General What Would Make You Scared In A Game?

[Nobody 8]

I'm making a horror game right now based on the Slender Man, and basically he starts off in a random start-point and follows you. To make it even scarier he disappears at random times to another unknown location.You have scary music in the background and if he comes close you hear a heart beat. You are locked out your house(bullet proof glass xD) with just a flashlight, and need to find the key and get back safely. It is dark and foggy enough to not see very far. So to add more scare, I need gamers' input on what they think should be added.

[Guest Gamecheat]

Aim down your sights in Halo

[Nobody 8]

Aim down your sights in Halo

Be serious now.

[Elijah B I 138]

Random sounds like foot steps following you, or a dog barking every now and then would add to the scare. How large will the map be/whats it going to look like overall?

[Nobody 8]

Random sounds like foot steps following you, or a dog barking every now and then would add to the scare. How large will the map be/whats it going to look like overall?

It is around 5000x5000ft.

[Elijah B I 138]

Kinda large aria, if it were real life it would take you 30 or so min to walk from one side to the other.. is it going to be in the suburbs or is your house in the middle of no where?

[Nobody 8]

Kinda large aria, if it were real life it would take you 30 or so min to walk from one side to the other.. is it going to be in the suburbs or is your house in the middle of no where?

The woods, haha. I'm pretty sure it only takes around 10 minutes to get to each side. Probably less.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Nobody

[Mclovin 3]

the woods? Yeah random sounds for sure. footsteps would give me the chills.

What would keep me scared is not knowing what he looks like, or where he is exactly, but knowing that he is stalking you.

The less you see him the scarier. Overall the less everything would make it scary. VERY VERY dark ambient music.

(if you want to know why I say less)

If a ton of scary events happen over and over, you will keep your guard up and it will be hard to get scared. however if there are less scary events, plus the ambient music/sounds, you will just be really creeped out.

And when an event does happen it will be that much scarier.

edit - chainsaw sounds while you're in the woods! First the sound of it trying to start, a while later starting it. and random chainsaw sounds, and on top of that make the sounds start quite and eventually loud, that way it sounds like it's getting closer.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Mclovin

[Nobody 8]

the woods? Yeah random sounds for sure. footsteps would give me the chills.

What would keep me scared is not knowing what he looks like, or where he is exactly, but knowing that he is stalking you.

The less you see him the scarier. Overall the less everything would make it scary. VERY VERY dark ambient music.

(if you want to know why I say less)

If a ton of scary events happen over and over, you will keep your guard up and it will be hard to get scared. however if there are less scary events, plus the ambient music/sounds, you will just be really creeped out.

And when an event does happen it will be that much scarier.

edit - chainsaw sounds while you're in the woods! First the sound of it trying to start, a while later starting it. and random chainsaw sounds, and on top of that make the sounds start quite and eventually loud, that way it sounds like it's getting closer.

Thanks for the details. I decided to get rid of the music and add wind/cricket sounds. Slendy will pop up behind you at random times as well. I'm pretty sure anyone playing the game will know what he looks like though.

[Elijah B I 138]

Maybe glowing eyes off in the fog in front of you? Also a changing environment threw out the game would be cool, start off in ok conditions than a heavy fog roles in then the wind picks up and clears it, but right after that the moon gets blacked out by a cloud and it starts raining?

Your house should be a mansion and you get locked out taking out the trash or some thing.. Start out in the house needing to take the trash out, you walk down the long drive way to the trash can. While you walk you kinda here a few strange things going on (make them really soft sounds and stuff). When you turn back to go back home there is a sudden screech and the power at your house goes out (you can see your house from far away). You run back to your house only to find the door is locked, you remember there is a spare key in the guest house at the other end of the property threw the woods and you set out on your journey, than really creepy thing start happening...

[Elijah B I 138]

Also a 5,000 by 5,000 box would be really close to a 1 mile by 1 mile box, I guess you could make it in a fast walk in 10 min, easily in a jog, I was thinking of kinda a slower passe though lol

[Nobody 8]

Also a 5,000 by 5,000 box would be really close to a 1 mile by 1 mile box, I guess you could make it in a fast walk in 10 min, easily in a jog, I was thinking of kinda a slower passe though lol

It is pretty slow. Not like an FPS.

[0xdeafcafe 226]

Give the bad guy some swag. Wouldn't scare anyone else with srs swag, but anyone else? fak.

[Lord Zedd 1,771]

Do it without cheap scares and without ripping off "Slender."

Because neither make for a scary game.

[mrzod01 0]

something scary, just at random spots you would hear children laughter faded

IDK but children laughter always freaked my ass out

[[Iconoclast] 693]

a monkey with tentacles...

[Nate the Great 560]

If the Master Chief was an enemy