What would be "Proper Jumpscares?"

[Alex Ros]

Pacing is very important, but sticking to a rule-set for pacing is dangerous...

The rules are the things that are made to being broken. That's their purpose. And that is how it worked with... with painting arts for example, all those Picasso, Dali, Malevich, etc... did know the classic school of painting. And they ruined it completely, turned everything upside down.

So rules aren't supposed to narrow your fantasy and unique imagination, contrary they are supposed to help you find your own individual stories, style, features, whatever...

Clear example. I wrote by myself the rule that it's better not to link jump-scare to the objective completion. Is that true and reasonable? I think yes, because most of players are used to the fact that something happens at the moment of objective completion. BUT! By knowing that rule I can brake it by myself and make a really frightening jump-scare. For example I can let player complete... hmm... just for a example a 100 objectives and nothing happens. So the player is very relaxed that nothing happens by the completion of the objective. And here I come. BANG! At the 101 objective completion I can simply bump a player into a monster. And THAT would work great... it's just for the purest example.

Same with all the rules. You have to find them and formulate. Yeah, you really have to do that. It would make things clear, "nice and easy". But their purpose, the rules purpose is to be ruined. Paradox but true.