How to Unsettle a Player

Ian D · 2012-12-03T03:13:17

Hello world! For a game in development, I am given the following limitations: The game itself is a side-scrolling puzzle game, and thus has a camera suited to that. The game is presented without words, and so there will be no dialogue (grunts, wordless screams, breaths, etc. are okay) Can produce animated cutscenes, but sparsely (will only be included while acquiring items/major story points) Despite these, the genre is a horror game focused around various monstrosities; for the sake of this, just imagine there monstrosities as amorphous shadows. Throughout the game you will be entirely defenseless to them, and instead must run if need be. For this game however, I want to rely on more than just cheap jump-scares, as those require no finesse to achieve. Rather, I want the game to unsettle the player, make them nervous for what's to come, and be scared/conflicted at what they face. So far, my ideas are as follows: Have the enemies eventually begin to sob/act afraid of you towards the end, creating uncertainty over reality. Have a rare breed of enemy that is invincible to anything. Can kill you instantly, but moves at a slow rate (think Slender or SCP). Areas in which being seen creates a deadly chaos of enemies that must be escaped. Creating an enemy type/boss that would be seen as controversial to attack (eg: innocent-looking children) Bodies strewn about, sometimes housing an enemy type. Rooms that come before important parts, left completely silent compared to the other rooms, making suspense. Avoiding presenting the mysterious threat at the beginning of the game, until enough buildup. Being unable to attack, forcing flight instead of fight. Offering fewer save points, and giving lower non-recovering HP on player, to make death more of a fear. (debating) I would like your input. Which of these seem good/how could I improve upon these ideas? Moreover, to keep the game fresh, rather than constantly puzzle-based, what other ways can I affect the player in such a way? Giving examples from other games and personal experience is highly recommended. I check fairly frequently, so if you require anything on my part, I'll try to help clarify or explain! Cheers

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by epicpunnum October 27, 2012 03:44 AM

19 comments, last by epicpunnum 12 years, 2 months ago

epicpunnum

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December 03, 2012 03:13 AM

Not a sidescroller but it dealt very well with limited technology back in the day. Silent Hill 1 for Playstation. You could draw some inspiration from it, the scary barely visible scenery, scary situations with and without violence, etc.

What mechanics or aspects about it would you say made it scary? Perhaps include some examples and explain its shortcomings as well.
Currently speaking I don't have the time or resources to play the game, much less get a playstation.

How to Unsettle a Player

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How to Unsettle a Player

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