The "Creepy Factor", giving the game a scary feel...
by BrokeAss Games · 03/15/2009 (5:27 pm) · 21 comments
Ok, this was originally a series of long rant posts here that triggered something that has been bothering me for a long time.
The "Creepy Factor".
The things that make games scary, it's been covered before here on GG, but it's becoming a serious factor for me.
Lately the AAA titles I have been playing have a serious "feel", it just goes to show what a proper art team, story boarding and a big budget can do.
Much like a movie.
I think in order to create a GREAT title, this is a requirement.
The project I'm working on Ruin Online was always supposed to have that scary feel but we have just been touching on it.
First thing that comes to mind is "Grunge/Horror" art, this is what you see in a lot of movies these days.
The principle is simple.
Take something very innocent (say a tri-cycle) and make it old/dirty/grungy (some rust and flaking paint) and then add a touch of horror (blood) and bingo!
If you needed to go extreme you could always set up a Vlad the Impaler scene in a playground.
Also for an added taste treat, I recommend mixing things that just shouldn't be used together to create awkwardness, like a fat man in a bikini or little girls in Sunday dresses wearing gas masks and wielding meat cleavers.
Sort of like replacing the peanut butter in a Reeses' Pieces with pork.
The horror movies that scare me are the things people [can] do.
Mass disease, traps, kidnapping, torture, cannibalism, devices of execution and other (unfortunate) real-life occurrences.
Sort of like Leather Face on a feeding frenzy in a Hot Topic store. ;)
Also, maybe look up a list of phobias here.
Things like clowns, closed places, bugs, hospitals, dentists, etc.
These are real things that people have real problems with.
No reason you shouldn't exploit that. ;)
It seems that I almost forgot some other very creepy/scary things.
Desecration, sorrow, mourning, regret, anger and others.
I imagine turning some of these things on and off and quickly changing to other emotions can trigger some serious feels.
For instance having "I'll always miss you Mom." scrawled on a wall and then under it is painted "I'm glad she died, she tasted good with BBQ sauce!".
The first will make a girl in a movie theater all weepy eyed and the second will really give that "creep out" effect and maybe a touch of anger.
Part of game design is affecting the players emotions/feelings, bright screen flickers to force eye blinking which creates dopamine, loud sounds and short timers to create adrenaline, random numbers and points to add addiction, etc.
On a technical/game-play note:
Dark lighting is good, but does not always do a scene justice.
Sometimes it's best to "do it with the lights on" to get the full effect.
Or drastic change from dark to bright to create shock, like hot and cold.
Sharp corners are good for surprise.
Long hallways are good for claustrophobia and gives a trapped feeling.
I hope this recipe is tasty like mom's fresh baked pie with a finger hanging out the side!
OK, off to have lunch with Baba Yaga, she's serving poser emo pie...
Poser Emo Pie, courtesy Baba Yaga.
Note: The references to Baba Yaga are from an old Russian tale which is where the story of Hansel and Gretel originated.
Edit: I'll be editing the hell out of this trying to get a real recipe I can use (maybe a checklist) that will give that "Creepy Factor" to cross reference the truckloads of art against.
A few games that use these techniques are:
Fallout 3
The House
Resident Evil (all of em?)
Fear 1 & 2
Doom 1, 2 & 3
Left for Dead
Redneck Rampage (? ok, ok, but it was funny as hell)
Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl
This is still very rough but please give me feedback so I can try and get this technique right.
The "Creepy Factor".
The things that make games scary, it's been covered before here on GG, but it's becoming a serious factor for me.
Lately the AAA titles I have been playing have a serious "feel", it just goes to show what a proper art team, story boarding and a big budget can do.
Much like a movie.
I think in order to create a GREAT title, this is a requirement.
The project I'm working on Ruin Online was always supposed to have that scary feel but we have just been touching on it.
First thing that comes to mind is "Grunge/Horror" art, this is what you see in a lot of movies these days.
The principle is simple.
Take something very innocent (say a tri-cycle) and make it old/dirty/grungy (some rust and flaking paint) and then add a touch of horror (blood) and bingo!
If you needed to go extreme you could always set up a Vlad the Impaler scene in a playground.
Also for an added taste treat, I recommend mixing things that just shouldn't be used together to create awkwardness, like a fat man in a bikini or little girls in Sunday dresses wearing gas masks and wielding meat cleavers.
Sort of like replacing the peanut butter in a Reeses' Pieces with pork.
The horror movies that scare me are the things people [can] do.
Mass disease, traps, kidnapping, torture, cannibalism, devices of execution and other (unfortunate) real-life occurrences.
Sort of like Leather Face on a feeding frenzy in a Hot Topic store. ;)
Also, maybe look up a list of phobias here.
Things like clowns, closed places, bugs, hospitals, dentists, etc.
These are real things that people have real problems with.
No reason you shouldn't exploit that. ;)
It seems that I almost forgot some other very creepy/scary things.
Desecration, sorrow, mourning, regret, anger and others.
I imagine turning some of these things on and off and quickly changing to other emotions can trigger some serious feels.
For instance having "I'll always miss you Mom." scrawled on a wall and then under it is painted "I'm glad she died, she tasted good with BBQ sauce!".
