horror game tips and ideas

[HeckHound 61]

Add an element of helplessness to help add tension.

 

I'd suggest forgoing transition fights and character progression in terms of power.

Limit the player's view of what is ahead, but use sound to make them aware of what's around. Maybe have some events that trigger so that these monsters scurry just on the edge of the player's vision.

If you're going to have background music, make it a slow beat with the occasional ambient sound effect (owl hooting, for example).

[lonequeso 1,921]

For a sprite based game, I think a more minimalist approach would work best. Normally, a psychological horror game would have

a lot of disturbing visuals like in the Silent Hill series. That's hard to pull off using sprites. With me anyway, I there can be a sprite of a possessed fetus trying to kill me, but since it's a sprite, it loses a lot of the effect. Suspense is you're best friend. I like HeckHound's idea of limiting how far the player can see. Having any resources/items in the game be scarce. That will force the player to plan their next moves carefully.  Lighting is key, too. You have some nice, dark scenes so far. If you haven't already, you may consider adding a Lighting Engine script. Then you can really play with light and shadow.

 

I had a couple fun ideas about this. Feel free to run with them. Have the background music play for short periods of time at random intervals. Imagine playing the game and the 1st 10-15 minutes are devoid of music. Then the music plays. What do you think? Something's about to happen, right? Maybe. Maybe not. It's cliché in horror movies, but video games are an entirely different animal.

 

The other is from a really cool game that came out for Gamecube, "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem". It features a "sanity" meter. Yes, your character could go insane. The meter would drop when you encountered enemies. If it dropped too low, your character would have delusions. They would always take place when you entered a new room. Some examples: The room is upside down, and you're on the ceiling, The graphics would turn to black and white, and there would be no sound. One of my favorites, The game would automatically go to the "Save" menu and delete your file (not really, of course).

 

It was a cool mechanic, but it was flawed in a couple ways. It was very easy to regain sanity so it didn't happen. There was no actual penalty for having a delusion. You would just end up back at the doorway you came in from. I should note that your health would gradually drop if you let the Sanity Meter reach 0. 

 

One suggestion is to use the MP meter as the sanity meter. Using skills will help you win battles, but at the cost of your sanity. you could use the TP meter, if you can figure out how to make it decrease when you take damage. That or make it an "Insanity Meter" where the higher it gets, the more it effects the player.

 

I also had a question. How does the player overcome his memories? Do they manifest into monsters/demons he has to fight or does he have solve a puzzle, or a combination of both?

[+ CVincent 234]

you may consider adding a Lighting Engine script

 

A lot of people who start off making horror games think lighting/limiting the player's vision is the most important thing. It becomes more gimmicky rather than doing much to help gameplay. Flashlights have become a staple to horror games and I believe that light sources should be situational instead of apparent all the time. This isn't to say that using a lighting script is a bad idea (I'm using one myself), but I'm also making custom lighting effects and making the flashlight a tool used in a variety of situations.

 

Parallax mapping and animation can be a good alternative or addition to using a lighting script, you can have several layers work together to make some pretty interesting effects. The point I'm trying to make though is that if he ends up using a lighting script he may end up focusing too heavily on it. I'm not a big fan on limiting how far the player can see because you can have some creepy stuff happen in the corner of a player's eye from time to time.

 

Have any monsters be really fast but move along scripted routes maybe?

 

This is usually pretty interesting in RPG Maker horror games. I'm going to be using Invenio, which should hopefully assist with making routes more dynamic as the player interacts with the environment. It can be scary when you stop a monster from catching you, but it's even scarier when the monster changes its path to keep following you.

 

Keeping the player constantly on edge can be an important element to having a game stay consistently scary. Most events that end with a player having stopped being chased end up making them feel safe instead of in any danger. You can keep the player feeling uneasy by making them question if they are in the clear or not. It's a fun little theme to work with.

 

Creepy BGM/BGS, creepy random sounds, creepy monster sprites, limited sight does help.

