Can you define what makes Amnesia scary?

[Gasjockey]

I don't agree with Kman.

This I agree with.

[Datguy5]

I usually think when i play custom stories that a jumpscare will come.So i have to play it in fear D: The real amnesia is scary because of the atmosphere,sounds and the large rooms that i expect is full of monsters.

[TheDarkDescent]

The atmosphere makes this game the scariest. The sounds too of course. Also, the low amount of monsters makes this game scary. When you first begin playing, you can see some monsters. But they don't harm you. Like when you go into that hall where the stones falled down behind you, when you had to pull those books to get the wine cellar key. When you went back and look at the stones, there's a grunt running towards you and then he disappears. This made me think, there's a monster behind every corner. Atleast that thought so. As I said, atmosphere makes this game the scariest. The darkness, the textures of the walls, the creepy sounds, and the thought of a monster is behind you, and behind every corner.

[Hunter of Shadows]

The atmosphere makes this game the scariest. The sounds too of course. Also, the low amount of monsters makes this game scary. When you first begin playing, you can see some monsters. But they don't harm you. Like when you go into that hall where the stones falled down behind you, when you had to pull those books to get the wine cellar key. When you went back and look at the stones, there's a grunt running towards you and then he disappears. This made me think, there's a monster behind every corner. Atleast that thought so. As I said, atmosphere makes this game the scariest. The darkness, the textures of the walls, the creepy sounds, and the thought of a monster is behind you, and behind every corner.

For a second I thought you were talking about the monster in the wine cellar lol

[xdeath]

Amnesia relies on player imagination combining with a dark atmosphere.
I quit for 2 weeks and I was only in the distillery(after the acid puzzle just before the water monster).
I didn't know what to expect. The atmosphere mixed with the brief monster appearances, made me think there was one waiting around the corner or in the next room.

Suggestions:
Keep the player guessing. No predictable monster spawns.
Prior to the release of the CK for skyrim, I came up with a good idea script for Random Monsters spawns(for use with HPL editor). In which, the monster could spawn randomly at any one of a number of locations, or not at all.
Above is useless without a threatening or dark atmosphere.

[Vithcommalobsel]

that invisible water monster was scary at first, but nothing else really got to me in this game.