Introduction
Hello! I am FROGMIRE(TEARAPARTJAMES) and I want to provide some insights into the horror genre, especially on Roblox. I often find Roblox horror games rather underwhelming and not scary due to a number of factors.
In this guide, I will cover these factors in three parts. The first will focus on the story, the second will cover visuals, and the last will discuss gameplay.
Disclaimer
I want to make it clear that the examples of Roblox games I will be sharing are based on my personal opinions and are subjective. The same goes for the ideas I will be presenting. If you disagree, I respect your views, and we can simply agree to disagree.Note: This is my first lengthy topic and my quality of writing declines quickly(kinda varies too).
Edits
EDIT 1:
- fixed line spacing issue on The Mimic example
EDIT 2:
- rewrote/reformated the story section
- added environmental storytelling
- reformated the visuals sections
- added Lighting and Effects
EDIT 3:
- added edits section
- changed âDoorsâ to âDOORSâ
- added small sound design section(I might add onto this later)
Similar Posts
These are similar posts that provide more specific information on the horror genre, as mine is more focused on improving the current state of the genreâs landscape.
Halloween and Horror
BOO - The 3 Prime Elements to Spice up Your Horror Games!
How to Make a Terrifying Horror Game
Part 1: Story
Main Story
Main stories are one of the best aspects of a horror game. In the Roblox scene, it seems that they all follow a basic structure which I have depicted below.
Image
While these are not all terrible ideas, they tend to be very cliché. Not to mention, they are all written terribly on Roblox.
Now, what makes a story well-written? This is a very difficult question to answer as it really depends on the subject matter. But overall, it should drive the narrative with good pacing, have a constant theme, and feel somewhat gratifying to complete.
Now, letâs take a look at an example of a poorly written story.
Example
The Mimic is an episodic/chapter horror game developed by MUCDICH and several other developers, revolving around Japanese urban myths and using the concept of âbooksâ containing chapters. However, only one âbook,â the âControlâs Book,â has been completed so far.
I will only be covering the first chapter, as it serves as an introduction to the series.
In this chapter, the main character visits their old high school in the USA or Mexico to find their friends. They encounter a tall lady but ignore her, then search the flooded basement and are suddenly transported to Japan. They navigate through a maze that leads outside, speak to a local who warns them about a monster, and enter a cave with statue monsters. They find a Japanese cabin with a basement that leads to a hotel, then exit and find themselves in a watery area before the chapter ends.
A lot is wrong with this introduction.
- Pacing
- Characters
- Plot
The farther you progress into the chapters, the more the story starts to make sense. However, it remains just as messy throughout. In fact, there was a book written about it on a certain website that shall not be named. Interestingly, the book is now considered unofficial.
Personally, I believe that this story was not well planned out. The developers simply created something that they found âscaryâ and filled it with an excessive amount of mazes, using the monsterâs power as an excuse to create them.
Stories are one of the foundations of creating a game, yet it appears that many Roblox developers fail to recognize this.
They serve as the initial layer of atmosphere for the game, and other aspects such as lighting, sound, and level design build upon it.
If developers were to carefully plan out their stories and write them with some sort of pride, we would see improvements in the following aspects.
- Coherence
- Cohesion
- Pacing
- Player Engagement/Retention
- Development
This may sound a bit off, but I donât think that stories matter as much on the Roblox platform.
You may be wondering why stories donât hold much significance for me on this platform. The reason is that horror games outside of the Roblox platform tend to delve into darker subjects(itâs called horror for a reason), such as guilt over killing a loved one and childhood trauma. I donât believe that such subjects, and others like them, can be communicated effectively on Roblox.
I should also mention that Roblox doesnât generally promote darker themes, so itâs important to be cautious when exploring such topics.
Environmental Story-telling
Environmental storytelling is the act of conveying a smaller story or guiding the player with cues from the environment.
Another lacking area in a number of Roblox horror games is a lack of environmental storytelling.
I cannot really think of any games off the top of my head on Roblox that utilize environmental storytelling very well other than BUNKER.
Example
I know that some people consider notes to be poor environmental storytelling, but in this game, which gives off a very isolated vibe, including corpses or even blood would make it much less mysterious as to where all the people went.
Outside of Roblox, there are many different games that use environmental storytelling. The Fallout series is one of them which is well known for its environmental storytelling, commonly using skeletons, logs, and even level design to convey a smaller narrative within the larger narrative.
How do you go about using environmental storytelling?
- Notes, logs, and other text-based things
- Inventory notes
- Decal placement
Game Makerâs Toolkit provides a well-made video on the topic.
Part 2: Visuals
Model Quality
Model quality is another thing that matters in almost all games. Now, when I refer to the quality I am referring to the quality of consistency between all models of the game.
More recently, there has been a focus on creating more detailed character meshes. However, it seems as if this approach is flawed as the environments have not been receiving the same level of attention.
I will now provide an example of poor model quality.
Image
Now, it may seem like I am singling out The Mimic, but it serves as a perfect example of a poorly made-horror game. 
Everything is wrong in this scene: the desks do not match the character model, the light above is not casting light, and the decals on the wall of vine-like leaves are too detailed when compared to the character.
A good example of consistency is DOORS, which I would like to think most developers would have seen by now.
Image
Models are consistent and have roughly the same amount of negative/positive space and all that cool stuff!
How does one solve this annoying and overly common issue?
