History NightmareFuel / AmnesiaTheDarkDescent

* The Cellar Archives is one of the first dangerous areas of the game. The whole area gets flooded and there is an invisible water monster chasing you. You need to safely navigate your way without stepping into the water and you sometimes have to toss severed body parts to distract the monster. At the final corridor, there are fewer objects to stand on to avoid the water so you have to RunOrDie. Additionally, the music in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yHHM0coEE this level]] is absolutely terrifying since it uses distorted screaming.

* The zone simply named "Archives" can be deeply unsettling the first time. Ambient noise is put to good effect and the deep-bellow of a monster can be heard at times as if it is around the corner, and in truth, there is nobody there. You are never in danger of dying here, but you may be afraid that you are. Also, the piano in the main hall can be heard playing when you are in another room -- but it stops when you get close to it.\\
\\
The ambient soundtrack of the Archives sounds like it may be just the wind blowing through the corridors, but if the track is listened to on it's own, volume boosted, it sounds like a chorus of defeated, moaning undead. If you listen closely, it sounds like a Brute is providing some of the vocals.\\

* More subtle than most of the examples here, but still quite worthy of noting: the game's SanityMeter is a graphic of a brain, and if you mouse over it you get a brief description of your state. These descriptions can include stuff like "hands shaking and head pounding". If your sanity is low? [[NothingIsScarier "..."]] WHAT THE HELL.

* This one's a bit of FridgeHorror, as you're not likely to notice it unless you're the type that double-checks everything: in the Cistern, there's a container. When you first go near it, you can hear incomprehensible muttering from inside. When you turn the valves elsewhere in the room, water begins to pour in -- and the muttering turns into anguished howling. Once all the valves are open, the voice goes silent. So apparently, by opening those valves you unintentionally drowned someone.

* The monster in the Justine expansion. It gets worse when you realize you can occasionally hear it saying "How did this happen?"

* The suitors' origins. While the grunts are like meat puppets, the suitors are just regular people horribly tortured into what they are; there no supernatural means used on them. They are blind and have chains on their limbs and cart wheels somehow attached on their necks.
* Malo, in the Justine expansion. Just... everything about him. Especially if he kills you and he makes a noise that sounds disturbingly like... gnawing. What makes him worse is that you cannot hide from him and he can outrun you.

** This mod introduces two terrifying enemies into the game.
*** The first enemy is called The Remnant. These corpse-like monsters were human prisoners who had their heart ripped out and replaced with an orb shard that makes them into [[MeatPuppet mindless servants.]]
*** The second enemy is called "The Intelligence". They are robed figures with animal skulls that speak in a BlackSpeech. What makes them even more terrifying is that they can find you hiding in the closet.
** In Chapter VI, you revisit a mansion from an earlier chapter, only this time it will be a full-on MindScrew.
*** The sizes of the furniture would appear really large or really small, some of them would disappear if you interact with them. In addition to that, the rooms and corridors will appear upside down.
*** There are several other disturbing hallucinations such as fake monster encounters including ones that you cannot see and a baby statue staring out of the window.

** To emphasize the danger you are in, Justine, who up to this point remained unperturbed by the horrors she has witnessed, is now fighting (unsuccessfully) to suppress her fear. This can result in situations where the creature is not two meters away, and you are trying to desperately drag yourself away from the gasping abomination.

* The zone simply named "Archives" can be deeply unsettling the first time. Ambient noise is put to good effect and the deep-bellow of a monster can be heard at times as if it is around the corner, and in truth, [[spoiler:there is nobody there. You are never in danger of dying here, but you may be afraid that you are.]] Also, the piano in the main hall can be heard playing when you are in another room -- but it stops when you get close to it.\\

The ambient soundtrack of the Archives sounds like it may be just the wind blowing through the corridors, but if the track is listened to on it's own, volume boosted, it sounds like a chorus of defeated, moaning undead. [[spoiler: if you listen closely, it sounds like a Brute is providing some of the vocals.]]\\

** A bronze bull that's hollow inside, with the makings of a campfire beneath it. The game explains precisely what the Baron and [[spoiler: Daniel]] use this for, if the implication wasn't enough for players to get on their own. By all means -- [[SchmuckBait light the campfire set up beneath the bull]]. The result [[http://youtu.be/k3HUCuhMJrY?t=6m43s is here]]. Those bulls were ''not'' invented by the developers. Those things were [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull actually used in real life.]]