The first will make a girl in a movie theater all weepy eyed and the second will really give that "creep out" effect and maybe a touch of anger.
Part of game design is affecting the players emotions/feelings, bright screen flickers to force eye blinking which creates dopamine, loud sounds and short timers to create adrenaline, random numbers and points to add addiction, etc.
On a technical/game-play note:
Dark lighting is good, but does not always do a scene justice.
Sometimes it's best to "do it with the lights on" to get the full effect.
Or drastic change from dark to bright to create shock, like hot and cold.
Sharp corners are good for surprise.
Long hallways are good for claustrophobia and gives a trapped feeling.
I hope this recipe is tasty like mom's fresh baked pie with a finger hanging out the side!
OK, off to have lunch with Baba Yaga, she's serving poser emo pie...
Poser Emo Pie, courtesy Baba Yaga.
Note: The references to Baba Yaga are from an old Russian tale which is where the story of Hansel and Gretel originated.
Edit: I'll be editing the hell out of this trying to get a real recipe I can use (maybe a checklist) that will give that "Creepy Factor" to cross reference the truckloads of art against.
A few games that use these techniques are:
Fallout 3
The House
Resident Evil (all of em?)
Fear 1 & 2
Doom 1, 2 & 3
Left for Dead
Redneck Rampage (? ok, ok, but it was funny as hell)
Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl
This is still very rough but please give me feedback so I can try and get this technique right.
About the author
http://www.youtube.com/user/BrokeAssGames
#2
Yeah, it needs some feral children eating caravan merchants among other things.
Ruin is offline while we finish up the TGEA 1.8.1 port, clean up the mechanics and add some "feel".
I will look at Bloodlines.
After playing Left for Dead: "I was just in the best zombie movie ever!"
When I turned off the computer and the lights after beating it in one sitting, I could still see droves of zombies rushing me at full sprint.
I'd expect nothing less from Valve these days.
03/15/2009 (6:48 pm)
@AndyYeah, it needs some feral children eating caravan merchants among other things.
Ruin is offline while we finish up the TGEA 1.8.1 port, clean up the mechanics and add some "feel".
I will look at Bloodlines.
After playing Left for Dead: "I was just in the best zombie movie ever!"
When I turned off the computer and the lights after beating it in one sitting, I could still see droves of zombies rushing me at full sprint.
I'd expect nothing less from Valve these days.
#3
03/15/2009 (6:57 pm)
Bloodlines was on source, so i guess you might be able to find it on steam, but it was also troika games so hell dont know if its even available anymore :/ but that game had fantastic ambience with the music and general feel of things, only downside of it was that it all felt a bit claustrophobic because of the way they did the mapping... 
#4
So far what you've outline to me falls under being graphic.
"fat man in a bikini or little girls in Sunday dresses wearing gas masks and wielding meat cleavers." - Honestly? I would just laugh and think man this is so dumb.
Many of your other suggestions while "original" would truthfully probably just result in turning your "horror" flick into a major bloody mess of a joke. Which hey that's completely fine there are plenty of those out there - if that's really what you want to make.
True horror is emotional. Its tiny little details that sometimes are barely noticeable. It doesn't take much to really freak people out either - but the moment it is given a face or a source that can pinpointed it becomes "real" and can be "fought". Freaky Villian #102 after is simply a being even if its immortal, demonic, or what not, its flesh and bones and we have been conditioned that in the last second before Vil #102 kills the main character he will suddenly learn of the villian's secret weak spot and kill him.
The above goes for spiders, ghosts, vampires, what not. However, if the fear is truly emotional it cannot be defeated - its all in your head. Especially, if others around you do not believe that what you perceive to be happening is real - then your entire sanity is in question.
In summary, physical methods of inducing horror will almost always fail. Emotional is the way to go.
Edit: However, obviously, the stuff I mentioned above is very difficult to pull off in games where often the emotional attachment is more distant than it would be to a character in a movie or book. To be perfectly honest I feel this is one reason why "horror" video games never really turn out to be anywhere near scary.
03/15/2009 (8:25 pm)
Do you what the game / movie to be graphic or scary? There is a huge difference.So far what you've outline to me falls under being graphic.
"fat man in a bikini or little girls in Sunday dresses wearing gas masks and wielding meat cleavers." - Honestly? I would just laugh and think man this is so dumb.
Many of your other suggestions while "original" would truthfully probably just result in turning your "horror" flick into a major bloody mess of a joke. Which hey that's completely fine there are plenty of those out there - if that's really what you want to make.
True horror is emotional. Its tiny little details that sometimes are barely noticeable. It doesn't take much to really freak people out either - but the moment it is given a face or a source that can pinpointed it becomes "real" and can be "fought". Freaky Villian #102 after is simply a being even if its immortal, demonic, or what not, its flesh and bones and we have been conditioned that in the last second before Vil #102 kills the main character he will suddenly learn of the villian's secret weak spot and kill him.
The above goes for spiders, ghosts, vampires, what not. However, if the fear is truly emotional it cannot be defeated - its all in your head. Especially, if others around you do not believe that what you perceive to be happening is real - then your entire sanity is in question.
In summary, physical methods of inducing horror will almost always fail. Emotional is the way to go.
