Amateur indie dev here who wants to make a horror game and needs some guidance
How much content would you expect out of a horror game (length /replayability)? Do you think horror lends itself better to well crafted linear experiences or more procedural random settings?
I don't really like horror so I might not have the best feel for it, but I think for an indie horror game it can be around 10-20 hours. If it has high replayability it can be shorter, like 3 or 4. Personally I always prefer linear experiences as I think you get a tighter and better crafted experience that way. If you go with procedural I would recommend making it more of a creepy game than horror, something like LSD.
Please don't fall for the "hurr durr if you can't fight the monsters the game is scarier!!!"
There is no fun in a game that is literally hide and seek with an ai. Please have some actual gameplay if you are making a horror game for serious.
Depends on the style of game.
If it's open/exploration based and even randomized in a lot of events, then the gameplay can last quite a while and as long as there's enough variety of content it'll work out.
If it's a linear horror game, try not to keep it too long. 8-12 hours for a horror game seems about right. Anything drawing close to 20 ends up potentially losing your players.
>>333351664
Well-crafted, linear (or semi-open metroidvania style) horror games are something the industry is seriously lacking in these days, I'd say go with that. Procedural generation games are a dime a dozen on PC.
Randomization in a horror game will never make a horror game better.
>>333351664
Actually scary horror? Linear.
Creepy shit, procedurally, probably.
For instance, this shit was in a completely non-horror related space game as a randomly generated animal
it was a man-headed centipede with ballooning eyes that reared up to attack
that being said, don't get talked out of jumpscares by all the pussies
the jumpscare is the climax of the horror
the goal is the scary atmosphere, but you can't have a scary atmosphere without the threat of jumping out of your ass
>>333351664
You can't go wrong as long as you don't fall into the horror dev traps of having too many predictable jump scares and the same old "shambling zombie is coming to get you!"
The key to a good horror game first and foremost, is an eerie, uncomfortable atmosphere. Every individual has different fears and thought patterns - by creating an atmosphere of tension and dread you can instill fear in almost every player from the suspense. The scariest thing to someone is the shit they invent in their own head
Just make like 5 hour long games completely seperate from each other and bundle them as one. That way any one idea doesnt get overused and the players are never totally comfortable with what
theyre doing in game.
>>333351664
I don't know, for horror games it's like over 2 hours.
I suppose it's a cheat but I really like things like costumes or alternate modes that's basically the same content but but you do it again..
>>333352261
I remember that game. I had to give up on it because the procedural ayliums spooked the living shit out of me.
Like you could never anticipate what they looked like, or where they were. It was just suddenly unspeakable indescribable monstrosities lurking anywhere or everywhere.
>>333352261
What game?
>>333352261
Source?
not op but would a game like gone homo with an actual horror plot/spooks work? The game was really short yet people loved it. Maybe it would be hard to have as much content and lore in a house but it could probably work.
>>333352261
gib game boi
>>333352261
Yes source this actually looks interesting has another horror game ever done random monsters?
>>333352737
Source
Play through the Ocean House Hotel in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines.
That should give you a good idea of how to make a good linear horror experience. The most important aspects are:
>maintain an uncomfortable atmosphere and environment throughout
>reveal the story slowly with esoteric hints
>the player should always feel at least somewhat out of control
Not blowing your load all at once is the main thing. You want your environment to become more horrifying as time goes on, not less.
Horror almost has to be linear or semi linear. But overall the atmosphere and what you don't show and hint at is going to be what makes or breaks your game. It's a very hard balancing act between suggestion and exposition while hammering atmosphere into the mind of the audience.
You're a lot better off making a narrative game with horror elements instead of going after a "pure" horror game.
Most people shy away from horror because it's absurdly hard to do well. A lot of people forsake the genre entirely because they rarely see a good example of it.
>>333353624
>>333353549
>>333353497
>>333353042
>>333353021
I don't fucking remember it was years ago, it wasn't even a horror game, it just accidentally became one because of this insane random species generator.
Dig for it yourselves. I have no more leads for you than that Anon's image.
I expect roughly 5 or 6 hours first play through. 3 hours if speed run.
For replay ability I suggest costumes and being able to go through the game with OP weapons.
>>333351664
>indie dev
>don't know the specifics of what he wants
if you don't know shit, make a very short game, even a text game is good as long as you complete something.
especially in horror, go find your own style, some people get better with grotesque monsters, some others like using myth monsters, artificial monsters and sometimes, no monster at all
>>333351664
linear
>>333351664
You should make a game where your object is to document a cryptid or other scary monster.
It can kill you, and you can't "fight" it, but you can ward away with certain actions so it's not just "Durr hide n seek". Your object would be to take pictures of it then leave without getting killed.
>>333351664
Just copy P.T.
Just put it nothing but jump scares.
Loads of jump scares.
Replayability would only be achieved by hidden collectibles.
Some people like it.
I'd rather have a set story than random generated ones.
Length: 10 hours or so
>>333352064
This. The only reason I didn't play Outlast or Amnesia is because there was no way of defending yourself, Alien Isolation at least gave you weapons and tools to fuck with the alien and scare him away, although that game was dragged out way too long.
I think the best horror games are like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame, the atmosphere is eerie, weird sound effects, extremely disturbimg enemies, you have to scavenge to survive and complete puzzles and when you die you always know that it was your fault not because you had absolutely no way to survive and have to go through trial and error to get past a certain point.
Give me a new game+ with a hilariously OP weapon so I can have a revenge run afterwards.
>>333354753
OP here, my problem is just that. I can make prototypes where the initial idea works and can be shown, but then I while I start to polish and add content I get into this downward spiral of guilt about the game not having enough to offer or not being long enough even though it would probably work if I could just settle on a short but fun experience.