 

Assuming something these things are creepy at all, they need to have some kind of substance before they actually become scary. You can throw in as many screams as you want but it will just end up sounding cheesy if they're random or on a timer. Sound is really important though, so I'd recommend that they are added in events or as a sound a monster would make. This would warn the player of impending danger but might freak them out if they can't see where it's coming from.

 

Limited sight can be fine so long as it's not done on every map of the game. I've seen a few games where flashlights are used throughout the entire game and that just gets boring. It's like having a game that only has jumpscares, it just loses its charm and edge after a while.

 

In a horror game everything should be intentional if you want to keep it scary. Consistency is important to many things, but it's also fun to throw in a few curveballs when the player isn't expecting it.

Edited September 11, 2015 by CVincent

[+ Chaosian 617]

Not too much to add other than the fact that horror is a learned art. There's only so much that people can tell you, if you don't quite understand what they're telling you. Play horror games, play or watch people playing Indie horror games, and take a look at other RPG Maker horror games. Learn about pacing, and atmosphere, learn about the inherent loop of a jumpscare. Learn the culture, hear from people the do's and don'ts.

 

Also, "Half Dead." The other side to Half Life.

[johndfg 4]

Also, "Half Dead." The other side to Half Life.

Wait... It isn't copyrighted is it? Or was that a joke?

[Pou-chan 8]

I make a horror game myself and I'll tell you one thing I learnt from all of this...Mystery is the key...make the player fear the unkown. For example the player walks somewhere the lights turn off (cliche I know) and he has to use somee sort of flashlight-latern-candle whatever to see (being cliche here again), and there is a small passageway like 1 tile sort that only one person fits through...make footsteps sound very far away and then after a sort time something passes through the player's body (not attacking). Then the player will think if it will attack or not...that's a scary factor to take into notice...And I suggest you play a lot of pixel horrors so you'll get the idea of what they are doing and how and why...

My list:

Mad Father
Ib

Witch's House (one of the best out there, for me at least)

Crooked man

and I think it's called "Sandman"? don't remember...

 

Anyway good luck in your project :D

[xoferew 261]

I think it's spooky to establish expectations and then subvert them.  Maybe for three rooms the player must get to the light switch and turn on the light but in the fourth room flipping the switch just makes a clicking sound, or a light goes on very dimly for a moment and then shuts off.  Just when they were feeling safe!  Then they will realize they can never count on being safe.  Or, if all the enemies skitter towards you with creepy sound effects, have one that just silently plods towards you, maybe when you are in a narrow space and can't avoid it.  Fire and rising water are scary to children.  Toilets overflowing are scary.  Trap the kid in a bathroom with the toilet overflowing and filling up the room with water.  Doctor's offices, big dogs, swarms of bees, parents not recognizing you.  Heights -- narrow cliffs, flimsy bridges, a plank between rooftops.

[johndfg 4]

Personally I never find most horror games scary. I am a much bigger fan of Yume Nikki style surreal horror then anything else. The coma idea could be used as a good excuse to do something like that but eh. Besides that, I would probably try and do ultra minimalist stuff too. Very little music and sound, make every sound be a huge event. Make enemies have a iconic skittering that you can hear long before you see them coming. Maybe have most of the graphics be black and white with splashes of red, or involve solid color silhouettes. Have any monsters be really fast but move along scripted routes maybe? Charging at you so you can step out of the way i you are quick, and have it be very hard to tell exactly what the monsters actually are. Could they stalk you? Skitter quickly across the screen behind the player as a dark silhouette as you walk down a path, poking out from time to time be ore attacking? I donno.

 

Thanks! I'll definitely play yume nikki and try some of those ideas out!

I make a horror game myself and I'll tell you one thing I learnt from all of this...Mystery is the key...make the player fear the unkown. For example the player walks somewhere the lights turn off (cliche I know) and he has to use somee sort of flashlight-latern-candle whatever to see (being cliche here again), and there isAnd I suggest you play a lot of pixel horrors so you'll get the idea of what they are doing and how and why...

