Hello,
So I’m making a horror game and want to know how the community feels about the genre. What things do you feel bothered by when playing one or like what aspects from a horror game keep you from enjoying it? This feedback is going to help me very much as I’ll know what to stay far away, thank you!
That they are scary
The lack of plot/story and puzzles. Having the player think in a horror game is an important thing for me.
Enemies that are unable to be killed. I cannot stand games that have you running away all the time. Fighting and combat is a nice thing to have for me.
Part of the scare factor is not knowing what is after you. If you can fight it that would make it less scary.
So you like one that has a well thought out story and includes puzzles along the way that make you use your mind if you want to progress?
One example of a game where a lot of the enemies can be killed is in the Resident Evil 2 remake, but the fact that ammo is extremely limited, and the durability system always has you thinking ahead.
Most top horror games try to create a nightmare scenario for the player and giving them a gun doesn’t really help make the nightmare more uhh nightmare-y?
I get that, but having the player be next to helpless just makes it feel like you’re in a movie that you can’t control.
I think this is what makes the game scary even with guns/weapons.
I can see it both ways.
I do think, though, there is some merit in not being able to kill the thing chasing you. It especially works well when you’re not just aimlessly running. Let’s say you are trying to actively escape and you keep hearing sounds or seeing shadows. Occasionally you have to actively run to avoid the thing that is coming. If you’re not just running forever and ever it can create a feeling of suspense to know that you are helpless and you don’t know what exactly is after you.
To answer OP, the things that bother me are poor sound design, predictable pitfalls, and getting killed way too quickly.
So you like the action a bit later into the gameplay? I’ve been debating this with myself as I’ve heard people in the past share that if there’s no action within the first 5 minutes, the game will get boring to them. So I’m not sure how soon to have the creatures make their appearance.
I think having enemies appear earlier in the game is better because it lets you know what you’re up against. Just make sure it’s not too hard at the start.
I dislike the countless Camping clones that aren’t unique that are just camping with another map. Another thing is when its so cheesy it isn’t scary.
Oh boy, horror games!
To start off, one of the things that bothers me is the lack of creativity when it comes to map design. Most horror games just have narrow hallways and it becomes quite boring after a while.
Another thing that I think Roblox horror games lack is a story mode of some kind. Most horror games seem to just be round-based. Even if there is lore and progression, it’s never a true story mode.
Last but not least is the lack of creative stories and monsters. Most of the mainstream horror games on Roblox seem to lack a unique creature design, story, and lore.
These are my thoughts, feel free to tell me what you think!
Spooky haunted house with spooky girl with black long hair chasing you.
May you explain it a bit more? Sorry, a bit confused with that one.
As in cheap no effort jump scares right?
Barely lit hallways with a black figure with no package or Robloxian 2.0 and glowing, neon material white or red eyes following you.
This is something that bothers me in a number of horror games, because it’s unoriginal.
No, my issue is when I simply cannot progress because I get killed. I respawn, take a step, and I’ve been killed again. Can’t get into the other room because if I breathe I’ll get killed.
The story game genre was over saturated with Camping clones that were trying to be scary.
Yeah, and also when it tries too hard to make something not scary scary,
What bothers me about horror games in Roblox, is that they’re not scary. The idea is to produce a sense of dread. Mostly by misleading the player to thinking the evil entity is in one place, when in reality it’s in another.
One tip to making an actually horrifying experience, have the player never actually see completely the evil entity. Since mystery has a massive boost in terror, and not specifically horror.
A game that doesn’t give you a break in other words?
Yeah, that, and just being impossible. There was one game I played where I just couldn’t do anything. Any time I tried to go anywhere I was killed.