>>333355203
Don't worry about the game not having enough to offer, that's a shitty reason to drop development. Make what you can and then release the goddamn thing, I think we've grown up past the point of needing every game to be a 40+ hour fuckfest of empty content. The best indie games are small, complete experiences IMO.
>>333351664
Are you actually trying to make a horror game or just a hide and seek simulator?
Procedural generation can be done alright depending on what type of game you're aiming for, and would probably be better value for your time in terms of content etc. give the player some means of fighting back, and remember a game where you can kill everything can be far more terrifying than the Amnesia clones. Atmosphere is key.
>>333354472
I found it. I think this is the one. It's called Species.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6AIJe4JteU
>>333351664
Don't make a hide and seek game like 90% of horror titles owdays, give some sort of means for the player to defend itself.
Good puzzles, well-paced backtracking and brick shit moments will do the rest.
>>333351664
>Do you think horror lends itself better to well crafted linear experiences or more procedural random settings?
Bit of both. Craft the main scares but have lots of smaller things occur randomly. Lightning flashes, board creaks, creepy laughter, when a window breaks or a candle/light goes out.
Make it so that even though they know how to beat the game and what they need to do and where, there's still lots of things that can snap them out of that 'autopilot' state and force them to pay attention.
>>333351664
Is it going to be a walking simulator?
>>333351664
personally, i'd like to see a bit of esoteric gameplay to it
one thing i love about PT is its complete obstruction of gameplay mechanics. there's virtually no UI and the game starts immediately after it loads. no button prompts, no instructions. it's intuitive. it feels like it's happening. and the strange way the puzzles are presented, along with the semi-randomized, unpredictable atmosphere made it excellent.
if someone can imitate this, they have a hit on their hands
>>333351664
Watch this video; it explains what fear is; then, reverse engineer and ba-da-bing ba-da-boom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEikGKDVsCc
>>333356106
Could you expand on this? I haven't played it but what can you do apart from moving and looking around?
>>333355994
with a twist
>>333355491
You're doing god's work anon.
>>333356284
Is the twist going to be a double barreled shotgun?
>>333356284
Is the twist that you look down and your legs have been replaced with snakes?
Because that would be wild.
>>333355131
Nigga Outlast is easy , you're just a pussy
>>333351664
don't rely on jumpscarce too much, spooky scenery and sound effects are really really important. i suggest you go see a tons of spoopy movies/tv shows for inspiration
>>333352064
I agree with this guy. There should be a tactical decision making though.
I loved the early game play in STALKER. When you had a shitty little shotgun or pistol. You heard some weird noises coming from up the road a bit, and you had to decide...
>do I go up there and face whatever it is?
>do I hide?
>do I try to go around it and possibly run into something worse?
Those kinds of moments make a horror game scary. When it's just "run away from everything" or "shoot everything".. just doesn't do it for me. The STALKER games pretty quickly turned into a generic first person shooter once you got the power armor and a high powered assault rifle. Don't let your game do that.
>>333353021
>>333353042
>>333353497
>>333353549
>>333355491
OP of the image here
it's shores of hazeron
you're all fucking wrong
>>333357621
here's another good one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DyRxlvM9VM
Also this
>>333356284
Not him, but you do solve some cryptic puzzles along the way, although they're not as interesting as he makes them seem. They're the "look here, go there, speak some shit to the microphone and move on" kind of puzzles.
Which scp is this?
>>333351664
they have to be really confined and linear. they have to be not too short but not drag on forever.
i suggest you do an anthology series and release each new story in an episodic manner.
Don't just make it pitch-black with a tiny torch lightcone. loads of indie horror devs seem to think bumbling around in the dark is scary but it gets boring really quick.
>>333351664
If you want my tip then read up on some Japanese visual body horror. That shit still gives me shivers
>>333352064
Amnesia clones are so 2012
>>333360289
Uzumaki still freaks me out.
>What's so scary about spirals?
>Well, what if X was spirals?
>And what if Y was spirals?
>WHAT IF EVERYTHING WAS SPIRALS?
>>333360435
So fucking creepy man. Also, I'm definitely thinking about the human shaped holes in the mountain manga too
you know randomization could be good thing to adventure in you know
like, the very essence of true horror is the unknown, like something out of place, something you cannot control, the sensation of not knowing what to expect
I'm not talking about putting a random monster every time inside a room
like, randomizing the scenery, the situation, a diferent picture on a frame every time you gent into a room, making things mysterious
>>333359814
106
http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-106
>>333361019
I don't get why people think randomization is bad either.
Part of what kills tension and fear like "Oh, this is going to play out exactly the same way it has the other 5 times I've been through this area."
No one's saying it needs to be 100% random.
>>333361019
yeah I think on a higher level it could work
sure you can make the monster appear from different locations, but coming back to the basement only to find the room has a different layout would be unnerving.
The ideal horror game is linear, with a few randomized scenes. Some players will get X, some will get Y, some will get B. Some will get all of the above, some will get none. Program interesting spooky shit and insert it to occur at random.
The simplest example would be to have someone play the your game, then play it again and get an entirely new scare in a room they previously thought was safe. But all of this would require good setting and identifiable maps.
>>333351664
>How much content would you expect out of a horror game (length /replayability)?
Enough to explore it for few days before it bores me, so around 1-2 hours.
> Do you think horror lends itself better to well crafted linear experiences or more procedural random settings?
Both. Scripted events are only scary once or twice. Enemy that follows certain rules is way more scary. So it's important to have both.
>>333351664
Nothing is scarier.
>>333357718
this isn't a cringe thread anon
