Welcome!

Welcome!

By in General Updates

If I could ask all horror game enthusiasts one question, it would be:

“What are the key elements of a bad horror game?”

My answer to the question is: If a game has sudden loud noises to jump scare the player, it is a bad horror game. While an integral part of horror games is thrilling gameplay, a cheap jumpscare takes all the fun away for me.

What do you think?

As is the case with most indie horror games, I’ve been inspired by PT and since it’s been 7 years now without another Silent Hill, I decided to tell my own story.

I’m Usama, your average Joe software engineer, working a 9-5. This is my take on the horror genre. 

I’m planning to spend most of my energy to try to make this a good horror story. And that’s why you being here means a lot to me. One way or the other, you are a thrill seeker like me and I’d love to hear your input along the way. So feel free to message me anytime.

This is my first ever attempt at a game, and I just started (Nov 2021). So while you might not expect AAA quality, you can expect a good scare 🙂

As for the earlier question, I would like to know what you think. What makes a horror game really good or really bad? Feel free to answer down in the comments or send me an email at usama@allinyourhead.net.

I’ll remain curious and hope you’d like to share your ideas for the game. I would love to update you regularly with the development, so please drop your email address down below to support the game <3

See you in the next update,

Usama

9 Comments

Lizzy Posted on1:54 pm - December 16, 2021

I think a horror game should include being chased, it gives me the creeps and rises the adrenaline to a max in a couple of seconds. Hope it’s something helpful. Goodluck!

Reply
    Usama Posted on2:59 pm - December 16, 2021

    Thanks a lot @Lizzy! A chase sequence sounds great, I’ll have to work on the sounds and animations though. I agree, some games have amazing chase sequences. Let me see where in my story I can integrate a chase. Thanks a lot! Will update you soon

    Reply
JJ Posted on7:40 pm - December 16, 2021

I’ve always wanted to develop my own horror games since I feel like if it were up to me, I’d do my best to scare the living nightmare out of the player.

Cheap jumpscares are boring in my opinion. Especially if they have no purpose except to scare the player.

Now, jumpscares that actually add to, or conclude the plot, could be really good, if well executed.

For example, I have a game idea in which a group of teenagers go cave diving and they leave one claustrophobic friend (main character) behind to watch over their stuff and the car. After some time, the main character hears her friends calling her name from the cave. They let her know that they need some help because they were on their way out when one of them got stuck. Overcoming her fear, main character goes into the cave. A bunch of twists and turns later, we hear the friends voices really close by, seemingly just around the corner.

When you turn the corner, you’re jumpscared with the corpse of your friend and that’s how the game ends.

Sorry for the long message, I just wanted to explain what I think a good jumpscare would be. Other than that, I feel like horror games that really lure a player in and immerse them into the experience would be awesome to see.

Reply
    Usama Posted on10:04 am - December 17, 2021

    That sounds like a great short horror game! Why don’t you start making it? 😀

    And yes I totally agree, cheap jump scares are stupid. Every jumpscare should serve a purpose of the story, should have a build up of tension and be more than just a sudden loud noise.

    Which is why, currently I only have a few jump scares for this game in mind but they’ll be very closely tied to the story’s purpose and shall not be mindless.

    Reply
Oldgun80 Posted on5:31 pm - January 20, 2022

Dude wish you all the best. I hope you get some helping hand as well. Game development is not an easy task. For me, here are some key elements that I normally look for in a horror game.

1. A compelling story. There should be an underlying mystery beneath the horror. Look for horror/suspenseful games like Observer and Soma to get some inspiration.

2. I think Hide and seek style is not horror. I know some people dig it but it ruins the exploration elements in a game especially if it’s first person. Alien Isolation did it quite well though.

3. Don’t make the player so nerfed you can’t fight back. Give us a weapon!!

4. Puzzles. If done right, they can be very satisfying. Have a look at games called The Room and it’s sequels to get some inspiration on some really moody puzzle solving.

5. Cosmic and supernatural horrors are pretty unique especially stuff from H.R.Giger and Cthulhu mythos. However, we humans also have horror tales to tell. Again, this is related to my first point.

6. Choose an engine that is easy to develop for so you can optimize for best gameplay leading to tight controls and Ofcourse, the eye candy.

7. Since this is your first attempt, try to keep it simple. I’m sure
you know what kojima did with PT, Just one hallway.

8. Last item I can think of is atmosphere and sound design that creates suspense and mystery. Silent Hill (2 and 3) soundtrack still gives me goosebumps.

All the best mate.

Reply
    Usama Posted on4:36 pm - January 29, 2022

    Hey! Thanks a lot for your comment, bullseye! I am so aligned with your ideas that I think you should be creating horror games too 🙂
    The puzzles are a little more challenging as they have to be spread out through the level. I’m going totally story-driven, so the horror has to be earned, not spammed onto the player.

    Thanks a lot for your encouragement, hope to show you my game this year! 🙂

    Reply
Marclarr Posted on11:10 pm - March 2, 2022

🔴Jump scare with no build up music
🔴Running into an objects that at first looks like a person/demon etc
🔴Creepy noises like knocking coming from behind you
🔴Random noise in the distance that gets louder when you get closer but when really close, it stops

Reply
GamingEnder98 Posted on10:15 pm - October 3, 2023

While I do agree that an excess of consistent jumpscares does make a horror game bad I feel like it’s not just the consistent jumpscares that make a game bad but a lack of atmosphere. The atmosphere in a horror game should make the player feel uneasy and tense enough so that said jumpscares would be effective for most (if not some) players. If we are talking about other things that make or break a horror game is the story and lore of the game. I think that if a story is well written and interesting enough then that would allow the player of easily fit into the shoes of the character they are playing as.

Reply
    Usama Posted on8:40 am - October 4, 2023

    I’m so glad you think so. Majority of the time spent on this game was doing the atmosphere and then re-doing it in a different rendering pipeline just to improve it!
    Completely agree with the lore of it as well, I hope it lives up to the expectations!

    Reply

Leave a Reply