Why Most Horror Games Fail
Video Games can be really good for four reasons.
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#1. a distraction cope.
#2. reaction skills.
#3. teamwork skills.
#4. social skills.
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These are what often entice people into playing games. So why do horror games seem to fall short of these reasons?
#1. Lack Of Distraction.
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Horror games can certainly immerse you, however, they do not distract you from dark thoughts.
The best horror games instead feed into dark thoughts like murder, grief and a constant looming threat.
You wouldn't play Amnesia: The Dark Descend if you are trying to get over potato-sack people problems.
Nor would you play FNAF if your brother actually got killed in an animatronic accident.
This is one of the biggest reasons horror games tend to fail, they do not support an immersive distraction from REAL issues.
Instead, they add irrelevant ones.
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#2. Reaction Skills.
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Reaction skills is one of the points horror games does well with, often due to hiding options like hiding in a locker.
But the truth is that overall, they don't train your reaction skills as efficiently as for example first-person-shooters.
They are more about the expectation than reaction.
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#3. Teamwork Skills.
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Co-op horror games are rare.
Some people would count The Forest or Cry Of Fear as horror games.
Whilst that is understandable, The Forest is more of a survival game.
Cry Of Fear is another can of worms.
Cry Of Fear is NOT a horror game.
Let me tell you exactly why,
it's the same reason for many other games that claim to be horror.
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Horror is defined as something that induces fear,
however you know exactly what to expect in Cry Of Fear.
Same goes for FNAF.
These games are seen as horror because they have jumpscares, but that's not what horror is.
Jumpscares are just a cheap tactic to get a fight-or-flight response.
True horror is being completely aware, and still trembling.
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#4. There Are No Social Skills.
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Nothing about horror games helps with social skills.
In fact, the only really good thing horror games do is desensitise you.
Aside from that, on social grounds, it does very little.
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Sure, Phasmophobia and Left 4 Dead 2 require teamwork, but it's all very basic.
"go there", "please help" and "AAAAAAA" is all you need to understand in these games.
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Conclusion:
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This is why most horror games fail, balancing storyline to keep people engaged whilst still truly being horror, without
cheap jumpscares is very difficult. And if it is story-driven, it won't be replayed as often, leaving it in the dust.
The best horror game would be one where the community can make their own stuff and is significantly rewarded for it.
Kind of like Minecraft, Gmod & The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
It also helps to have it be multiplayer. Creativity+Horror+Coop+Rewards would be the ultimate horror game.