My thoughts concerning the build-up of scares

[Acies]

Hello fellow forum members!

I wanted to share my view of scares, as well as get some input from you guys and how you think around them. There are different type of "scare events" which can be constructed, what I'll do is try to break them up into smaller parts and label them.


---------------------------------------- Scare events -----------------------------------------------

1. [Jump scares]
These types of scares are reactive-based. They appeal to the instinct to flinch, duck, protect yourself and so on. If someone throws a ball aimed at your face you instinctively duck or react - it's a reflex. The same goes for amnesia. However, there are a lot of badly constructed jump scares. Why? Consider the ball example again. If you look at the person throwing the ball while he does it, will you duck/react? Probably. However you are concious of that decision. That is the difference between a scary and a non-scary jump scare. If I am expecting a jump scare it simply won't scare me as much, or at all.


One example of executing a jump scare:
In order to catch the player off-guard I tend to think of their non-choice habits. They are actions made without much thought process going through. What do I mean by that? Consider these daily actions: locking the door, turning off the oven, flushing the toilet and so forth. You make these choices automatically. That's why you sometimes wonder - did I turn off the oven or did I lock the door? These actions weren't really concious actions. Amnesia has these types of actions as well. By breaking these non-choice habits with a jump scare you effictively manage to catch the player off-guard.


2. [Psychological nagging]
These types of scares are imaginative-based. If you hear a sound coming from the next room it's not the sound itself which scares you, but your imagination. Is there a grunt in there? Is there an encounter waiting for me there? This subject is very broad and could contain an endless list of possible uses (dark rooms, unexplored areas, a switch to scary music, the sight of an enemy etc.). However, this type of scare and its uses is the foundation of a sucessful map. It's these types of scares which sets the mood and brings the player into a scary atmoshpere. The original game's first maps are based solely on these types of scares - which proves how effective it is. While making them start at a low level and increase throughout the level/story. Effective use leads to paranoia.


3. [An obstructive set-up]
These types of scares are somewhat logical-based. The player is presented with an obstacle; a grunt standing in the way for example (part of the original game). In order to progress the player must face something he knows is there. It goes against common knowledge; to avoid danger. Therefor the player must conquer the instinct of fear and find a logical solution past the problem/obstacle.

For example you could force the player to enter an unexplored area (imaginative-based) with a grunt randomly patrolling it. The player knows something is there, but must face it in order to progress the game.


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It would be interesting to hear of how other users think while constructing their scares.