My list:

Mad Father

Ib

Witch's House (one of the best out there, for me at least)

Crooked man

and I think it's called "Sandman"? don't remember...

 

Anyway good luck in your project :D

Those are my favorite rpg make games! (except maybe mad father). Thinking about it more, I think my games inspiration is mostly Witch's House and Ib

[+ CVincent 234]

and he has to use somee sort of flashlight-latern-candle whatever to see (being cliche here again)

 

This is the exact problem. People believe having limited sight instantly makes a game scary or turns it into a horror game. It simply doesn't. If used effectively it can be rewarding, however it has become cliche for a reason. It is now a staple that most developers who end up making a horror game think that these things have to be in the game at all.

 

I'm just trying to say that being innovative and thinking out of the box will yield better results than by copying an idea someone else has already used. If you want your game to stand out at all and impress people who may not even be interested in horror games, create something that will be relevant to the story and its gameplay.

 

I hate to go off on this kind of thing but it's pretty upsetting as someone who's making a horror game, I'm particularly picky myself about most types of games and I want you to be able to create something you'd be proud of (as this is a tips and ideas thread).

 

Do NOT rely on scripts to do all the work for you. There are many things you can do to help your game be more enjoyable to play. I for one would like to see more games like Ib and Witch's House, though many people who are inspired by these games often look past about why they were successful.

 

Good luck with the project, I hope you'll come up with something great.

Edited September 12, 2015 by CVincent

[Kayzee 4,032]

Thanks! I'll definitely play yume nikki and try some of those ideas out!

Though Yume Nikki is a very different kind of thing to most RPG Maker horror games (although I think it kinda started the trend, either that or Corpse Party). It isn't necessarily even a horror game really, it kinda follows it's own genre. There is almost no plot and minimal gameplay, it's just you and a little girl's strange dreams, which end up being more like nightmares and pure distilled crazy. See also: LSD Dream Emulator.

 

I don't necessarily think going in that direction is what you want to do, but it seems like you might like to take some hints off of it.

Edited September 12, 2015 by KilloZapit

[johndfg 4]

- Graphics - disgusting and weird ones can also create a great ambiance. (it'll be good for dream/nightmare world)

- Not much of RTP can be used, as it's simply not scary (simply lack of horror resources). You either need to search for resources or create/edit something by myself.

This is my problem, I need a tileset like Ib, just with a little more horror feel, but I'm not a very good artist, and I can't find anything online. Any suggestions for places to look or ways to draw a tileset?

[Rikifive 3,411]

Ouh, I'm not sure either - I also couldn't find anything, so I'm drawing everything by myself, though I'm not a very good artist...

I have no idea where you could find help with this - personally I'm not using tilesets - I'm just drawing the whole map in image editing program and using that in parallax maps. =P

[xoferew 261]

A world slightly askew is creepy.  Especially if it's a dream world.  Like, furniture that leans slightly, sprites that are stretched out a bit too tall, stuff that should be fully opaque but isn't,  Obviously it could be done well or cartoonishly badly.  I'm mentioning it because it would be easy to do if you have a graphics program that lets you resize, rotate, and change opacity, no art skillz required.  As the graphics change thru the game they can be a metaphor for the chara's state of mental health.

[johndfg 4]

Ouh, I'm not sure either - I also couldn't find anything, so I'm drawing everything by myself, though I'm not a very good artist...

I have no idea where you could find help with this - personally I'm not using tilesets - I'm just drawing the whole map in image editing program and using that in parallax maps. =P

Ok, looking now, Ib tilesets are pretty simple so I think I can handle that, but I might have to tweak the outside areas of the map because I can't draw grass and water at all

A world slightly askew is creepy.  Especially if it's a dream world.  Like, furniture that leans slightly, sprites that are stretched out a bit too tall, stuff that should be fully opaque but isn't,  Obviously it could be done well or cartoonishly badly.  I'm mentioning it because it would be easy to do if you have a graphics program that lets you resize, rotate, and change opacity, no art skillz required.  As the graphics change thru the game they can be a metaphor for the chara's state of mental health.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this done, that's a great idea! I'll definitely be using this in my game...

