The sound that started it all - or at least, one of them - is a train's metallic roar, recorded by Don Veca on a San Francisco Bart train tunnel in 2008. The audio director for Dead Space, Veca recalls how he and his team created one of the game's most jarring sonic contrasts: "We dropped that screeching, industrial noise at full volume right after the vacuum silence... creating one of the game's most iconic sounds." This was a deliberate choice to unsettle players and create tension.
For horror game designers like Jason Graves, composer behind the Dead Space score, sound is crucial in preparing players for scares. "Sound and music prepare the player to be scared... it's all about the buildup, the tension, and then the release when something jumps out at you." Graves' approach involves creating a sense of unease through unusual techniques, such as tapping instruments or playing dissonant notes.
The key to effective horror lies not in cheap shocks but in psychological manipulation. For cult game developer Swery, fear is about the human condition. He began questioning what truly scares players after his mentor, Resident Evil creator Tokuro Fujiwara, asked him: "What is fear in a game?" This curiosity led Swery to create 2010's Deadly Premonition, a surreal small-town horror that blends absurd humour with existential dread.
The unknown can be just as frightening as what's shown. Thomas Grip, game director of Soma, argues that the best horror is one that forces players to ask uncomfortable questions about being human. "The key is familiarity... The best monsters are ones where you think, 'Something's off here...' and the more you look, the worse it gets."
Nostalgia can also be a powerful tool in creating fear. Poppy Playtime, a 2021 indie horror hit, uses cute, murderous toys to evoke a visceral reaction. "Nostalgia carries vulnerability... When we think of childhood, we think of safety... and twist those things, the reaction is visceral," says Zach Belanger, CEO of Mob Entertainment.
The interactive factor is another reason why horror in video games endures. Psychologist Kieron Oakland notes that players are not just observers but active participants, which makes the experience more impactful: "In a game, you're not watching someone else flee... you're in it, and that's why it feels good." Daniel Knight, creator of Phasmophobia, agrees, stating that games put players inside the fear.
Ultimately, the fear in horror games is personal. It comes from making decisions that put the player in danger. Thomas Grip believes this makes the experience more terrifying: "In games, you make the decision to walk into danger... that makes it personal." After all, scary movies ask what you'd do in a dark situation; video games make you find out.
For horror game designers like Jason Graves, composer behind the Dead Space score, sound is crucial in preparing players for scares. "Sound and music prepare the player to be scared... it's all about the buildup, the tension, and then the release when something jumps out at you." Graves' approach involves creating a sense of unease through unusual techniques, such as tapping instruments or playing dissonant notes.
The key to effective horror lies not in cheap shocks but in psychological manipulation. For cult game developer Swery, fear is about the human condition. He began questioning what truly scares players after his mentor, Resident Evil creator Tokuro Fujiwara, asked him: "What is fear in a game?" This curiosity led Swery to create 2010's Deadly Premonition, a surreal small-town horror that blends absurd humour with existential dread.
The unknown can be just as frightening as what's shown. Thomas Grip, game director of Soma, argues that the best horror is one that forces players to ask uncomfortable questions about being human. "The key is familiarity... The best monsters are ones where you think, 'Something's off here...' and the more you look, the worse it gets."
Nostalgia can also be a powerful tool in creating fear. Poppy Playtime, a 2021 indie horror hit, uses cute, murderous toys to evoke a visceral reaction. "Nostalgia carries vulnerability... When we think of childhood, we think of safety... and twist those things, the reaction is visceral," says Zach Belanger, CEO of Mob Entertainment.
The interactive factor is another reason why horror in video games endures. Psychologist Kieron Oakland notes that players are not just observers but active participants, which makes the experience more impactful: "In a game, you're not watching someone else flee... you're in it, and that's why it feels good." Daniel Knight, creator of Phasmophobia, agrees, stating that games put players inside the fear.
Ultimately, the fear in horror games is personal. It comes from making decisions that put the player in danger. Thomas Grip believes this makes the experience more terrifying: "In games, you make the decision to walk into danger... that makes it personal." After all, scary movies ask what you'd do in a dark situation; video games make you find out.
... but what really gets to me is how nostalgia plays a huge role in fear too ... remember poppy playtime those creepy toys just freaked me out so bad lol and it made me think about childhood ... our perception of safety changes as we get older and games like that one exploit that perfectly 
. for me, it's not just about jump scares or gore, but about creating this sense of unease where i'm not sure what's going to happen next 
. it's like my heart is racing just thinking about playing some of these games... phasmophobia, anyone? 
. and i think the interactive factor is what makes horror games so much more terrifying than watching someone else experience fear on screen. it's like, i'm literally experiencing fear with my own heart racing 
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. those guys at mob entertainment know their stuff when it comes to tapping into our fears 
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it gets so creepy when u start doubting ur own sanity 
I think sound is sooo key in horror games, like they say on that Bart train video from 2008 
... the sudden screech gives me the heebie-jeebies every time 
, game devs are masters at creating sonic nightmares that play with your psyche 
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, you're not just watching someone else freak out, you're right there with them feeling the terror.
, it's not about cheap shocks but about psychological manipulation, making us question our own humanity and what scares us most that's what makes Dead Space so unsettling 
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. Whether it's the surreal world of Deadly Premonition or the eerie atmosphere of Soma, horror games continue to push the boundaries of what scares us 
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IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW NOSTALGIA CAN BE USED TO CREAT A SPOOKY ATMOSPHERE LIKE IN POPPY PLAYTIME . BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY , FEAR IN HORROR GAMES IS PERSONAL SO YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE IT RIGHT FOR YOURSELF 
. But what really gets me is how horror games make you feel like you're actually part of the fear, you know? You're not just watching someone else die, you're the one who's walking into danger 
. And I think it's so cool how they're trying to create this sense of unease and tension in players before anything scary even happens... like, my skin is crawling just thinking about it 
they can literally give me the heebie-jeebies! Like, the screeching noise on that Bart train is insane - it's like my nerves are being tickled all over 
. And I think that's what makes horror games so effective - they tap into our deepest fears and doubts. But at the same time, it's also kinda vulnerable, you know? When we're scared in a game, we're forced to confront our own emotions and it can be super uncomfortable 
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