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Psychological horror and how to make a game scary
Imagine walking through a dimly lit corridor as shadows twist in the faint, flickering light. Walls were ripped and ravaged by nature, and with each step, a creak of the floorboard echoes in your ears. Why does this simple setting fill us with dread? Well, the answer to psychological horror is rooted deep in our psyche.
Fear is a powerful emotion. It’s primal, embedded deeply in our survival instincts, and it’s a cornerstone of the horror gaming experience. But what exactly makes us so susceptible to fear in games, and why are indie horror games particularly effective at exploiting it? To understand this, we need to explore the psychology of fear and how it is harnessed in the digital world. If you like this post, check out others like it.
The Human Experience of Fear
Fear is a mechanism drawn from the amygdala that responds to sudden loud noises or a loss of support. When faced with a perceived threat, our bodies trigger the fight-or-flight or occasionally freeze response.
This reactivity prepares us to confront or flee danger. Along with this comes a cascade of bodily changes: increased heart rate, heightened senses, and an adrenaline rush.
But in horror games, where the threats are virtual, we seek the experience either out of curiosity or for a thrill. This fear often comes from psychological horror such as fear of the unknown, isolation, or loss of control. Our fear amplifies when the context of atmosphere, sound design, and narrative get blended together like a proverbial Frankenstein.

Fear of the Unknown
One of the most effective tools in a horror game’s arsenal is the fear of the unknown. Rooted by uncertainty, this fear feeds on anticipation of what might happen, which can make it worse than the actual event. This trick taps into our imagination, conjuring far worse outcomes than reality.
Indie games, with their often minimalistic atmospheric design, do this exceptionally well. By creating environments where the unknown looms large, it casts an eldritch shadow over every decision.
Fear of Isolation
The feeling of being alone amplifies fear by removing the safety net of the group. When we are isolated in a game, the sense of vulnerability increases dramatically. This fear is not just about being physically alone but also about being emotionally isolated.
Indie games often utilize this by placing us in environments where help is not possible. This leaves us with no one to share the burden of fear, making us face the horrors on our
Fear of Losing Control
Control is central to humans, but horror games play on this notion. By taking it away at crucial moments, we get confused about how to survive and feel abandoned with no support around. This creates a feedback loop into the fear of the unknown and isolation.
Indie developers use this to great effect. It’s the sense that no matter how skilled you are as a player, you are at the game’s mercy.
The Mortuary Assistant: Crafting an Atmosphere of Dread

Let’s take a closer look at The Mortuary Assistant, a game that has gained a reputation for its atmospheric horror. Developed by DarkStone Digital, the game puts you in the role of a newly graduated mortuary assistant tasked with embalming bodies. What seems like a routine job quickly descends into a nightmarish experience as the supernatural invades the workspace.
The brilliance of this game lies in its slow-building tension. The mortuary exudes uncertainty with its darkened corners and echoing silence. This design creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that preys on the player’s nerves. The tasks themselves are mundane—preparing bodies—but it’s the subtle hints of something being off that keep you on edge. The game taps into the fear of death and the unknown, using the mortuary’s setting to make the familiar unsettling.
Moreover, the game plays on our fear of isolation. As you work alone, every subtle sound and flicker of the light feels ominous, suggesting that you might not be as alone as you think. This isolation, combined with the fear of losing control—of not being able to escape something malevolent—creates a deeply immersive horror experience.
Escape the Backrooms: Navigating Existential Dread

This indie horror game made a significant impact. Drawing inspiration from the internet phenomenon of the Backrooms, a liminal space filled with endless hallways, the game captures the essence of existential dread. The Backrooms are where the rules of reality don’t apply, and this disorients our perception of the surroundings.
The game excels at instilling a fear of the unknown. You never know what might be around the next corner as you navigate the endless rooms. This unpredictability, combined with the oppressive monotony of the surroundings, creates a sense of unease. It’s a place where time and space seem to lose meaning and where your only goal is to escape—if you can.
The fear of isolation is also at play here. While the game can be played with others, the vast, empty spaces and the absence of helpful NPCs make the experience feel disconcerting. Even when you’re playing with others, the design of the Backrooms can make you feel alone, as if you’re the only one who truly understands the horror of the situation.
Lastly, the game messes with our sense of control by placing us in a world that defies logic. The environment is a puzzle, and the more you try to make sense of it, the more you feel thwarted. This loss of control makes the game effective at creating a lasting sense of fear.
Dredge: Unveiling Subtle, Unseen Horrors

Dredge is a different kind of horror game that doesn’t rely on overt scares or grotesque imagery. Instead, it lulls you into a false sense of security before slowly revealing a deeper terror. On the surface, Dredge acts as a fishing simulator, where you sail around catching fish. But as the game progresses, the tone shifts, and you realize that there’s something lurking beneath the waters.
The horror in Dredge manipulates the fear of the unknown by never fully revealing dangers. Strange occurrences, like catching mutated fish or finding ominous artifacts, suggest there’s more to this world than meets the eye. The game’s art style, which starts bright and cheerful, gradually becomes darker and more foreboding, mirroring our growing sense of unease.
The isolation starts out with us enjoying the solitude of the open water. But the game slowly erodes that comfort. The farther you venture from the safety of the docks, the more you feel the weight of the ocean’s vastness. Realizing that there’s no one to help you if something goes wrong adds a layer of tension.
Finally, Dredge taps into the fear of losing control by introducing survival horror elements. As the game progresses, you’re forced to manage your resources, and the threat of running out of fuel or being caught in a storm becomes ever-present. The once peaceful waters become a source of constant anxiety.
The Evolution of Fear in Horror Games
Fear in horror games evolved significantly over the years. Early horror games, like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, focused on survival horror, using limited resources and claustrophobic environments to create tension. As technology advanced, horror games began to experiment with new ways to scare us, incorporating psychological horror and immersive storytelling.
Indie horror games played a crucial role in this evolution. With fewer resources and smaller teams, indie developers often forced to think outside the box, finding innovative ways to create fear without relying on expensive graphics or gameplay mechanics. This led to a renaissance in horror gaming, with indie titles often outshining their AAA counterparts in originality and impact.
One key difference between indie and AAA horror games is the way they approach fear. AAA games often rely on spectacles, such as jump scares and high-stakes action. While this can be effective and fun, it can also become predictable. Indie games, however, tend to focus on a sustained atmosphere of dread, using subtle cues and psychological horror manipulation to keep us engaged.
This difference shows in how these games handle the fear of the unknown. AAA horror games often spell out the threat, showing us exactly what we’re up against. Whereas Indie games often leave things ambiguous, letting our imagination fill in the gaps. This ambiguity can terrify us more than any monster, as it taps into primal fears and anxieties.
Closing Thoughts
As we look to the future of horror gaming, psychological horror will continue to play a pivotal role. The success of indie horror games has shown that we crave experiences that challenge us not just physically but mentally and emotionally, too. This trend is likely to continue as developers find new ways to twist and manipulate the human psyche.
One area where we might see growth is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These could create even more immersive horror experiences. VR especially might revolutionize horror gaming, allowing us to fully engage with the game.
So, which horror game technique do you find most effective: atmosphere, sound, or story? Which horror game scared you? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Nero lives in the United States, delving into indie horror to mainstream games. Armed with a psych degree and a passion for storytelling, he wrote stories and essays published online and in museum catalogs. Besides writing, he also likes sketching and tuning into rock music. Catch his latest posts or follow him across social media.