Unlocking the Psychology Behind Horror Game Design

19 Mar, 2024

7 min read

There’s no game out there that gets players on the edge of their seats quite like horror games do. Whether getting you to turn on all the lights in your room or take off your headphones, horror games create these heart-pounding encounters, a unique blend of science and art. The ability to exploit one’s deepest fears and manipulate their emotions to create a terrifying yet unforgettable experience is “the horror game experience.”

A recent survey by Statista revealed that The Video Games market in the United States is projected to reach a revenue of US$78.01bn by 2024!

Ranking amongst the most popular games of all time, titles like Resident Evil and Amnesia have solidified their place in gaming history. What is it about games like Silent Hill or Outlast that keep gamers glued to the screen? Knowing that they’ll be unsettled as they play through it, what makes them keep going? This is because of genius game design with the implementation of the psychology of fear.

Whether it’s on mobile, PlayStation, or computer, the blend of art and science is what unlocks the potential of horror games, and understanding this experience is important to pursue your own horror game idea that you can trust professionals at Cubix to create!

The Science Behind Horror Games

Throughout human evolution, humans have adapted to different environments with whats called primal fears. A successful horror game needs to have the ability to tap into that, motivating the players with “the fear of the unknown” and placing the players in unfamiliar and hostile environments.

According to a survey conducted by YouGov, 8% of the general population of the United States plays horror-genre games.

Although this might seem like a small number, when you take into account just how many genres are there, this is a huge feat. Next-gen horror games are being developed on the go using real-life locations to create more fear by targeting “comforting” locations. Whether it be a house, a street, or landscapes that are turned into a supernatural ground.

This isn’t just done through the design; it’s how to navigate through the environment that also challenges gamers. With limited resources (ammo, health), having to make your way through a vulnerable space can challenge gamers to pick the game up and spend countless hours getting good at it.

Exploring Horror Game Player’s Psychology

Are you familiar with the concept of “cognitive dissonance”? This psychological phenomenon occurs when there’s discomfort due to expectations being shattered, and this is what a professional horror game development company would help you with. Luring the players into a sense of security, only to flip the tables on their expectations with a jumpscare or boss fight. The constant feeling of fight or flight is what makes a horror game truly immersive, not giving any time for the players to relax.

Suspense building and tension creation are what make the horror recipe perfect. Bring your concept to horror game developers and let them tell you just how they can create a constant sense of vulnerability. Through unsettling details, eerie atmospheres, low health bars, and ammo, adding layers of fear with multiple missions/levels, it is imperative that the horror game is immersive, allowing players to be lost in the world.

When developing a horror game sequence, every top-tier Horror Game Development company uses psychological manipulation by exploiting common phobias, such as spiders, darkness, and supernatural entities, to create a sense of paranoia for the players to keep them engaged. The constant surge of adrenaline is our philosophy behind when trusted to build horror games for AAA indie companies, no matter which platform it is being built for.

Are Horror Games Hardest to Pull Off?

Although horror games might seem technically easier to pull off, in reality, they are the hardest. After all, apart from complex simulations and huge open worlds, the real challenge is playing on the fear of the players. Resident Evil, for example, was first created in 1996 and has been the best-selling horror game of all time, consistently having remakes made with updated graphics and details.

The challenge behind horror game development relies on design choices that create fear but also keep the game engaging and not too “scary.”

Balancing Fear and Frustration: What makes a horror game truly scary is that it can’t be too hard, whereas if you make it easy, it becomes predictable and boring.
Originality is Key: If the storyline has familiar tropes again and again, players will become desensitized since horror relies on the unknown.
Subtlety vs Spectacle: True horror lies in the fine line between atmosphere and suggestion, whereas jumpscares are simply pleasers for the players. Finding the balance takes time.

Unlike other genres, horror games, unfortunately, can’t rely on impressive mechanics and visuals to make a good playing experience. A poorly designed horror game with cheap scares and bad mechanics breaks the immersion, but to balance the fear with amazing graphics is a delicate act only a trusted and reliable Horror game development company can pull off.

Ideally, a successful horror game title will have a perfect balance between horror mechanics and the level design. Also, it will exhibit careful consideration when it comes to pacing, resource management, and gameplay that makes players not just tell their friends about it but keep playing it again and again.

Developing Nightmares: Dissecting the Method Behind Madness

To be an expert in horror game development services, one had to know very well about the fine line between a truly frightening horror game experience and a frustratingly cheap one. The key lies in balancing fear with fun and creating a sense of anticipation that is overcome by moments of horror.

