Probably because horror games tend to be much scarier than horror movies.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of scary horror movies out there, and you can make a scary horror movie, if you put effort into it by avoiding cliches, you make a good story, compelling characters, scary monster or monsters, locations, edit it all well, etc. If you do those things right, the movie will be effective on the first watch. But the problem is on the second watch you already know what’s going to happen so the movie kinda becomes predictable.
With horror games you don’t just watch things happen, you take control of the main character, you navigate through locations, avoid monsters, etc. When making a horror game, you have lots of other opportunities; you can create a location, create a monster, program it and set it to lose in the world you created. And then you drop the player in. If you do those things right (which is difficult), the game will be effective not only on the first playthrough but on numerous other playthroughs. Do you know what horror games I like? The ones that change anytime you start a new game.
Take SCP Containment Breach (2012) for example, a free downloadable indie horror game. Each time you start a new game, the map randomly generates, meaning the locations will look different so you won’t know where to go, and the monsters will appear at random. Of course, there are some areas where a cutscene will play and from that point, the monster shows up, but for the most part, the randomly generated map works well.
Another horror game that I like to point out is Planet of Bloodthirsty Santa (2017), another indie horror game. In that game, the map doesn’t change, but the items you’re seeking to do randomly appear on each new playthrough, and so does the titular killer of the game. He might show up when you least expect him, and the game is constantly toying with you.
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https://www.moteefe.com/store/chester-bennington-1976-2017-legends-never-die-shirt?
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Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of scary horror movies out there, and you can make a scary horror movie, if you put effort into it by avoiding cliches, you make a good story, compelling characters, scary monster or monsters, locations, edit it all well, etc. If you do those things right, the movie will be effective on the first watch. But the problem is on the second watch you already know what’s going to happen so the movie kinda becomes predictable.
With horror games you don’t just watch things happen, you take control of the main character, you navigate through locations, avoid monsters, etc. When making a horror game, you have lots of other opportunities; you can create a location, create a monster, program it and set it to lose in the world you created. And then you drop the player in. If you do those things right (which is difficult), the game will be effective not only on the first playthrough but on numerous other playthroughs. Do you know what horror games I like? The ones that change anytime you start a new game.
Take SCP Containment Breach (2012) for example, a free downloadable indie horror game. Each time you start a new game, the map randomly generates, meaning the locations will look different so you won’t know where to go, and the monsters will appear at random. Of course, there are some areas where a cutscene will play and from that point, the monster shows up, but for the most part, the randomly generated map works well.
Another horror game that I like to point out is Planet of Bloodthirsty Santa (2017), another indie horror game. In that game, the map doesn’t change, but the items you’re seeking to do randomly appear on each new playthrough, and so does the titular killer of the game. He might show up when you least expect him, and the game is constantly toying with you.
https://www.moteefe.com/store/creepy-chick-classy-sassy-and-a-bit-smart-assy-halloween-shirt?
https://www.moteefe.com/store/jack-skellington-hug-jameson-irish-whisky-pumpkin-halloween-shirt?
https://www.moteefe.com/store/its-pumpkin-spice-season-witches-winifred-sanderson-shirt?
https://www.moteefe.com/store/chester-bennington-1976-2017-legends-never-die-shirt?
https://www.moteefe.com/store/horror-halloween-team-friends-shirt?
Source: https://birthdayshirtsidea.com/
Source: https://mumtee.com
