Category: Design
Research Log
Why Folklore Still Matters: Hauntology, Residue, and Deep Worldbuilding in Games
The quietest hauntings are often the most frightening. Think about those familiar, domestic moments: the sudden, inexplicable cold spot in a warm room, the drawer that always sticks, or the faint scent of a perfume or tobacco no one currently wears. These aren’t grand ghost stories or epic mythological cycles. They’re the small, persistent…
Research Log
Drawn Into Dread: Technical Drawing Techniques That Sharpen Horror Game Level Design
Monsters are great right. I mean, I love a good monster as much as the next guy but even the most terrifying monster can’t match the subtle dread of a hallway drawn slightly too long, or a room that feels just *off*. Over and over again in this blog, I come back to the question,…
Research Log
When Buildings Dream: Environmental Storytelling in Horror Game Design
Environmental storytelling in horror game design is vital! I say it over and over in this blog, but even the most unsettling monster pales in comparison to the dread of entering a room that somehow already knows you’re there. An empty room is a truly unsettling thing… particularly a large room, and especially one you’ve…
Research Log
The World as the True Antagonist: Conceptualizing Hostile Environments in Horror Game Design
Introduction Horror games traditionally frame their antagonists as tangible threats, monsters, murderers, or supernatural entities. However, some games subvert this paradigm by making the environment itself the primary source of terror. In such cases, the setting is no longer a passive backdrop but an active agent of dread, fundamentally shaping the player’s experience. This post…
Research Log
Exploring Player Isolation: Horror in Open-World Environments
Horror in gaming as we have spoken about before, is the perfect medium for engaging player emotions. This week I want to think about open-world environments which offer a canvas for exploring fear through isolation. Unlike confined linear games, expansive, eerie landscapes stretch the psychological parameters of horror, allowing players to experience the dread of…
Research Log
Top 5 Horror Game Mechanics Every Designer Should Know
In the world of horror games, mechanics are the building blocks that create tension, fear, and a sense of unease for players. The best horror games, and I’m talking about the likes of classics like Silent Hill or modern masterpieces such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the use of various tools that keep players on…