump out at you" scares, but when you feel prepared to face down a bunch of zombies, they aren't scary anymore
I think bullets are scarce in every Resident evil, but if you use them right (Headshots for example) then you save ammunition and that also adds fear to the player as well. Thinking "I gotta get this headshot," you know?
