Field Notes

Horror Craft

8 articles in this thread of the Field Notes.

Why Fog is an Effective Tool in Horror Game Design

Fog shrouds the world in mystery, heightening tension and fear. It's a perfect atmospheric device in horror games, enveloping players in the unknown.

One makes you flinch for a second. The other follows you to bed. Here is how dread and shock really differ, and why a game needs both.

Every player already believes that light means safe and dark means danger. Survival horror turns that belief into a system with a price.

Players think they are scared by what they see. Most of the time they are scared by what they hear, or by the moment the sound stops.

Give a player plenty and the horror evaporates. Take it away one unit at a time and every small choice becomes a source of fear.

The monster gets the poster, but the place does the work. A great horror setting is an antagonist that never has to move.

Relentless terror stops being terror within minutes. Real fear has a rhythm, and the quiet stretches are doing more work than the loud ones.

Show the monster too early and the fear has a ceiling. Keep it just out of sight and the player will build something far worse than you could.