Edit: However, obviously, the stuff I mentioned above is very difficult to pull off in games where often the emotional attachment is more distant than it would be to a character in a movie or book. To be perfectly honest I feel this is one reason why "horror" video games never really turn out to be anywhere near scary.
#5
This is a subject of great interest to me. We need to grab some drinks one night at GDC and talk more.
I think you've done some great research and are using all the right terms to develop the proper fear factor. Since your blog is focused more on art and appearance, I'll try and avoid my game play thoughts.
The use of blood, damaged property, and other grunge decoration is a must. The effects are common place now and should be used as the canvas, not the final masterpiece.
Take a look at Doom 3. They had grunge, blood, and gore. Were they able to extend the creepiness beyond some textures? Yup, but mostly in character models that were lunging out at you from air ducts and broken walls.
Now take a look at Left4Dead. They had bloody walls with grunge, but written on those walls were messages from other survivors relaying their own horrors and leaving directions for lost family members. That is frikkin' creepy, cool, and adds perfectly to the whole Zombie Apocalypse experience.
Shadows have become a particular interest of mine for the horror genre lately. Fear 2 uses shadows to make you look over your shoulder as it is being cast from behind, or get you to chase around a corner. Effective, but again I like how Left4Dead uses shadows. The common Infected are fairly weak, but they cast more dramatic shadows that makes them seem like more of a threat. Get a dozen of them chasing toward you, and you sometimes see these huge rushing shadows before you see the infected. Very effective.
Sharp corners? Narrow hallways? Confined rooms? Very scary in other games, but a dream setting for a zombie rush. If you can funnel a rushing zombie horde into a small space, it's easier for you to hit targets and waste less rounds. There is nothing worse than being in an open area where zombies or monsters can get you from any angle. It's much better to be able to face something head on or lead it down a hall, then turning in 360 circles to find a lethal target.
I could go on and on, but I'd like your take on these thoughts.
03/15/2009 (8:31 pm)
Fear, intensity, creepiness...mmmmThis is a subject of great interest to me. We need to grab some drinks one night at GDC and talk more.
I think you've done some great research and are using all the right terms to develop the proper fear factor. Since your blog is focused more on art and appearance, I'll try and avoid my game play thoughts.
The use of blood, damaged property, and other grunge decoration is a must. The effects are common place now and should be used as the canvas, not the final masterpiece.
Take a look at Doom 3. They had grunge, blood, and gore. Were they able to extend the creepiness beyond some textures? Yup, but mostly in character models that were lunging out at you from air ducts and broken walls.
Now take a look at Left4Dead. They had bloody walls with grunge, but written on those walls were messages from other survivors relaying their own horrors and leaving directions for lost family members. That is frikkin' creepy, cool, and adds perfectly to the whole Zombie Apocalypse experience.
Shadows have become a particular interest of mine for the horror genre lately. Fear 2 uses shadows to make you look over your shoulder as it is being cast from behind, or get you to chase around a corner. Effective, but again I like how Left4Dead uses shadows. The common Infected are fairly weak, but they cast more dramatic shadows that makes them seem like more of a threat. Get a dozen of them chasing toward you, and you sometimes see these huge rushing shadows before you see the infected. Very effective.
Sharp corners? Narrow hallways? Confined rooms? Very scary in other games, but a dream setting for a zombie rush. If you can funnel a rushing zombie horde into a small space, it's easier for you to hit targets and waste less rounds. There is nothing worse than being in an open area where zombies or monsters can get you from any angle. It's much better to be able to face something head on or lead it down a hall, then turning in 360 circles to find a lethal target.
I could go on and on, but I'd like your take on these thoughts.
#6
I think the first game that ever scared me was the original silent hill. it's use of innocent looking environments and then altering them to some form of a perverse abomination was great. I think those little "baby" looking creatures freaked me out more than the big ones. Something else they did was good use of environmental sounds and, either due to fog or darkness.. not being able to see more than 10 feet in front of you. It left you always wondering what could be there hiding in the corners. What scares most people is not what you see.. but what you dont see allowing your imagination to go overboard.
Another game that made me jump afew times was the original FEAR. Turn a corner and you would catch a glimpse of something letting you know you werent alone. Picture a room, completely dark accept for a light that only shines in maybe 10 feet. As you enter, you catch a glimpse of someone from the shins down run from one side to the other.. to dark to see what or who it is.. but allowing you the knowledge that something is in there with you. Those kinds of things to me, are stressful. The proper ambient sounds make or brake these moods.
Blood and gore do nothing for me. Sure they add to realism, and over all feeling of an event or area, but they have been done so much they are no longer scarey. That is.. unless you mix it with something that should not have blood near it.. such as a child. Take a toddler and he/she is cute. Take a toddler and smear blood around its mouth and freaky eyes as it runs fast at you, well.. you get the idea. As someone said above.. take the innocent and twist it. Play havoc on peoples minds where their subconscious has a hard time grasping the images they see. That coupled with the intent of danger/evil/bad things will drive people nuts.
My thoughts on bad guys.. they need to be loud and move fast, or completely silent so you dont know your being attacked until you look down and their gnawing on you leg.. in both cases its the overall surprise.
Of course.. this is just my slant on things.
