What makes something scary

[X4anco]

Hello peoples

I'm working on my Servant's Story custom story and I'm having some trouble thinking of things that makes a game scary. Because I have used sound effects, hallucination and a water lurker. And I have ran out of ideas. Please could you tell me what makes you scared or what makes something scary thank-you

-X4anco

[Roenlond]

Look at the main game. The scary parts are rarely only when you see the monsters, but rather the build-up before it. Without the sounds and lightning the monsters wouldn't be that scary at all. Work with more sounds, more ambiance, more nonlethal scares (objects falling, exploding, wind gusting, etc) instead of monsters everywhere.

Good luck.

[Danny Boy]

(05-29-2011 11:56 AM)X4anco Wrote:  Hello peoples

I'm working on my Servant's Story custom story and I'm having some trouble thinking of things that makes a game scary. Because I have used sound effects, hallucination and a water lurker. And I have ran out of ideas. Please could you tell me what makes you scared or what makes something scary thank-you

-X4anco

watch horror movies for inspiration...

but if you want a more direct awser... make uncomfortable situations... not going to explain eny more... just use your imagination whit what i said has a theme for your scare.

[X4anco]

I use sound effects all the time but they just don't seem scary

[Danny Boy]

(05-29-2011 12:18 PM)X4anco Wrote:  I use sound effects all the time but they just don't seem scary

that is may also be because you made it you know what is going to happen... but that is my opinion

[Clord]

For me, the silence does the trick. If you add music and too much ambience, it becomes way less scarier. Then again, I played Amnesia's main storyline quite fast so I'm not really that easily scared by this game. Heck I ran past Guest Room monster when it appeared.

[Kyle]

That's it!

The player is scared enough while there is some creepy ambience running, then the music stops. It could cause the player to feel the pressure of something bad to happen even more than it was!

[skypeskype]

Here is MY idea for something scary:

Spawing a monster when picking up a key, or resolving a puzzle won't scarre the player at all becasue:
1. You expect it.
2. You are happy for doing that hard puzzle so the monster won't scare you as much

The most common rooms in wich you expect to get scared are storages and cellars. So you WONT do it in there maybe only if you think of a very very clever scare. In those rooms, maybe build up lots of scary atmosphere with scary corridors, posible hiding spots and music. The player will feel relieved when leaving this rooms, so they wont expect getting scared so THATS when you hit him.

[Danny Boy]

ok i have found a text that might help you

"

*LESS IS MORE. Don't have monsters just attack from everywhere. Instead, have the player constantly THINK he's going to be attacked by monsters, but only rarely follow through with it. Have occasional sounds of things falling over behind you, have it so you leave one room and when you come back it's a complete mess, constantly be seeing traces of 'monsters' as they leave or something. Like as soon as you enter a room, for a split second you see a monster leaving thought the air vent, or you see a quick shadow run past your flashlight.
*Don't overdo music. Use mostly ambient effects when there's no real action going on. Silence is scary, I would make a track of just a little bit of wind, and maybe a quiet creak here and there. I would also make it so you can just barely hear the players breathing and heartbeat.
*Limit the players view. Make it so he can't see a lot. I would recommend a lighting engine and make the room very dark, and give the player a flashlight.
*LESS IS MORE
*Pop outs are most effective at completely random times. You're often expecting things to happen when you open doors or pick up strange items. Instead have the pop out happen when you're just walking down a hall, or a few seconds after you open the door/pick up the item (after the player has let down his guard)"

[laser50]

The Golden rule to make stuff scary:
Build up fear. Make some scary stuff first. No monsters, Just effects and sounds. After a while, when their feared of something is going to happen, Make a monster come. but not near them, just on a place where they wont get chased down immediatly.