Why new game devs should make a horror game
Even if you're scared of your shadow
Even if you have some other idea in mind, making a horror game could be a great move for your first release. At least on Steam, there seems to be a never ending appetite for it. If you’re one for numbers, Steam Marketing Guru Chris Zukowski went in depth in his 2023 article and the trend still seems relevant.
We’re not looking at data today though. There’s another reason horror could be a great fit for that first game. You’ll learn a ton about creating atmosphere and managing tension to create engaging gameplay that you can take into other games. Combine that with what can often be relatively simple mechanics and you’ve got a convincing argument.
Creating Atmosphere with Sound
After my first game, Trace Hunters, launched in July 2024 my plan was to quickly create a horror game in time for peak spooky season, Halloween. I was a bit too indecisive at that time and ultimately decided to move away from horror for now. Who wants to play a scary game for the winter holidays? What I did learn though, besides I’m a total wimp for scary content, is that what makes horror games really scary isn’t necessarily visuals.
In my brief tour of building game prototypes, I quickly learned that what you can’t see is often even more scary. Imagine you’re walking alone in a dark hallway. Maybe you’ve even been in that hallway before. You can’t see very far, just a few feet in front of you. As you’re walking you suddenly hear a scratching sound just in front of you, right around the corner where you can’t see. Queue sweaty palms and shallow breath.
Of course that was just your dog, a squirrel on the roof, or the tree branches on the wall outside. In a horror game though, this is where you really set the mood. You didn’t need any visuals, just some darkness and spatial sound. Combine that with a creepy note or mysterious backstory just before the hallway and you’re good to go.
Using that method I managed to get a few people jumping out of their chairs during playtests. I’m totally going to capitalize on it at some point.
Calm and Chaos
If you keep the tension high all of the time though, your players are constantly on alert. You probably don’t want that. If they’re on red alert at all times its going to be harder for you to do your job, aka scare their pants off.
Think about it like this. You’re all calm and cozy, sipping tea on the couch in your serene living room. BANG!
Suddenly someone drops a pan in the kitchen. You’re up off the couch and turned around in less than a second. Do you think you would have done that if the building across the street was under active construction? No way. You’re already on edge and your brain is ready to process what it probably thinks as danger.
It’s the same thing with horror games. Having safe spaces let’s players relax before you’re back at it again trying to creep them out. Make them feel nice and cozy every now and then, manage the tension. Learning how to manage tension helps you write better stories, design better gameplay, and keep players engaged. I love it when games do this, so maybe I’m a little biased.
What about mechanics?
Outside of creating that game feel, the mechanics you as a game dev need to build (or buy, there are tons of starter kits) can be summed up in a relatively short list. You can of course do more, but this being your first game it’s in your best interest to keep it small. You need a basic first person character controller, an event triggering system, very basic AI for your “monster”, and of course some kind of flashlight. The kind of flashlight you might find on the ground in an abandoned 1930s factory that for some reason consumes a full pack of batteries every 5 minutes. It’s maybe as bright as a birthday candle.
I’m being a bit minimalist here, but really you could make a fairly creepy game with those four things. It probably won’t be the best selling horror game of all time, but who knows.
Find of the Week
Since we’re talking horror, one of the assets I played around with when prototyping was Horror Engine. At the time it was part of Unreal’s permanently free collection, but it seems to be not-so-permanently free anymore after the Fab Marketplace launch. Still, at only $9.99 at time of writing this is a really good buy especially for prototyping. If you’re not comfortable coding, you can even put together an entire game with this thing with very little need to write custom code.
For Unity users, there are more templates for horror than I really had time to scan through. I’ve not used them, but I want to keep this relatively engine agnostic so enjoy.
Affiliate Links
Use these affiliate links to support my work. There is no extra cost for you, and I receive a small commission if you make a purchase.
Fiverr - https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=1055753&brand=fiverrmarketplace
Ovani Sound - https://ovanisound.com/discount/KYLEMMG?rs_ref=5pMzsiuF
Also with a built in 30% off Discount code on any of the Ovani Royalty Free Music packs! You pay less; I receive a commission. It’s a win, win. PS: Ovani has some great packs for setting that horror game mood.
Carrd - https://try.carrd.co/5wmj71kf
I love Carrd for making simple landing pages. I’ve used it for years and it makes the process super simple.