~LK~
03/15/2009 (8:50 pm)
Scary..I think the first game that ever scared me was the original silent hill. it's use of innocent looking environments and then altering them to some form of a perverse abomination was great. I think those little "baby" looking creatures freaked me out more than the big ones. Something else they did was good use of environmental sounds and, either due to fog or darkness.. not being able to see more than 10 feet in front of you. It left you always wondering what could be there hiding in the corners. What scares most people is not what you see.. but what you dont see allowing your imagination to go overboard.
Another game that made me jump afew times was the original FEAR. Turn a corner and you would catch a glimpse of something letting you know you werent alone. Picture a room, completely dark accept for a light that only shines in maybe 10 feet. As you enter, you catch a glimpse of someone from the shins down run from one side to the other.. to dark to see what or who it is.. but allowing you the knowledge that something is in there with you. Those kinds of things to me, are stressful. The proper ambient sounds make or brake these moods.
Blood and gore do nothing for me. Sure they add to realism, and over all feeling of an event or area, but they have been done so much they are no longer scarey. That is.. unless you mix it with something that should not have blood near it.. such as a child. Take a toddler and he/she is cute. Take a toddler and smear blood around its mouth and freaky eyes as it runs fast at you, well.. you get the idea. As someone said above.. take the innocent and twist it. Play havoc on peoples minds where their subconscious has a hard time grasping the images they see. That coupled with the intent of danger/evil/bad things will drive people nuts.
My thoughts on bad guys.. they need to be loud and move fast, or completely silent so you dont know your being attacked until you look down and their gnawing on you leg.. in both cases its the overall surprise.
Of course.. this is just my slant on things.
~LK~
#7
I agree gore sets a good stage, but backstory and a little thing called suspense make or break the tense moments in horror. The viewer (in movies) already knows the killer is hiding in the closet, the starlet does not. Makes you want to yell at the screen "Don't go in the closet!".
The pro games manage to get those tense moments too, but its different in video games, going through the experience as the main actor, and choosing what you do. I think its trickier to make a successfully scary game, because you're creating a more open experience than a movie, where you can control every camera angle and the timing of all the stunts, effects and situations.
Audio is definitely 'the other half' of whatever you plan to do with horror/scariness. Overlook the audio = fail.
I remember watching "The Shining" with a girl, and the whole time she had her ears plugged! I was like, "WTF are you doing?" She says "its too scary - I can't listen". Eyes glued to the screen the whole time...
Interesting thread,
Jondo
03/15/2009 (10:03 pm)
Well this is fascinating...I agree gore sets a good stage, but backstory and a little thing called suspense make or break the tense moments in horror. The viewer (in movies) already knows the killer is hiding in the closet, the starlet does not. Makes you want to yell at the screen "Don't go in the closet!".
The pro games manage to get those tense moments too, but its different in video games, going through the experience as the main actor, and choosing what you do. I think its trickier to make a successfully scary game, because you're creating a more open experience than a movie, where you can control every camera angle and the timing of all the stunts, effects and situations.
Audio is definitely 'the other half' of whatever you plan to do with horror/scariness. Overlook the audio = fail.
I remember watching "The Shining" with a girl, and the whole time she had her ears plugged! I was like, "WTF are you doing?" She says "its too scary - I can't listen". Eyes glued to the screen the whole time...
Interesting thread,
Jondo
#8
Can't believe I forgot Silent Hill, good call!
@Michael
You betcha, see ya at GDC!
I know I was mostly focusing on art, it's just because that's how I got onto this rant.
Gameplay is seriously important, let it spill!
@Jondo
Yeah sound/music is big deal, gonna try and use the same theories.
@Ben
And while we're waiting for me to catch-up, why not try some
A friend and I were just discussing a scene that takes place on the other side of safety glass that you had to watch but were helpless to prevent and then you realize it may happen to you at any moment...
I think you misunderstood my point, the graphics are specific to attack emotions.
It's all about emotion, hence this blog and the comment about dopamine and adrenaline.
I tried to find a fat guy in a bikini and the search was a little too disturbing for me.
Wasn't anything funny about it, in fact from the remarks and comments in the room you'd think I was watching a gore movie. ;)
And for me, the disturbing part about faceless children trying to kill me, is making the decision to kill them first or offer them milk and cookies.
It's still a tough emotional call for me personally.
Thanks for the comments and keep the ideas coming, I'm still trying to get a handle on this!
03/15/2009 (10:56 pm)
@AndrewCan't believe I forgot Silent Hill, good call!
@Michael
You betcha, see ya at GDC!
I know I was mostly focusing on art, it's just because that's how I got onto this rant.
Gameplay is seriously important, let it spill!
Quote:Agoraphobia and tactical nightmare, without that bottle neck your giblets even with a gas pump shotty and you know it. ;)
It's much better to be able to face something head on or lead it down a hall, then turning in 360 circles to find a lethal target.
@Jondo
Yeah sound/music is big deal, gonna try and use the same theories.
@Ben
Quote:Actually there's nothing original about any of it, I'm just playing catch-up with the industry. ;)
Many of your other suggestions while "original" would truthfully probably just result in turning your "horror" flick into a major bloody mess of a joke.
And while we're waiting for me to catch-up, why not try some
Quote:Point taken about not being able to do anything about the "horror".
