Do you like scary games?

[danzibr]

Pretty much what the title says.

For me, yes. My first experience with a scary game was back in 1997. I was 10 playing the original Resident Evil on the PlayStation. Running through the mansion, got the scene where the zombie's munchin' on a dude. The clip where it turns its heads toward you toooootally freaked me out.

Since then I've played all the Resident Evils (not that they're really scary anymore). Condemned was way creepier. There are surprisingly good scary games made on RPGMaker.

So... fellow playgrounders, do you like scary games?

[factotum]

My problem with scary games is that I really don't find them scary most of the time. For instance, Amnesia: the Dark Descent is supposed to be pants-wettingly terrifying, judging from the reviews, but the only part of that game I found remotely scary was when I was trying to run around in a flooded area with a monster chasing me. That being the case, I don't see the point of playing them because I'm not getting the major benefit!

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I do. Things like Dead Space, or Silent Hill that have a creepy factor, or edge of your seat, or even a good old jump scare. :smallamused:

[StabbityRabbit]

No. Not in the slightest.

I am very easily startled, and easily creeped out. Not to mention that my first instinct run away when I'm spooked. So, it's hard for me to play those games at all due to a severe lack of stretchy arms.

[Zevox]

Nope.

I tend to avoid the horror genre in every medium, honestly. Don't see the appeal to intentionally scaring myself.

I can name off two theoretically-horror games that I like: Eternal Darkness and Catherine. But I didn't really find either to be scary, one optional jump scare in the former that I only ever watched once (despite re-playing the game several times) aside.

[JNAProductions]

Nope! Why? Because as games, they tend to suck. Badly. I've played Outlast with a friend (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_QlPm6rpvc&list=PLULLGJNYSbN9hNbv4iYMMaqPotj77bF9o) (which, incidentally, made it completely unscary), but we had to stop because it was just so damn boring we couldn't play anymore.

Same with FNAF. It's good at being scary, but as far as being a game goes? It's dead simple, with no alterations in strategy. It's mindless, and I like more complex games.

[danzibr]

Iiiinteresting responses.

Related to what factotum said, scary games have failed to scare me for many years.

And as StabbityRabbit said, there are really two types (usually they go together). Some try to startle you, some try to creep you out. I am almost never startled and basically never creeped out. The last time I was creeped out was playing a virtual reality scary game called Dread Halls, and man was that creepy.

Despite that, I enjoy playing them. In Resident Evil you get to blast zombies. In Condemned you get to smash... zombie-like things. Others are more suspenseful, where you solve puzzles or run away. I enjoy them all. Maybe it's an attempt to get startled/creeped out, I dunno. I'm just unusually fond of them.

[factotum]

And as StabbityRabbit said, there are really two types (usually they go together). Some try to startle you, some try to creep you out.

There's one bit in Doom 3, which was otherwise a sadly mediocre game, that I remember quite distinctly. The game, up until that point, had been filled with attempted jump scares--you'd have a panel pop off a wall, followed by a demon, or see a shadow on the floor, followed almost immediately by another demon. Heck, it got to the point where you would be *expecting* the demon to pop in behind you when you'd walked halfway into a darkened room.

They then had a five minute section where all the *cues* of a coming jumpscare would play out--you'd get panels popping off walls, odd shadows flitting across your vision, and so on--but without a single demon turning up. That was the only part of the game that made me nervous, because I was expecting an attack all the time that never came. Now, that section of the game would never have been that effective if I hadn't already encountered the sheer volume of jump scares leading up to it! Bizarre, but there it is.

[Knaight]

I've generally been thoroughly unimpressed with the horror genre. With that said, I have seen eerie done well a couple of times, and there are some good games that fit in the scary game character that I like. Admittedly, I can only think of one right now (Limbo), but I'm sure there are others.

[Cespenar]

As creep-outs go, I heartily recommend Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Admittedly, they aren't even near the horror genre, but they do the atmosphere very well, which is 99% of what creeps out.

[Ravian]

I'm not the biggest horror fan, and generally avoid games that I know will be startling. That said I'm a surprisingly big fan of horror elements in games not advertised as such. A nice jump scare done right in a game I didn't expect makes a much better impression on me than a legitimate scary game.