I believe that this is something that entirely depends on the creatorsâ abilities to design and develop a game. If you excel at designing and creating highly detailed character models, try to have them match your environment, and aim for balance.
There is a very well-made RDC presentation that covers developing game worlds and covers this issue.
Image
Lighting and Effects
The first thing to address is lighting. It should not be excessively dark unless it is absolutely necessary.
For example, in the game I am currently working on, very dark lighting is needed to convey that exploring at night is a bad idea, as that is when monsters come out. Most people are not scared of the dark itself; rather, they are scared of what may be in it.
Post-processing should not be overused. If your game constantly uses DepthOfField or Blur, please provide players with the option to disable it.
That is all for lighting, as it can be a challenging topic to discuss universally.
Part 3: Gameplay
Core Gameplay Loop
At the very core of roughly almost all Roblox horror games, I found that they all share the same formula/cycle of gameplay.
The Cycle Image
âErrmmm FROGMIRE! That is basically any game!â
Except it isnât.
As shown in the image above, the gameplay of a typical Roblox horror game follows a cycle of walking and then performing one of three actions: navigating a maze, solving item collection puzzles (such as finding keys or spirit butterflies), or running away in both scripted and unscripted chase scenes.
DOORS, The Mimic, Apeirophobia, ELMIRA, and countless other Roblox horror games are guilty of having a repetitive gameplay loop. Personally, I cannot find myself replaying these games. However, it seems that they are very popular, which means that some people do enjoy them. So, if you are trying to make a quick buck off of Premium Payout, then go ahead with this gameplay loop!
How do you differentiate yourself from this gameplay loop?
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Exploration: You can implement some form of exploration. Encourage players to explore and discover new things by adding hidden paths, secrets, and even Easter eggs. You can award badges, in-game currency, and items as rewards. Yes, it involves more walking, but itâs optional.
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Puzzles: You can actually implement puzzles that are not based on collecting items. Challenge the playerâs intellect with creative puzzle designs. There are so many cool puzzle ideas out there, and you can definitely come up with even more if you put your mind to it!
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Environmental Hazards: You can add environmental hazards that challenge the playerâs skill and also add to the horror, especially if they are required to navigate them mid-chase.
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Combat: You can add combat. Combat is a divisive element in horror games as some argue that it makes them less scary. However, you can always balance this out by implementing a powerful enemy, like Mr. X from RE2, to counter the feeling of strength that comes with wielding a weapon.
Enemy/Monsters
I will not be discussing designs of enemies, but I will say that using a girl in a white dress with black hair(onryĆ) is not scary. Itâs a clichĂ©.
The enemies or monsters in these games are generally basic and have the same behavior. They patrol specific points on the map at random or have a designated patrol path. When the player enters their line of sight, the playerâs field of view will increase, and a chase theme will play or something similar will happen. You will have a significantly lower walk speed compared to them. If they catch you, you will die instantly and a jumpscare will play.
Instead of having enemies patrol aimlessly, give them specific tasks to perform. Make them do something like eating, cleaning floors, programming, or anything else that makes sense for their character or role in the game. I would also lower the speed of the enemy to give players a chance to escape, remove generic jump scares (more about them below), and replace them with something more brutal, such as a death animation. I doubt a monster will kill me by shaking its head. When it comes to instakilling, I would also recommend removing it. Itâs much more terrifying to know the monster was close to killing you than having it kill you instantly when it gets close.
Give them life!
Jumpscares
I cannot tell you how much I hate jumpscares in Roblox horror games.
Jumpscares are most commonly used in Roblox in areas where there is no need for them, such as death animations or random triggers. While they make sense in FNAF-like games, they do not work in a game where I can see the enemy running toward me. It wonât scare me if I hear a chase theme and see my field of view change prior to the jumpscare, as I know itâs going to happen.
I should have an expectation that something is going to happen, yet it should not be predictable. Alternatively, you can also surprise the players by doing a complete 180 and have nothing happen.
Also, having the enemy shake around like itâs having a seizure is not scary; itâs rather goofy-looking, especially if it lasts for more than 2 seconds.
Part 3.5: Sound Design
While I did not mention sound design in its own part, it is another lacking aspect in a number of Roblox horror games. I think a lot more focus needs to be put into the subtle sounds.
I will list a couple of sound ideas below.
- Movement (e.g. shuffling, footsteps, etcâŠ)
- Floors (e.g. cracks, creaks, etcâŠ)
- Machinery/electricity (e.g. humming, gears, etcâŠ)
- Walls (e.g. pipes, scratching, etcâŠ)
- Liquids (e.g. dripping, flowing, etcâŠ)
- Insect (e.g. rustling, buzzing, hissing, etcâŠ)
In most Roblox games, you only hear sounds such as footsteps or buzzing fluorescent lights, which can become repetitive. It would be great to see more games utilize their own soundtracks. However, it is understandable that not everyone has the musical talent or the resources to pay for it.
I will list a couple of games that use their own soundtracks.
Conclusion
wow, that was a lot of words⊠time for a couple more.
Horror games on this platform are struggling to create anything that is actually horrifying. The genre is saturated with mediocre and terrible horror games (sorry, but itâs true). However, I believe that there is potential for well-made horror games on this platform. I hope this post will help developers avoid saturating the market with more poorly designed horror games and instead begin creating better horror experiences.
Thanks for reading or skipping down to the bottom of this topic! 
