Scaring the unscareable! Survey tips.

[Shambles]

Forgive grammar and spelling errors, I am from Germany. I asked around some of my fellow horror game fans, and noticed some people want to know what really gets under your skin. So I did a survey with my group and we decided some pointers on "scaring the unscareable".

I count myself as unscareable because, I've yet to face anything that really scared me, except Amnesia. In your CUSTOM story though, you want original ideas, so here is what we have agreed on, feel free to add some in your comments! Not everyone is scared by the same things!

-Disturbing creatures, and a good look at them.
Some people are scared of the unknown and shadowy figures, but I can tell you the majority of us agreed on like the servant Grunt. Its face is horrifying, isn't it? And you get to see it plenty of times. NOT a pop out manner! Everyone here I think can agree that the classic pop out scare is done and gone. Customizing some terrifying things would be good.
Don't be mistaken. Terrifying does not mean gruesome or gory, blood and guts. It's simply disturbing. Once again using Servant Grunts as examples, it isn't bloody, armed and dangerous or even all that smart. And why does it scare us? Because when that thing comes at you in a dark hallway, with its nasty jaw and jerky walk, you want to get the hell out of there.
THAT is what I'm talking about. The creature does not even have to come after you for it to be disturbing, in fact, a lot of what scares me is being paralyzed in fear to open the next door or round the corner because of what I saw sneak by/was warned of.

-A false sense of security.
Nothing gets me more than being lulled into thinking that because it is light or because nothing has happened for a while, I'm safe. I love when I feel calm, and unsure, like a nervous laugh. Little mind easing pauses like that help build up the scare-one of the notes mentioned our imaginations do the best job at scaring us. Think about it, you're in a "safe" zone, but you can't help but anticipate what might be ahead.
It's one of the best feelings, being hesitant and paralyzed in fear. But once again don't pull a cheap scare right after this point, draw it out with unnerving music and images, make every step torture.

-Sounds, noises and music.
VERY important to use, even if there isn't a monster on the map maybe have a triggered groan or music, make the player run off and hide, keep them on their toes! There's nothing worse than being focused on an objective, hearing one of those creature noises, and pulling a "HAHA, NOPE."
But this is not to clash with the sense of security I posted above, don't try to do both at once. An even spread of one after another is good, it keeps people wanting to play.

-The story itself
Is it a scary story? Or is it just something else entirely with creatures thrown in. Before I played Amnesia, I had no. Idea. NO idea how deep it would get, and how disturbing Daniels past was. Does your story have such depth? Or are you going to pull a Silent Hill "help help 911 i've been kidnapped call the army!!"
As much as I love Silent Hill, it doesn't exactly work in an enclosed castle, and with no one to really find. Inevitably they will be dead or gone by the time you reach destination. In my friends' opinions, they like a story that has them going "what?". Sick twists are EXCELLENT, and the more original, the better.

-Props
There are only so many props in the level editor, but they can be used to your advantage. I saw someone pull a F.E.A.R and have a blood river on the ceiling, I thought it was genius. Someone else had candles in the ceiling or impossible flicks of light, paranormal in nature. I don't know about you, but "trippy" worlds and rooms can scare the daylights out of me if done right.
Be creative, instead of all the lights going out at once in a gust of wind, maybe have the entire room flash and change into something darker, rotting furniture, impossible things. Make sure to add sanity damage! All of the props can be used to scare and disturb people, remember that.
I struggle with this, when I dabble around in level editor, I find myself going back to the same objects I am familiar with. Try not to do that! I always end up making every room the same, but rearranged! Ha.

-Feeling entrapped
I, for one, hate the feeling of being chased in a place where I don't know where I'm going. I love it, but it scares me. The only "chase" I can think of that scared me was in the storage area, everything was dark and confusing. If you're going to have a creature give chase, be sure you've set up the mood for it! And don't half-heart it but only making them go a few steps, or having the hallucinations disappear at distance 3. My friend Falk wants to point out he hates when hallucinations end at ridiculous distances!
Get that nasty creature all up in our face before letting it disappear. At least, that's what he says, ha ha. Use darkness to your advantage, but don't overdo it. Don't have us squinting to see in every map, that gets irritating.

That is all we decided on for now! This is NOT meant to be an "I'm superior" thread or "Follow my rule". This is just a survey base suggestion system, from people who want to see some amazing custom stories out there. Offering to help because all I've done is whine about script, haha. I hope this was a good article!

[Jozef]

Cool, thanks.

It is always good with some guidelines, when creating!

[zaggnut]

when he talks about "F.E.A.R." the game is he talking about a scene where mutalated bodies are on the ceiling?

[Ongka]

Nice guide! Posts like this help many people to improve their custom stories.
Always pleased to see threads like this. Keep it going!

[Shambles]

Thank you!! I love to see what people make in their custom story, and I hope I help make things more interesting!