Creating a Good Horror Game

Help and Feedback Game Design Support
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#1

Recently I have been playing some horror games, such as The Asylum, and have been wanting to make my own. I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what you think makes a good horror game that I could implement into my own! Any ideas are appretiated!

Thank you for your time :slight_smile:

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#2

You should create a game that you have to explore but there is something chasing you slowy, also there should be more creatures around the map that chases you but you have to go near them hopefully this helps.

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#3

In my opinion the best Horror genre games have the best sound effects, if you get your builds, programming and concepts right and execute them well the game could become very popular. Make sure you use a lot of lighting effects for example light flickers and dim lighting it would do a lot to make a horror feel. As I said before sound effects are very important. Background sounds and sound effects as well as a build up score are vital.

Hopefully this was helpful, good luck :slightly_smiling_face: .

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#4

Maybe you could design a plot for the horror game, to make the game look and feel more immersive/atmospheric. Adding good sounds and various jumpscares at more peaceful moments would also be a good start

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#5

ty ill definitely take note of those things!

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#6

This gave me so many new ideas, ty!

#7

I have a few tips for this:

  • The rusty metal texture is great for making things look abandoned or old.
  • The negate feature can be used to create shattered windows (use a wedge for the negate part)
  • Sound effects can really spice up these types of games.
  • Locking a player in first-person can add to the genre as they could be creeped up on from behind.
  • Lighting is a fundamental in horror games. Make sure to adjust the game’s lighting to make the game really feel like a horror game. (Dim lighting and fog are good for these, but don’t overdo it with either)

Hope this helps!

#8

It all depends on your ultimate goal - is your priority to make the game as scary as possible? Go creative, think what causes the most fear in you and other people. An interesting idea could be breaking the fourth wall. The player does not control the protagonist, the player IS the protagonist. It would make them wonder if what they’re playing is a normal game or something more…
Anyway, singleplayer is probably best idea here.

On the other hand, there’s also survival horrors where players simply survive and run away from a monster on a larger map (example: The Rake); then get some rewards for surviving. This kind of game is less scary and better for just having fun. Make sure the game offers decent amount of challenge; surviving shouldnt be too easy nor too hard.
Multiplayer is probably best here; not too many players though. I’d recommend 8 - 16.
Maps should be open to prevent the monster from getting trapped but there should be locations where people can meet and that offer a bit more safety.

One more type is “monster vs humans” multiplayer horror where one (or more) player controls a monster and must kill the other players before they escape. Excellent example of this is Flee The Facility. Balance matters a lot here - it should be fun to play both roles or you may end up with people leaving. Intuitiveness matters a lot here too - it’s a pvp game.
It’s best to have small servers here, like 5-9 people per server.
Maps should be designed with balance in mind to offer both sightlines and covers.

#9

raycasting would be good for some jumpscares