True horror is emotional. Its tiny little details that sometimes are barely noticeable. It doesn't take much to really freak people out either - but the moment it is given a face or a source that can pinpointed it becomes "real" and can be "fought".
A friend and I were just discussing a scene that takes place on the other side of safety glass that you had to watch but were helpless to prevent and then you realize it may happen to you at any moment...
I think you misunderstood my point, the graphics are specific to attack emotions.
It's all about emotion, hence this blog and the comment about dopamine and adrenaline.
Quote:You sir, are much braver than I!
"fat man in a bikini or little girls in Sunday dresses wearing gas masks and wielding meat cleavers." - Honestly? I would just laugh and think man this is so dumb.
I tried to find a fat guy in a bikini and the search was a little too disturbing for me.
Wasn't anything funny about it, in fact from the remarks and comments in the room you'd think I was watching a gore movie. ;)
And for me, the disturbing part about faceless children trying to kill me, is making the decision to kill them first or offer them milk and cookies.
It's still a tough emotional call for me personally.
Thanks for the comments and keep the ideas coming, I'm still trying to get a handle on this!
#10
I'd like to stress the importance of audio in a horror game. Especially dynamic music composition can be taken a great advantage of in this genre.
But other than this, I'm not a good audience to really scary stuff.. Hell, I stopped playing Tomb Raider when I heard the damn tiger in the catacombs, but couldn't tell where it was - only to see it jumping me when I was least expecting it.
The only horror game I bought for myself and played was Silent Hill 3. I still have no idea why I would do such a thing. I have vivid memories about it - regardless of the fact that I passed it on to a friend of mine after playing it for 2 hours. Hehe. But I loved the intro tune a lot, and still do! Will give embedding this a try, youtube videos don't always seem to work embedded for some reason..
03/15/2009 (11:19 pm)
Nice list! As I read through the responses, I was like - nobody mentions music and audio? - but then Jondo did. :)I'd like to stress the importance of audio in a horror game. Especially dynamic music composition can be taken a great advantage of in this genre.
But other than this, I'm not a good audience to really scary stuff.. Hell, I stopped playing Tomb Raider when I heard the damn tiger in the catacombs, but couldn't tell where it was - only to see it jumping me when I was least expecting it.
The only horror game I bought for myself and played was Silent Hill 3. I still have no idea why I would do such a thing. I have vivid memories about it - regardless of the fact that I passed it on to a friend of mine after playing it for 2 hours. Hehe. But I loved the intro tune a lot, and still do! Will give embedding this a try, youtube videos don't always seem to work embedded for some reason..
#11
Long range disturbance is a factor that needs to be considered other than the instantaneous intimidations. What I mean is like comparing a Cronenberg film versus a Wes Craven film. I leaves a longer lasting taste in your mouth.
03/16/2009 (12:29 am)
If you say "feelings", "creepy" and "video game" I will guess that you are talking about the adventure game "Sanitarium". Including the "innocent things go creepy" rule, it includes a background story that leave something odd inside you after closing the game.Long range disturbance is a factor that needs to be considered other than the instantaneous intimidations. What I mean is like comparing a Cronenberg film versus a Wes Craven film. I leaves a longer lasting taste in your mouth.
#12
Thx bro, you put your finger on what I'm trying to learn about the current "horror" industry.
@Cihangir
Agreed.
Like the movies you almost don't want to watch again, but will never forget.
I think the back story in my project has the perfect setup for that, but I would have forgotten to "grind it in" if you hadn't mentioned it.
My project (post-apocalyptic genre) is based in a world we screwed up and have to live with the consequences.
Need to find good ways to convey that.
I'll never forget the ending of a Boy and His Dog.
Thank you!
Sanitarium:
@Andy
YouTube, the place all things go to not get lost...
03/16/2009 (12:37 am)
@KonradThx bro, you put your finger on what I'm trying to learn about the current "horror" industry.
@Cihangir
Agreed.
Like the movies you almost don't want to watch again, but will never forget.
I think the back story in my project has the perfect setup for that, but I would have forgotten to "grind it in" if you hadn't mentioned it.
My project (post-apocalyptic genre) is based in a world we screwed up and have to live with the consequences.
Need to find good ways to convey that.
I'll never forget the ending of a Boy and His Dog.
Thank you!
Sanitarium:
@Andy
YouTube, the place all things go to not get lost...
#13
However, it's a bit interesting how the most recent of horror and adventure games look more like interactive movies, and less like video games, it's almost like a revive of those live action video games of the late nineties'
Also as for gas masks being more than just a fetish. Someone should hold a chat in the GDC Regarding visualization of Man's current big horror : Apocalypse in the pre, present, and post. That's where all the horror is really, because it can really happen.
03/16/2009 (3:32 am)
Being a fan of storyboarding myself, I can say that these are a good number of the things that inspire exciting and scary events. If you need inspiration, grab HL2 Episode 1 and 2 and read the dev blogs that came with them, they explain in the horror sections of the episodes how they handled the situations for the best horrifying experience.However, it's a bit interesting how the most recent of horror and adventure games look more like interactive movies, and less like video games, it's almost like a revive of those live action video games of the late nineties'
Also as for gas masks being more than just a fetish. Someone should hold a chat in the GDC Regarding visualization of Man's current big horror : Apocalypse in the pre, present, and post. That's where all the horror is really, because it can really happen.
