The Sound of Fear and Our Unrelenting Desire to Play On
For Don Veca, audio director for Dead Space, horror game designers continue to chase the same feeling that made the 2008 game a classic: creating an atmosphere of dread. "True fear starts with psychology – not the fear of what is, but of what might be," he explains. This is why Veca's approach to sound design in Dead Space was so effective - by building tension like a slow tide, the game's audio team created an unnerving experience that kept players on edge.
But what makes horror games truly terrifying? According to Jason Graves, composer for Dead Space and Until Dawn, it's all about preparation. "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 is just one example of how horror game designers use sound to create an immersive experience.
For cult game developer Swery - aka Hidetaka Suehiro - fear has never been about cheap shocks. Instead, it's about exploring the human condition. His 2010 game Deadly Premonition is a surreal small-town horror that blends absurd humor with existential dread. "Before crafting fear, we set a clear goal: build the town and its people," he explains. By focusing on character development and storytelling, Swery creates an atmosphere of unease that's both unsettling and thought-provoking.
Soma, another game from Thomas Grip, takes a different approach to horror. Instead of relying on jump scares or gore, Soma uses silence and philosophy to create a sense of unease. "The key to any horror story, no matter the medium, is that the audience fills in the blanks themselves," Grip says. By leaving some things to the player's imagination, Soma creates a sense of uncertainty that's more terrifying than any explicit horror element.
Other games, like Poppy Playtime and Loop//Error, use unconventional approaches to create fear. Poppy Playtime uses nostalgia to create a sense of unease, while Loop//Error employs pixelated visuals to suggest rather than show. In both cases, the goal is to create an atmosphere of uncertainty that's more frightening than any explicit horror element.
Finally, there's the interactive factor - something that makes horror in video games so impactful: you have to take part yourself. According to psychologist Kieron Oakland, this is what makes horror games feel good. "In a game, you're not watching someone else flee – you're in it, and that's why it feels good: your heart races, but you're still in control." This sense of agency is key to creating a truly terrifying experience.
For Daniel Knight, creator of Phasmophobia, the interactive factor is what makes horror games so effective. "Games put you inside the fear," he says. By making players feel like they're part of the experience, Phasmophobia creates a sense of dread that's both terrifying and exhilarating.
In conclusion, horror in video games is all about creating an atmosphere of unease and uncertainty. Whether it's through sound design, storytelling, or player interaction, the key to success lies in exploiting our deepest fears - not just what might be out there, but also what might be lurking within ourselves.
For Don Veca, audio director for Dead Space, horror game designers continue to chase the same feeling that made the 2008 game a classic: creating an atmosphere of dread. "True fear starts with psychology – not the fear of what is, but of what might be," he explains. This is why Veca's approach to sound design in Dead Space was so effective - by building tension like a slow tide, the game's audio team created an unnerving experience that kept players on edge.
But what makes horror games truly terrifying? According to Jason Graves, composer for Dead Space and Until Dawn, it's all about preparation. "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 is just one example of how horror game designers use sound to create an immersive experience.
For cult game developer Swery - aka Hidetaka Suehiro - fear has never been about cheap shocks. Instead, it's about exploring the human condition. His 2010 game Deadly Premonition is a surreal small-town horror that blends absurd humor with existential dread. "Before crafting fear, we set a clear goal: build the town and its people," he explains. By focusing on character development and storytelling, Swery creates an atmosphere of unease that's both unsettling and thought-provoking.
Soma, another game from Thomas Grip, takes a different approach to horror. Instead of relying on jump scares or gore, Soma uses silence and philosophy to create a sense of unease. "The key to any horror story, no matter the medium, is that the audience fills in the blanks themselves," Grip says. By leaving some things to the player's imagination, Soma creates a sense of uncertainty that's more terrifying than any explicit horror element.
Other games, like Poppy Playtime and Loop//Error, use unconventional approaches to create fear. Poppy Playtime uses nostalgia to create a sense of unease, while Loop//Error employs pixelated visuals to suggest rather than show. In both cases, the goal is to create an atmosphere of uncertainty that's more frightening than any explicit horror element.
Finally, there's the interactive factor - something that makes horror in video games so impactful: you have to take part yourself. According to psychologist Kieron Oakland, this is what makes horror games feel good. "In a game, you're not watching someone else flee – you're in it, and that's why it feels good: your heart races, but you're still in control." This sense of agency is key to creating a truly terrifying experience.
For Daniel Knight, creator of Phasmophobia, the interactive factor is what makes horror games so effective. "Games put you inside the fear," he says. By making players feel like they're part of the experience, Phasmophobia creates a sense of dread that's both terrifying and exhilarating.
In conclusion, horror in video games is all about creating an atmosphere of unease and uncertainty. Whether it's through sound design, storytelling, or player interaction, the key to success lies in exploiting our deepest fears - not just what might be out there, but also what might be lurking within ourselves.
. Its all about the buildup to those jump scares or creepy moments, you know? And then theres these indie devs like Swery who focus on exploring the human condition, thats some deep stuff 
. I mean, Soma's use of silence is actually really unsettling, its like our imaginations start running wild 
. But what I love most about horror games is that they let us be a part of it all, we get to experience the fear firsthand which makes it so immersive and terrifying 
I mean, dont get me wrong, some of them are pretty intense but its all about the setup, right? Like, if they can create this sense of dread and unease from the start, then cool. But sometimes it feels like theyre just relying on cheap jumpscares or gore to scare us off 
. I need some actual content, you know? Not just a bunch of empty space that makes me feel uneasy 
. Its what makes games like Phasmophobia and Dead Space so scary. But, can we talk about how its not actually that scary once you get used to it 
? I mean, I started playing these games with my friends and now we just laugh at all the jump scares 
anyway, back to gaming... I love how some horror games focus more on character development and storytelling than jump scares or gore 
, and I felt so free! But then I saw this massive shark coming straight for me, and my heart started racing 
. Anyway, back to horror games... have you guys played Soma? I'm telling you, the silence is what makes it so unsettling 
I'm so over the 'sudden death' scare mechanism in horror games... can't they come up with something more creative than relying on cheap jump scares? 
Give me some real tension and suspense any day. 
but at the same time it's cool how game devs can make us feel like we're part of the experience 
like what if i'm actually investigating a haunted house and then it jumps out at me 
it builds up this tension that makes you wanna keep playing even when your heart is racing 
i wonder how they do it though is it like they record actual screams or what 
. And Loop//Error's pixel art thingy is just annoying 
.
. And those sound design guys are geniuses - they totally know how to build tension 
. Still, I guess that's all part of the fun, right?