** A classic Iron Maiden, which [[spoiler: pops open as you approach it, giving a [[Film/TheShining Shining-esque]] sequence of blood spilling forth]]. The flashback contains textual EyeScream.
** A place to string someone up by their legs... a diagram placed next to it shows two men using a lumberjack saw to saw from the groin to the chest... Also done in real life for apostasy. Adding to this was a flashback (thankfully, in text form rather than visual) [[spoiler:in which the saw became lodged in the man's hip, and they couldn't get it loose]].
** You know that pyramid-shaped object you find in one of the rooms? It's called the Judas Cradle, invented during the Spanish Inquisition. Want to know how it works? You hang the person by their torso and feet, they're stripped naked, and there are several techniques on how to use it. [[spoiler: You can drop the victim onto the pyramid or slowly lower them onto the tip so that they sit there for an extended period of time. The pyramid is basically acting like a spreader.]] You want more details? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bci-cAGMwts&NR=1 Machines of Malice looked at it best and shows how it WORKED]]. (Please note, that it starts up about this particular piece at around 8:02.)
* Perhaps the most disturbing part is [[spoiler: how Daniel willingly believed every assertion that the Baron told him in regards to their victims' crimes.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Daniel:''' *Cutting into the chest of a still-alive man*]] Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill -- let it come! *mockingly* "Please, I didn't ''do'' anything! BlahBlahBlah!"

* In the Archives, there's a nasty scare that can create a fear of wandering off exploring. Near the end of the Archives key-FetchQuest, there's a chance that you'll just miss [[spoiler: a figure wandering towards the exit]], provoking you to investigate the other end of the "foyer". However, if you instead decide to head in the opposite end of the "foyer", A gatherer is suddenly behind you, gurgling, wandering towards you. You likely turn around quickly and learn the hard way, what the grunts look like before it vanishes. It's all a hallucination, but it gets the ParanoiaFuel ignited.

* Subtle one, but there are [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101217182857/amnesia/images/thumb/1/17/1537059-portrait_alexander_normal.jpg/316px-1537059-portrait_alexander_normal.jpg portraits of Alexander]] scattered around the castle. Look at one with low sanity. [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110221100759/amnesia/images/thumb/3/36/Portrait_alexander_insane.jpg/316px-Portrait_alexander_insane.jpg Just try it]]. It can also act like a NightmareRetardant if you realize he now looks like an owl with no feathers. Or it can make it worse when you realize that there are plenty of clues that [[spoiler: suggest Alexander isn't human. Maybe his current form is a mask and that's his real face.]] It can be scary and silly at the same time. At least he looks like the monster he really is on the inside or at least Daniel's perception of that monster. This in turn raises another possibility: [[spoiler: if that really is his true face, it's possible that the monsters are his attempt to emulate his kind's form in humans, though bodily mutilation]].
* The [[spoiler: DownerEnding]] of the game is this made even worse when you hear [[spoiler: The shadow replay the voices of Daniel and Alexander's victims right before killing Daniel. And Daniel's screams DO NOT make anything better]]
** [[spoiler: [[TheScream AAAAAAH NO!! Argh...gah..u...rgaha-AHHH!!]]]]
** [[spoiler: [[ThePunishment *SLASH!*]]]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/goopy_red_stuff.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: '''''[[ParanoiaFuel THE SHADOW IS EVERYWHERE.]]''''']]
* Just imagine [[ColdBloodedTorture the intense pain during the reforming into the grunts]], including having to have your [[GroinAttack genitals ripped off or sewn together]]. It seems like they are Alexander's servants, and they were afflicted by the Shadow. Alexander can still maintain some control over them, [[spoiler: as in the ambush at the end of the game. But, that's only when Alexander realizes you are in the castle.]] The rest of the time the servants want to kill you.\\

** [[spoiler: ''[[FridgeHorror Who's to say that the flesh doesn't belong to all the victims it has devoured over the years?]]'']]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amnesia_dlc_justine_monster_alois_360.jpg]]
* The monster in the Justine expansion. It gets worse when you realize you can occasionally hear it [[spoiler:saying "How did this happen?"]]
* The suitors' origins. While the grunts are like meat puppets, [[spoiler:the suitors are just regular people horribly tortured into what they are; there no supernatural means used on them. They are blind and have chains on their limbs and cart wheels somehow attached on their necks.]]