#14
03/16/2009 (1:32 pm)
Thief the Dark Project had some rdiculously scary parts (the zombie filled orphanage basement). It was mostly done with atmosphere and what you COULDN'T see. 
#15
For me, the 'creepy' factor doesn't come at all from seeing things. It comes completely from my own imagination. I agree with Ben - while awkward juxtapositions (such as innocence/violence) are a good way to create mood, I find them far too explicit. Often, I've found movies scare me far more afterwards than when I'm actually watching them - because this time, it's my own imagination that's scaring me, and it knows exactly what I'm afraid of.
To this end, I'd say that the biggest fear, for me, is the unknown. This is perfectly exemplified in two games - Thief and Stalker. Stalker I played most recently, and is one of the scariest games I've played, in places. One of those places was the Agroprom tunnels - before that, the game was bleak, but not frightening. But I got down into the tunnels, which seemed to be completely abandoned (except for all those damn bandits :P), then heard things moving about... then started to see blurry outlines of those invisible mutant-things. The fear peaked right before I was attacked - by that time, I knew what was going on. While I was being attacked, and fighting back, my fear subsided as I started thinking tactics. And after I'd killed the creature, the unease left entirely - except for the thought that there might be more surprises out there.
The first descent into Constantine's basement in Thief was a similar experience - I had no idea what to expect, and as I went down and down, I just got more and more freaked out. Sort of like the Bonehoard level - I had no idea I'd be fighting zombies in a game called Thief, let alone strange beasties that I'd never known existed! The later trickster-themed levels didn't scare me half as much as Constantine's - by that time, I knew what the beast's weaknesses were and what to expect. Similarly, when I inevitably died and re-loaded in Stalker, I knew to expect the invisible lurker beasty, and it was in no way scary (though it was a pain to find and kill, and the combat itself was tense).
So I'd say that the best fear in games is created through fear of the unknown - by throwing curveballs the player doesn't expect, by threatening the player with new things. They're not necessarily things he won't know how to deal with, once he gets over the initial fear (trickster beasts can be blackjacked; invisible mutants don't take bullets too well), but that grey area before the player knows how to confront something is where the fear is most intense. Because before the player knows exactly what something is, their own imaginations are free to create all the fear that you, as the developer, can't, because you can't be in everyone's head at once. It's sort of like user-generated content :P.
Like Cloverfield. I thought the start of that movie was great, until you were clearly shown the little bug things, and the clear-ish shot of the big monster at the end. I preferred not knowing what the director thought was scary - it allowed all sorts of freakish fantasies to occur in my mind.
Like when an author writes 'undescribable horror'. The effect is ruined if they then go on to describe the horror.
03/16/2009 (2:36 pm)
Note: I wrote most of this before Dave replied :P. But there was no orphanage in TDP, was there? I thought that was TDS.For me, the 'creepy' factor doesn't come at all from seeing things. It comes completely from my own imagination. I agree with Ben - while awkward juxtapositions (such as innocence/violence) are a good way to create mood, I find them far too explicit. Often, I've found movies scare me far more afterwards than when I'm actually watching them - because this time, it's my own imagination that's scaring me, and it knows exactly what I'm afraid of.
To this end, I'd say that the biggest fear, for me, is the unknown. This is perfectly exemplified in two games - Thief and Stalker. Stalker I played most recently, and is one of the scariest games I've played, in places. One of those places was the Agroprom tunnels - before that, the game was bleak, but not frightening. But I got down into the tunnels, which seemed to be completely abandoned (except for all those damn bandits :P), then heard things moving about... then started to see blurry outlines of those invisible mutant-things. The fear peaked right before I was attacked - by that time, I knew what was going on. While I was being attacked, and fighting back, my fear subsided as I started thinking tactics. And after I'd killed the creature, the unease left entirely - except for the thought that there might be more surprises out there.
The first descent into Constantine's basement in Thief was a similar experience - I had no idea what to expect, and as I went down and down, I just got more and more freaked out. Sort of like the Bonehoard level - I had no idea I'd be fighting zombies in a game called Thief, let alone strange beasties that I'd never known existed! The later trickster-themed levels didn't scare me half as much as Constantine's - by that time, I knew what the beast's weaknesses were and what to expect. Similarly, when I inevitably died and re-loaded in Stalker, I knew to expect the invisible lurker beasty, and it was in no way scary (though it was a pain to find and kill, and the combat itself was tense).
So I'd say that the best fear in games is created through fear of the unknown - by throwing curveballs the player doesn't expect, by threatening the player with new things. They're not necessarily things he won't know how to deal with, once he gets over the initial fear (trickster beasts can be blackjacked; invisible mutants don't take bullets too well), but that grey area before the player knows how to confront something is where the fear is most intense. Because before the player knows exactly what something is, their own imaginations are free to create all the fear that you, as the developer, can't, because you can't be in everyone's head at once. It's sort of like user-generated content :P.
Like Cloverfield. I thought the start of that movie was great, until you were clearly shown the little bug things, and the clear-ish shot of the big monster at the end. I preferred not knowing what the director thought was scary - it allowed all sorts of freakish fantasies to occur in my mind.