Predictability is the enemy of fear.

~Shinji Mikami

Cheap jump scares and overused tropes are what make a horror game predictable, which is why it’s important to lay down your concept addressing the sense of progression with equal tension. The development process of horror games such as Resident Evil and Until Dawn requires careful planning alongside a perfect execution, which looks something like this:

Pre-Production Phase: Brainstorming terrifying concepts and crafting storylines that match these concepts are part of what’s called the pre-production phase. There are a lot of ways to brainstorm creative ideas, ranging from researching famous horror games to learning what mechanics work best with your concept. These are all the things that a good Horror Game Development company can help you out with!
Level Design: The most important part of a horror game development process should target a player’s feelings of isolation, claustrophobia, and more. Whether that is done through dead ends, tight corridors, or even limited visibility, creating the sense of no escape makes a player constantly be on the edge of their seat to figure out what to do next. This part of the process is called Level design. Being experts at horror game development, we know just how to design intricate levels for eerie concepts that can get you the next best-selling horror game award.
Sound Design: Often overlooked, sound design is extremely important in a horror game. A jumpscare isn’t a jumpscare if there’s no booming sound as it happens. Even a perfectly timed creak of a floorboard or whispers in the background can be terrifying without having actual monsters on screen. Horror games, similar to horror movies, use silence just as effectively, amplifying the fear of the unknown.
Art Design: Something that fans of the Resident Evil franchise always admire about their beloved horror game is the art design. Capturing the supernatural through grotesque design or disturbing images while also focusing on shadows to create an atmosphere that is as creepy as it can get is extremely important in the development of a horror game. Contrasting light and dark areas create a sense of fear, which is why most horror games tell you to set your brightness low to enjoy the horror experience truly.

How to Build a Horror Game for Mobile From Scratch?

Mobile horror games are on the rise as mobile game development keeps on gaining popularity. This presents a unique opportunity for horror games by allowing them to use the intimacy of a smaller screen to create immersive experiences. Popular game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine are powerful tools being utilized by professionals like us for mobile horror game development, enhancing horror elements while also making the game visually striking.

Here’s a breakdown of the key steps to get you started on building your own mobile horror game:

Choose Your Game Engine

Game development tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine are industry leaders that offer their own set of powerful features of mobile game development, including physics, graphics, and AI.

Design Your Horror Experience

Think about the theme your horror game will have. Haunted house, psychological thriller, creepypasta, choose one as it’ll be the deciding factor.
Think of how you want your game to be played: Do you want to be point and click, more adventurous and exploring, or puzzle solving?
Sketch out the environments and characters that you want your horror game world to be filled with.

Craft the Atmosphere

Crafting the atmosphere of a horror game is no easy task. You have to make good use of features like dynamic shadows, fog, and different lighting effects to create tension through visuals.
As covered before, sound design is important for an immersive experience. Design sound effects and soundtracks that heighten the tension.

Test, Refine, and Polish

Have your game tested so you can identify bugs and improve on areas that require it.
Some graphics, sound effects, and even gameplay mechanics will require more polishing for a smoother gameplay experience, which is equally terrifying.

This is just the start. There are more steps that professional horror game developers like Cubix would be more than able to help you identify and help with. Build your foundation strong, and create a spine-chilling mobile horror game!

Ready to Bring Your “Nightmares” to Life?

Creating a top-tier horror game isn’t just graphics and jumpscares. It’s exploiting the psychology of fear and using it to create tension through artistic level, sound, and art design. Nonetheless, learning all this and successfully implementing it into your concept can be a bit tricky. Not to worry, amongst our many other services, we are also a Horror Game Development company that is a master of the craft.

The business of horror games is surprisingly strong; indie developers around the world are leading the charge. Smaller studios are taking risks and coming out with their own unique horror games to target the market that has only a handful of popular games. With a dedicated audience that is hungry for new innovative horror experiences, especially those gaming on mobile devices, if you are looking to have your horror game developed, now is the time.

So what are you waiting for? Is your horror game idea just lying, or do you want it to chill others to the bone? Don’t let a lack of technical expertise hold you back.

With over 15 years of experience developing games of various genres, Cubix is the go-to place for all your game development needs. Honing all major game genres and having developed some award-winning titles, this Horror Game Development company has all it takes to bring your demons into real gaming reality. Contact us today!