For example, the bioshock franchise has some creepy elements, but it's hardly advertised as scary on the same level as Amnesia or FNaF's thus when I picked up bioshock infinite, the jump scare (everyone who's played it all the way through knows what I'm talking about) was an absolute favorite moment of mine.

Another big favorite in this category is Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Old game and not really scary despite the subject matter. But one level involves dealing with a haunted house that is surprisingly unsettling. Stuff flying at you, weird noises, images of the ghosts that appear as you turn around and disappear a moment after. It's great stuff.

It's weird that I do think I enjoy being scared on some level, but trying to play a game I know is scary just puts me too on edge to enjoy it.

[Ogremindes]

I like spooky games, but scary not so much. For me a good horror game is oozing with atmosphere with good writing to give you that moment of dawning realization. Jump scares and other adrenaline pumping stuff ain't for me.

[Winter_Wolf]

I like horror and scary, when it's done well. Mostly it's not, these days, but I hold out hope. That said I don't particularly get scared by the stuff, one might say I had a somewhat morbid childhood that's inoculated me against a lot of it. I just find it entertaining, which if anything is probably scary enough to most people if I told them. :smallbiggrin: Just that kind o' guy, I guess.

[Ryotaiku]

I like action-horror. Things like Dead Space, F.E.A.R., or Resident Evil 4. For me, horror is best when the game lets you react to scares with retaliation, such as a shotgun to the face.

[GungHo]

Sure, but I don't find most games scary, and when I do, it's typically for psychological/atmospheric reasons in games that might otherwise not be considered scary at all.

Two things that stand out to me:
About 1/8 into STALKER, when you're entering the first tunnel where you start finding out background information on Strelock in one of his hidey-holes, and you run into your first Controller. It killed me with mind bullets, and I had absolutely no idea what the heck was happening to me. The screen flashed red, and then went blurry, and that was it. My guy was stumbling around and I couldn't shoot straight. I'm not even sure if I was supposed to run into one of those things at that point in the game, as it's a pretty advanced enemy. I reloaded and killed the guy pretty quickly because I knew where he was, and essentially it looked like Michael Ironside in Scanners after he mutates.

And in Fallout 3... Gary. Gary? Gaaaaaaary!


In contrast, Doom 3 was a monster closet game, and the monster closet was always the closet right behind you. It did nothing for me. Dead Space was gross, but I wasn't engrossed, if you get my meaning. The only monster closet game that ever really got to me was the Alien vs Predator game, where the monster in the closet was a face hugger, and, even at that time with the poor resolutions they had, they got the face huggers just right.

[kivzirrum]

Most "scary" games are not really too scary, in my experience. I'm a huge horror junkie though, so maybe that's part of it?

I love atmospheric, creepy games though. The Silent Hill series, Amnesia, someone already mentioned the haunted hotel in Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines, which was incredible. Very well done scene.

And games like the Mass Effect series, particularly the second, have a lot of parts that are clearly inspired by horror, which appeals to me.

I guess one could say that, in theory, I do like scary games, even though their actual scare factor is debatable. I love horror aesthetics and atmosphere in games, but whether or not it's actually scary... depends.

Also, the Resident Evil games are all very fun, but I've always considered them more action oriented with horror tropes, even before the fourth one ramped up the action factor. Good games, but not really going for scares.

[Raimun]

No. Scary game is an oxymoron. Games don't scare me.

People have couple of times made me play horror games and each time I were completely unfazed.

"Slenderman, eh? Screw those pages, that's what he wants me to do. I'll try to find a way out. Oh, look. There he goes. Let's see if I can catch Slenderman!"

"A dark room I have to go through, eh? I bet something will try to jump me. Better to advance while spamming melee attack. Dumdeedum... oh, look. Something did try to jump me. Now it doesn't look like much."

Besides, now days new horror games are just FPS-games, without all the guns and they're all a bit too same-y. You have a flashlight with the worst batteries ever. You walk corridors and find random puzzle/quest items that unlock doors/etc.. You will also find cryptic notes, which are in over 90% of the horror games written by the player character in the past, before the amnesia or something. Sometimes there's a creepy crawler or psycho that kills you if you touch it, kind of like in Super Mario. It's kind of hard to be afraid because that thing itself would be afraid of some of the video game characters I've played.

