Elements of Surprise?

[+ TBWCS 953]

A horror game. I have been coding, eventing and designing a horror game for the last few months using Ace. Actually, I already started a bit of it and most of it were thoroughly checked (in terms of the events). However, I stumbled upon a big block of question on my game. Often, we create elements of surprise on a horror game to keep the game alive in terms of exploration, story, ambiance and theme.

 

To start with the question, let me give these pointers first:

 

I have been thinking of these elements on my game:

 

Traps

Some of the maps and stages of the game requires the player to pass some traps. These traps are either open or in secret to appear inside the game. It consists of getting the player hurt or trigger its death for game over. This is accompanied by a surprise since the player would not expect when these traps actually occur.

 

Jumpscares

Naturally, many horror games has this element of surprise. What happens with a jumpscare is you let the players get surprised with those surprising events inside the game, much likely when you've played Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Witch House, Lisa, Yume Nikki and Mad Father. Though my idea still lacks to which should the jumpscares I should exactly create.

 

My question, what do you think should be added on the game to give a boost of its surprise factor, suspense factor or thrill factor? For those who are interested, here's a video of what my game exactly is:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkHLbfmemUM

[Zeta 16]

My question, what do you think should be added on the game to give a boost of its surprise factor, suspense factor or thrill factor? 

Well, when you are done with jumpscares, atmosphere becomes very important, something that can be created using sound effects, the graphics for the surrounding environment etc. The Witch's House does a good job creating a sense of uncertainty(Did I just see something move?).

 

You can also use of description of objects to create atmosphere, by using related words that is of the same theme. For example:

Warm sunlight shines through the window.

An ice-cold metal box, it contains food that smells rotten.

 

Btw, you are not placing too many traps in the game, right? Unless there is a large variety of ways to kill yourself available, dying is going to become increasingly annoying.

[+ TBWCS 953]

I'm limiting the traps. If it goes too many, I think that makes the game a no-no to be played, considering the players getting annoyed how numerous the traps are.

[Spectre 829]

I'm limiting the traps. If it goes too many, I think that makes the game a no-no to be played, considering the players getting annoyed how numerous the traps are.

 

If you're using jumpscares and traps, one limiting factor as to how enjoyable your game is would be replay value.

Horror games tend to suffer greatly if this is limited in that the same cutscenes in the exact same circumstances trigger the same jumpscare.

 

You can, of course, circumvent this with randomization (say, roaming events rather than static ones, or changing the location every playthrough).

 

I'm not a huge advocate for jumpscares since I find them rather cheap a scare tactic, but it works - not so much for horror, but for the element of surprise. Likewise, make it to your advantage by having occasional scares or traps, without going overboard, to set the mood and keep the player on edge, but not to keep them anticipating each and every scare. Have lulls in the game where nothing much happens, and starker contrasts between crisis and peacetime.

For a good instance of this, look at Amnesia.

[+ Brackev 66]

For jumpscares:

1. try screen flashes.  Flashes of black, red, white are good when combined with looking at an object or a suspicous area

2. sudden changes in the objects in the room.  The painting goes from normal to ripped, and back again.  Or the ghost appears behind you for a second, then disappears

3. Bloodsplatter overlay

4. A trap that goes off, looks like it will get you, but fades at the last instant.

 

For mood:

1. Have low sounds for normal areas and high-pitched sounds for scary ones.

2. Slowly reveal what the ghost looks like over the whole game, piece by piece.  Unknown is scarier than the known.

3. Try to use actions like the player jumping back, rather than talking.  It makes things move quicker and keeps the action going.

4. No major story dumps.  Litter the game with scraps of info that the player needs to think about.  (ie. no full diaries)

[AJNR 156]

I hate jumpscares, but I don't mind them if they don't envelop the entire screen, blast at a ludicrously high volume, and make sudden changes to the screen (ie. Flashing white in a black room). This is just my opinion however, if you want to make a true jumpscare, have an enemy (like a Zombie) behind an obstruction (like a wall) and then approach when the Player is a couple of tiles within range; playing enemy sounds whether they're idle or not is your choice. But don't flash the screen white with a disturbing image you found off Google, please. Musical cues are fine, as long as they're not ear piercing (ie. Slender).

 

If anything, the main mechanic of Horror is Limitation. The Player can be limited in Movement Speed, Clarity of Environment, Quantity of Items, Limited Stamina, etc. If you stick to just Traps and Jump Scares, enthusiasm in your project will quickly degrade (Also, quick tip about traps, whether easy to see or not, give them some sort of distinction, even if it's just 4 pixels). Try to take the path less often taken, reverse the Player's controls at times, flip the screen upside down, create changing lights (with scripts) that are erratically changing (dim to bright, on to off).

 

For the environment, try to make use of lighting, look at Resident Evil Remake for the Gamecube, despite the fact that you can't get those camera angles - you can still follow the general direction of corridor-esque spacing and effective lighting. Try to make branches! And not just one way linear maps, but different doors to open, different routes to explore, make it so that every one doesn't take the same path.

 

Last thing, is that you mentioned Traps. It'd be cool to see if you could use Traps against enemies (if there are any), the best type of enemy is that Boss that randomly pops in in most maps and can either be damaged enough to make it retreat, or flee from it until it loses track (ie. Nemesis). There's nothing wrong with being completely defenseless, but it's fun to be able to fight back, and you don't necessarily need guns, and it doesn't necessarily mean fighting is easier than fleeing.

Edited April 28, 2014 by AJNR

[+ TBWCS 953]

That's a good idea AJNR! Thanks! I am planning to make the game free of using equips or actual in map battle just like the other horror games in RM made. Basically, instead of using weapons against enemies on the map, I'd rather have them set traps, then if the enemy approaches, then the trap gets them. I think that's make the game more interesting than the usual horror games made to date.

 

I'll see what I can to make this happen.

[MrManInATie 2]

That's a good idea AJNR! Thanks! I am planning to make the game free of using equips or actual in map battle just like the other horror games in RM made. Basically, instead of using weapons against enemies on the map, I'd rather have them set traps, then if the enemy approaches, then the trap gets them. I think that's make the game more interesting than the usual horror games made to date.

 

 

It's an interesting idea to play around with, but if all of the enemies fall victim to the same traps every time, it negates the horror aspect of your game. Then at that point, there's little difference between your characters having traps and them having guns.

 

I don't know how skilled you are at coding, but what if the enemies wisen up to your traps? In other words, they become smarter. Then you're in a constant race to remain ahead of the enemies.

 

On the topic of horror, a true horror game will use the player's imagination against them. Instead of having a monster jump out of a closet and go, "A-boogie-woogie-woo!" run their shadow across the wall for a split second. Or make their breathing noticeably loud. Disperse throughout the room the banging of some pipes as they struggle to climb them. Something that will alert the player to their presence, but that's it. Then their imagination goes into play as they frantically run and duck for cover or hope and prey that that was just a cat.