Ok, I am making an SCP horror game, but I think that it will mainly run on a suspense style horror but I don’t want it to get boring and I want to code some SCPS into the game. How should I add jump scares to this game so that it doesn’t get boring and is still scary to some extent?
The games halls so far (May change to be more containment breach esc)
My suggestion is adding them where you would LEAST expect it, where you feel like everything is safe, and “nobody would POSSIBLY add a jump scare here!”
I would place them at really suspenseful moments in the game, like when your walking down a dark corridor, opening a SCP’s door, ect.
When it comes to SCP, you are going to really want to hone in on atmosphere. Think back to SCP:CB and how it focuses a lot on setting atmosphere moreso than finding opportunities to artificially jump scare you. You get naturally scared by the atmosphere it sets and thus get sensitive to nearby danger.
The best kinds of horror are generally atmospheric and psychological horror. They are difficult to pull off but they can really crank up the scare factor. When the player is uncomfortable, they’re vulnerable to a lot of sudden actions and sounds, but keep in mind that they don’t jave to be loud or in-your-face to be very effective. For example, in a dimly lit hallway, instead of getting a creature flashed on your screen, it can slowly stalk down the hallway toward you and disappear when it is near you.
Jump scares are fine to include but they should not be the primary source of scaring players, rather they should be the “execution of a downed player” type of action. Jump scares in unexpected locations, as Druid mentioned, would also be nice but make sure they’re variable and unpredictable, especially with repeat playthroughs.
Without the right sounds or queues, jump scares are ineffective and cheap gimmicks for horror. They won’t work as well as a player who is on edge at every turn, not knowing what to expect.
The game looks pretty bright, meaning the lights can turn off and turn on again, giving the player anxiety. But don’t add a jump scare right after that, make it when the lights turn off then on, the monster appears behind the player, making a noise (Doesn’t need to be loud).
Other ideal places for jump scares are:
• Vents
• Bright areas where the player thinks they are safe
• Under the player
• Doors that open, and when the player expects to get scared there, wouldn’t. Then when they leave, the thing runs across the hall.
I hope I could help!