Like when an author writes 'undescribable horror'. The effect is ruined if they then go on to describe the horror.
#16
Running with what's been said and adding to..
CREEPY RANT PART I
I'm a big fan of story boarding too, but it's one more thing that can be trimmed to meet the indie budget and usually is.
You have to be able to play your elements like a guitar, plucking the notes together to form a desired chord. The elements being art, light, sound, music, shadow, all played in harmony towards the desired emotional effect.
The first step towards that might be to define your scene and what you expect to get out of it.
"I want a dark temple that evokes feelings of foreboding and a sense that the player should not be there"
Starting with shadow thoughts; One idea is to create an invisible mesh with no collision but that casts a shadow. Then have that move quickly around your scene at random intervals, BUT, only in the players peripheral vision. make the effect subtle so they think "did I just see something?", "What's there?", "OMG Something's in here with me, where is it?" But like in the movies, we never show it, because the imagination is always more frightening than the real thing.
Shadow requires a light source. Plan your scene well, know where your wells of darkness will be. This is where concept art or story boarding is invaluable. Put what you want to draw the players attention to in the light. Cast shadows in the areas the player must pass through to get there.
Blackouts. I'm not a fan of complete darkness. Played games that have that. While it evokes an emotional response, for me it has always been frustration and annoyance - not fear, because I cant see where I'm going or what is attacking me. More like my monitor going out, it looses me. As an alternative, I suggest a strong light source, with sharply contrasted dark areas outside of that. A narrow channel in the ceiling, light through overhead drain grids, holes in the ceiling. This casts the players path or objective in a sharp light, but what is in the darkness to either side? Again invoking fear of the unknown but without totally blinding the player.
Art.. Going for the grunge, rich textures, and organic shapes and DETAIL. That's scary because it often kicks the polygon count way the hell up. Fortunately you can get a good amount of detail with normals now. For organic shapes, use them sparingly and place for maximum effect or the poly count will sink you. Organic shapes imply something alive or once so, alive stuff is more threatening than inanimate objects.
Fat men in bikinis... Certainly there's a weird-out factor there. Scary, yah. But HOW are you trying to scare people or make them feel uncomfortable? There should always be focus and theme (basic principle of merchandising and composition). I would use the fat guy in a bikini in very specific scene to evoke a specific response and not mix it in just for the weird factor. What is going to be achieved by adding this to a scene? What kind of mileage am I going to get out of it?
Sound vs music... Your environmental sounds are probably more important than music for terror/horror. Either should be subtle and not noticeably repetitive. Mix em up a bit, the 50th time the player hears that same rat squeal and there are no rats, your sound effect is going to start working against you. That drip can quickly become Chinese water torture.
Don't be afraid of dead air (IE silence). Let there be pause in your sound. It's especially effective to let the music play out and just have the environmentals in the back ground for a few minutes before letting the music play again. Pause the environmental sounds periodically too. It draws the players attention "why did the wind stop? what happened to that annoying drip?" Questions are good! As long as it's not "did my sound card just kick out?" I guess that's where the "artistry" comes in.
03/16/2009 (3:26 pm)
Long read here, lots of great input.Running with what's been said and adding to..
CREEPY RANT PART I
I'm a big fan of story boarding too, but it's one more thing that can be trimmed to meet the indie budget and usually is.
You have to be able to play your elements like a guitar, plucking the notes together to form a desired chord. The elements being art, light, sound, music, shadow, all played in harmony towards the desired emotional effect.
The first step towards that might be to define your scene and what you expect to get out of it.
"I want a dark temple that evokes feelings of foreboding and a sense that the player should not be there"
Starting with shadow thoughts; One idea is to create an invisible mesh with no collision but that casts a shadow. Then have that move quickly around your scene at random intervals, BUT, only in the players peripheral vision. make the effect subtle so they think "did I just see something?", "What's there?", "OMG Something's in here with me, where is it?" But like in the movies, we never show it, because the imagination is always more frightening than the real thing.
Shadow requires a light source. Plan your scene well, know where your wells of darkness will be. This is where concept art or story boarding is invaluable. Put what you want to draw the players attention to in the light. Cast shadows in the areas the player must pass through to get there.
Blackouts. I'm not a fan of complete darkness. Played games that have that. While it evokes an emotional response, for me it has always been frustration and annoyance - not fear, because I cant see where I'm going or what is attacking me. More like my monitor going out, it looses me. As an alternative, I suggest a strong light source, with sharply contrasted dark areas outside of that. A narrow channel in the ceiling, light through overhead drain grids, holes in the ceiling. This casts the players path or objective in a sharp light, but what is in the darkness to either side? Again invoking fear of the unknown but without totally blinding the player.
Art.. Going for the grunge, rich textures, and organic shapes and DETAIL. That's scary because it often kicks the polygon count way the hell up. Fortunately you can get a good amount of detail with normals now. For organic shapes, use them sparingly and place for maximum effect or the poly count will sink you. Organic shapes imply something alive or once so, alive stuff is more threatening than inanimate objects.