[kivzirrum]

No. Scary game is an oxymoron. Games don't scare me.

People have couple of times made me play horror games and each time I were completely unfazed.

"Slenderman, eh? Screw those pages, that's what he wants me to do. I'll try to find a way out. Oh, look. There he goes. Let's see if I can catch Slenderman!"

"A dark room I have to go through, eh? I bet something will try to jump me. Better to advance while spamming melee attack. Dumdeedum... oh, look. Something did try to jump me. Now it doesn't look like much."

That's what I don't like about a lot of horror games, they rely too much on jump scares. Being startled is... pretty darn different from being frightened. And predictability is horror antimatter. That's why I prefer creepy atmosphere.

[factotum]

I would disagree. I don't think a game relying solely on jump scares deserves the title of a horror game, to be honest, any more than a movie which did would be deserving of being called a horror movie. Doom 3 was not even remotely a horror game, despite having more jump scares than you could shake a particularly whimsical monkey at. On the other hand, something like Amnesia: The Dark Descent relies far more heavily on building atmosphere than jump scares.

[Raimun]

I mostly get bored in atmospheric horror games. Most often that just means you're walking down a corridor that has insufficient lightning. Seriously, it's not dramatic.

[Sian]

Have to say that i've never gotten the point with Scare Games (or Horror movies for that sake) ... only thing i get is a big flashing neon sign spelling "Why??". Why would you want to play something that advertise itself as scary?. Why would someone be scared by stuff telegraphing that it attempts to be scary?. Why would you even want to be scared?

And doublely so for Zombie games, as Zombies is this generations Aliens, and an extremely overused trope (Only the Walking Dead is not terrible IMO, but i think thats because Zombies are only a backdrop to tell a story, than it is the story).

[kivzirrum]

I would disagree. I don't think a game relying solely on jump scares deserves the title of a horror game, to be honest, any more than a movie which did would be deserving of being called a horror movie. Doom 3 was not even remotely a horror game, despite having more jump scares than you could shake a particularly whimsical monkey at. On the other hand, something like Amnesia: The Dark Descent relies far more heavily on building atmosphere than jump scares.

Agreed completely, but nonetheless, they are marketed as horror and considered part of the genre. They're just a terrible, lazy version of it :smalltongue:

[Psyren]

I like watching others play, or playing with a group of RL friends (usually with some kind of alcohol involved, in a Death or Glory kinda setup.) By myself though, nah.

I did enjoy Dead Space but as Yahtzee rightly said, that's not really horror - it's just an action game where the monsters spawn in cupboards and there are insta-kills, much like the last few Resident Evil titles. Hell, once I had upgraded my armor and weapons there was absolutely no tension left.

As for FNAF, I greatly enjoy the lore but I pretty much get all of that from the YT videos. I certainly have no desire to play 20/20/20/20 mode on any of them.

[Winthur]

CTRL+F System Shock 2

no results

Admittedly I'm a massive pansy and I got uneasy in the "rebuilding the world" sequence of To The Moon or in the Thief levels like Down in the Bonehoard.

As such, I don't go after scary games just for scary games' sake.

[Kaptin Keen]

.... but scare games aren't supposed to scare you?!

No - seriously.

They are supposed to stress you. Yes, of course you know that - once you turn down a corridor, and all the lights go out - that you're going to get jumped. It isn't scary, you totally know it's going to happen. But it's stressful. You don't know how many enemies, or where they are coming.

If you honestly expect a 'scary' game to scare you, I'd say you're doing it wrong.

Scary games offer a deal: I will create situations that are short and action packed - your reactions will be tested, you will need to think fast. On the other hand, I will not drag you through dull and unimaginative waves of spawns and respawns.

[Zevox]

Scary games offer a deal: I will create situations that are short and action packed - your reactions will be tested, you will need to think fast. On the other hand, I will not drag you through dull and unimaginative waves of spawns and respawns.
Sounds more like the description of a good action game than a horror game.

[Kaptin Keen]

Sounds more like the description of a good action game than a horror game.

The two are separated only but the manner in which enemies appear. So yes, there are similarities.

[Knaight]

The two are separated only but the manner in which enemies appear. So yes, there are similarities.