[Rikifive 3,411]

Yeah, grass and water are harder than it seems - I made a completely silly grass in my game, but nobody is complaining so far. xD

[xoferew 261]

*Grumble, grumble* Oh, that Rikifive's grass is sooo... Oh!  Hi, Riki!!!

 

I just thought of this example with opacity:  Windows (etc) that slowly appear and disappear.  If you paste a window on the wall as an event then instead of it having its default fixed move route set it to custom move route and gradually change the opacity with wait commands in between each opacity command.  Door might be a little trickier since it has to animate opening and closing.  You thought you could get out but no, it's just a wall!  Ha ha!

[johndfg 4]

Yeah, grass and water are harder than it seems - I made a completely silly grass in my game, but nobody is complaining so far. xD

I came up with a rather weird one myself just now... Maybe it'll work, but you never know

*Grumble, grumble* Oh, that Rikifive's grass is sooo... Oh!  Hi, Riki!!!

 

I just thought of this example with opacity:  Windows (etc) that slowly appear and disappear.  If you paste a window on the wall as an event then instead of it having its default fixed move route set it to custom move route and gradually change the opacity with wait commands in between each opacity command.  Door might be a little trickier since it has to animate opening and closing.  You thought you could get out but no, it's just a wall!  Ha ha!

Maybe I could do a puzzle, where whenever you get a wrong answer, the door fades out more and more, until it dissapears

[Rikifive 3,411]

I came up with a rather weird one myself just now... Maybe it'll work, but you never know

Haha, when I was doing my grass I was undo'ing and trying again so many times until it looked acceptable. xD

[johndfg 4]

 

I came up with a rather weird one myself just now... Maybe it'll work, but you never know

 

Haha, when I was doing my grass I was undo'ing and trying again so many times until it looked acceptable. xD

My first try at grass looked like throw up after 2 hours of work in 1 tile, so I took a break...

[lonequeso 1,921]

You could always try a very minimalist approach with your grass. One solid color with a just a little noise. If you're using Photoshop you can make a simple grass texture with filters. My mind's not on that track atm, but you can Google a tutorial on how to do it.

[johndfg 4]

You could always try a very minimalist approach with your grass. One solid color with a just a little noise. If you're using Photoshop you can make a simple grass texture with filters. My mind's not on that track atm, but you can Google a tutorial on how to do it.

Ok, that's what I'll do if that if my (probably stupid) ideas doesn't work

[xoferew 261]

Call your game THE GRASS:  A TALE OF HORROR

Was it really grass?  You couldn't quite tell.  Sometimes it looked like throw up, sometimes it looked like vegetation.  What WERE those speckles?!

 

You thought it was just grass... and then it ROSE UP! 

[johndfg 4]

THE GRASS: A TALE OF HORROR

Haha that's beautiful, it can be the sequel

[Kayzee 4,032]

Call your game THE GRASS:  A TALE OF HORROR

Was it really grass?  You couldn't quite tell.  Sometimes it looked like throw up, sometimes it looked like vegetation.  What WERE those speckles?!

 

You thought it was just grass... and then it ROSE UP!

 

The Grass you say?

 

A world slightly askew is creepy. Especially if it's a dream world. Like, furniture that leans slightly, sprites that are stretched out a bit too tall, stuff that should be fully opaque but isn't, Obviously it could be done well or cartoonishly badly. I'm mentioning it because it would be easy to do if you have a graphics program that lets you resize, rotate, and change opacity, no art skillz required. As the graphics change thru the game they can be a metaphor for the chara's state of mental health.

This is kinda what Yume Nikki does I guess, though Yume Nikki mostly does it in different ways. For example the maps in Yume Nikki are usually huge and often wrap at the edges so they are easy to get lost in, and the characters are very weird and can look like demented children's drawings. The art is very surreal and unusual.

Edited September 12, 2015 by KilloZapit