Fat men in bikinis... Certainly there's a weird-out factor there. Scary, yah. But HOW are you trying to scare people or make them feel uncomfortable? There should always be focus and theme (basic principle of merchandising and composition). I would use the fat guy in a bikini in very specific scene to evoke a specific response and not mix it in just for the weird factor. What is going to be achieved by adding this to a scene? What kind of mileage am I going to get out of it?
Sound vs music... Your environmental sounds are probably more important than music for terror/horror. Either should be subtle and not noticeably repetitive. Mix em up a bit, the 50th time the player hears that same rat squeal and there are no rats, your sound effect is going to start working against you. That drip can quickly become Chinese water torture.
Don't be afraid of dead air (IE silence). Let there be pause in your sound. It's especially effective to let the music play out and just have the environmentals in the back ground for a few minutes before letting the music play again. Pause the environmental sounds periodically too. It draws the players attention "why did the wind stop? what happened to that annoying drip?" Questions are good! As long as it's not "did my sound card just kick out?" I guess that's where the "artistry" comes in.
#17
Hanging stuff. We don't like to go through spaces that will physically touch us. This can be enhanced if touchy things actually have an effect - mild hit point damage as with some of the plants in Oblivion, radiation, if you have the art resources, it could just make the player dirty.
Narrow ledges. Passages with gaps. What happens if I fall? Again, creating tension with fear of the unknown.
Subliminal imagery and sound. Work unsettling imagery into your textures. Take that creepy insect for example and do an overlay on your texture. Reduce the transparency of the insect until its no longer immediately visible. The theory is that you can cause the person to feel uneasy or uncomfortable with the texture without knowing why. Careful what subliminal imagery you use, you don't want to get sued. xD
Create a sense of loss - I think someone mentioned this earlier. Some thoughts are to leave a crudely torn off limb near a corner or wall as if it were casually cast aside. The "writing on the wall" is a nice technique, and can be used for this - but should be tailored to the time period or genre. "Mom, I'm sorry I ate fluffy" scrawled with chalk inside a heart using your favorite psycho font is going to look very out of place in a medieval setting.
Gore is a good initial shocker, but I find I rapidly get used to it. When 1st playing Fallout3, I was a little shocked when I blew some raiders brains out and their eyeball rolled across the floor. Limited mileage after that though because it happens too much - becomes common place. It's not a shocker if it's common.
I'm going to try and work some of these elements into my temple model. (didn't know about the Burning man reference). Hopefully I can get some chill into it.
//End Rant
03/16/2009 (3:28 pm)
CREEPY FACTOR RANT PART IIHanging stuff. We don't like to go through spaces that will physically touch us. This can be enhanced if touchy things actually have an effect - mild hit point damage as with some of the plants in Oblivion, radiation, if you have the art resources, it could just make the player dirty.
Narrow ledges. Passages with gaps. What happens if I fall? Again, creating tension with fear of the unknown.
Subliminal imagery and sound. Work unsettling imagery into your textures. Take that creepy insect for example and do an overlay on your texture. Reduce the transparency of the insect until its no longer immediately visible. The theory is that you can cause the person to feel uneasy or uncomfortable with the texture without knowing why. Careful what subliminal imagery you use, you don't want to get sued. xD
Create a sense of loss - I think someone mentioned this earlier. Some thoughts are to leave a crudely torn off limb near a corner or wall as if it were casually cast aside. The "writing on the wall" is a nice technique, and can be used for this - but should be tailored to the time period or genre. "Mom, I'm sorry I ate fluffy" scrawled with chalk inside a heart using your favorite psycho font is going to look very out of place in a medieval setting.
Gore is a good initial shocker, but I find I rapidly get used to it. When 1st playing Fallout3, I was a little shocked when I blew some raiders brains out and their eyeball rolled across the floor. Limited mileage after that though because it happens too much - becomes common place. It's not a shocker if it's common.
I'm going to try and work some of these elements into my temple model. (didn't know about the Burning man reference). Hopefully I can get some chill into it.
//End Rant
#18
Davids post about the subliminal and the periphery view made me think of halflife 2, there was times i could have sworn i saw the gman, then i look back and theres nothing there... only to find out some weeks after that i did actually see him, they included about 20 flashes of him or something like that...
03/16/2009 (6:26 pm)
that video made me wanna play bloodlines again but i cant find my disks :(Davids post about the subliminal and the periphery view made me think of halflife 2, there was times i could have sworn i saw the gman, then i look back and theres nothing there... only to find out some weeks after that i did actually see him, they included about 20 flashes of him or something like that...
#19
www.blackmesasource.com/
Trailer Mirrors "HD"
03/16/2009 (7:20 pm)
Left4Dead is hands down the best mix of stuff jumping out scaring the crap outta ya and fun game play ever made. It totally amazes me what people are still pulling off with the source engine. I can't wait for the Black Mesa TC to be complete. In case you have not scene it what the guys have done on their own is totally amazing. I have never seen any mod with level of production value.www.blackmesasource.com/
Trailer Mirrors "HD"
#20
03/16/2009 (7:35 pm)
yeah black mesa looks fantastic, one of the first times i really jumped while playing a game was halflife 1, going through the air ducts in almost darkness, and the damn headcrabs leap out screeching at you :o that was tense going through there. 
Torque 3D Owner Andy Wright
BrokeAss Games