Not really. There are plenty of horror games which don't really have enemies you fight, or which have very few. Action games can't really do that.

[Psyren]

.... but scare games aren't supposed to scare you?!

No - seriously.

They are supposed to stress you. Yes, of course you know that - once you turn down a corridor, and all the lights go out - that you're going to get jumped. It isn't scary, you totally know it's going to happen. But it's stressful. You don't know how many enemies, or where they are coming.

If you honestly expect a 'scary' game to scare you, I'd say you're doing it wrong.

Scary games offer a deal: I will create situations that are short and action packed - your reactions will be tested, you will need to think fast. On the other hand, I will not drag you through dull and unimaginative waves of spawns and respawns.

Jumpscares alone are not true horror though. To be startled is not true fear. Anything mundane can startle you - a car backfiring, or a squirrel landing in your lap through an open window, or someone dropping a plate at a restaurant.

True horror is about atmosphere and anticipation - when you think something is out there, you don't know for sure, and if you don't figure out where you'll die. It's also about disempowerment - where your only choices are to hide, run, or redirect the thing that may or may not be coming your way.

An action game with jumpscares is not a horror game, it's just an action game. Dead Space for instance fails as horror except in the very early stages because you do start off disempowered - low ammo, low health, and low mastery of the mechanics. Then you start picking up heavy armor, heavy weapons, healing items and telekinesis and next thing you know you're practically a superhero.

[kivzirrum]

Jumpscares alone are not true horror though. To be startled is not true fear. Anything mundane can startle you - a car backfiring, or a squirrel landing in your lap through an open window, or someone dropping a plate at a restaurant.

True horror is about atmosphere and anticipation - when you think something is out there, you don't know for sure, and if you don't figure out where you'll die. It's also about disempowerment - where your only choices are to hide, run, or redirect the thing that may or may not be coming your way.

An action game with jumpscares is not a horror game, it's just an action game. Dead Space for instance fails as horror except in the very early stages because you do start off disempowered - low ammo, low health, and low mastery of the mechanics. Then you start picking up heavy armor, heavy weapons, healing items and telekinesis and next thing you know you're practically a superhero.

Everything Psyren said is something I absolutely agree with. Being stressed out is not what horror is about. Being stressed is... annoying. What Kaptain Keen was describing is tension, suspense maybe, and not a bad thing in its own right, but it's not horror.

I would also add that predictability, which is inherent in action games, is anathema to the horror genre. It's why FNAF doesn't work for me--sure it's got a creepy atmosphere, but after a couple minutes it becomes wholly predictable, and when you've come to know something, it's hard to be spooked by it. Horror is about disempowerment, yes, and also about not knowing what's coming next.

[Moreybooy]

Yes i do but old school ones. Gee first Alien on my C64 :D Motion detector would freak this **** out of me :D Or first Silent Hill or Resident Evil :)

[Auron3991]

Depends on what they are. I hate jump startles. Mostly because they're not scary, just disruptive. But I enjoy a creepy atmosphere (which I unfortunately find is usually better done in non horror titles).

[danzibr]

Just yesterday morning I beat a game, The Longing Ribbon, which had a good creepy environment.

One thing I don't like is when games try too hard. Jump scares, yeah, that's expected. But... if anyone's played Backstage you know what I'm talking about.

[Ionbound]

I don't play horror games as much as I watch Let's Plays (Mostly because I'm a massive coward and jump at everything), and, in that environment, the only two that did anything for me were Alien: Isolation and Fatal Frame.

I think what makes Alien so, so damn creepy is the exact right notes of Uncanny Valley on the Androids, and the fact that, IIRC, the Alien is scripted in such a way that makes it very unpredictable to actually deal with.

As for Fatal Frame...It's interesting. The idea of the Rope Maiden, the people that explore the mansion being corrupted by it...And the general atmosphere, as well as the camera angles and one very specific and highly effective jumpscare towards the end of the game when you're really not expecting it make it an exceptional title that manages to be truly scary.

[BeerMug Paladin]

I like horror as a genre, but I haven't really played (or have been interested in) that many horror games. I do love the few I have played that present a suitably creepy atmosphere. I'm not really a fan of jump scares and don't generally think that works well for horror but if used sparingly they help add to the experience. I like things that are creepy just in general.