* Some of the messages written in blood in Amnesia Justine are REALLY screwed up. Some that stick out are [[spoiler:"Death shall move across the floor", "They who burrow waits beneath", "Stay alive", "Lonely", "Suffer the trial" Made worse by the fact you sanity meter will decrease the moment you enter the tunnels and won't stop going down until you find the exit. What could possibly have gone through Justine's twisted mind to make her write those messages... In blood, no less.]]
* After dealing with a rather annoying puzzle involving slides, you proceed to a large storage room that is rather well-lit. Then, a sudden gust extinguishes all lighting in the room, and the door inexplicably locks behind you. [[spoiler: Then, the uncanny combination of clanking chains and wheezing heralds the beginning of a monstrous hide-and-seek game against a blind foe who attempts to track you through sound. Pray you don't slip and knock over a chair.]]
** [[spoiler: To emphasize the danger you are in, Justine, who up to this point remained unperturbed by the horrors she has witnessed, is now fighting (unsuccessfully) to suppress her fear. This can result in situations where the creature is not two meters away, and you are trying to desperately drag yourself away from the gasping abomination.]]

* The ''Disponentia'' custom story, which takes place in a haunted house. First, there's a scene right at the beginning where a woman is seen playing a piano in a room lit only by red lights...and the woman suddenly ''turns to the screen and lunges at you''. And the house that serves as the main scenario for the game is haunted by said woman who can strike you [[ParanoiaFuel anytime...anywhere...]] all while an unidentifiable noise is heard. Then, when you head to the second floor, you see it's quite dark... and then [[spoiler: [[JumpScare a freakin' Servant Brute comes out of nowhere running at a speed faster than you can react to. And it happens ''twice'']]]] Granted, this part is only a JumpScare, but still damn horrifying.

* "Emma's story" has one of the most horrifying moments out of all the Custom Stories. You need to find drill parts to proceed at one point, and all of the parts are within the Torture Chambers. Wouldn't be so bad... except you have to [[spoiler: ''go through hallucinations of going through the tortures caused by the devices'', including the ''Brazen Bull'', an ''Iron Maiden'' and the worst of them, ''The device where you get hung upside down and sawed through your pelvis''. Did we mention that we get a full description of what the people who actually suffered those tortures felt back then, the most disturbing of them being the last one, where the tortured mentions ''blood rushing to his head, making it take longer for him to bleed to death''?]]

* Malo, in the Justine expansion. Just... everything about him. Especially if he kills you and he makes a noise that sounds disturbingly like... gnawing.

*** The second enemy is called "The Intelligence". They are robed figures with animal skulls that speak to themselves in a demonic tone. What makes them even more terrifying is that they can find you hiding in the closet.

* The 'Tenebris Lake' mod has some pretty horrific moments, due to the new monsters. The most common monster for one looks like a rotten corpse and hits like a Brute. The "[[BodyHorror goat]]" monster you find later in the game. Even Agrippa is made terrifying due to being locked in a room with him and after a short while, he breaks free of his chains and attacks you.
** Also if you have claustrophobia, you will hate near the end of the game where you have to navigate through a small tunnel. Especially when it starts caving in, and later when a corpse starts chasing you.

*** The first enemy is called The Remnant. These corpse-like monsters were human prisoners who had their [[BeatStillMyHeart heart ripped out]] and replaced with an orb shard that makes them into [[MeatPuppet mindless servants.]]

** This mod introduces an enemy named "The Intelligence". They are robed figures with animal skulls that speak to themselves in a demonic tone. What makes them even more terrifying is that they can find you hiding in the closet.

** Also if you have claustrophobia, you will hate near the end of the game where you have to navigate though a small tunnel. Especially when it starts caving in, and later when a corpse starts chasing you.

** The cells in chapter 1 contain plenty of dark corridors with little amounts of light sources you can use. What makes this area even more terrifying is the [[https://youtu.be/B4G2pCdxV44?t=2m48s music]] added to this area. There is even a JumpScare when you open a cell only to discover a Grunt hallucination.
** This mod introduces an enemy named "The Intelligence". They are robed figures with animal skulls that speak to you in a sinister tone. What makes them even more terrifying is that they can find you hiding in the closet.
** When you are looking for an orb within multiple chests. A persistent monster patrols the area that contains those chests [[SarcasmMode no pressure there.]]

** When you are looking for an orb within multiple chests. A persistent monster will patrols the area that contains the chests [[SarcasmMode no pressure there.]]

* La Caza has several terrifying moments:

* "The Great Work" has one notable moment where you have to find an orb shard within multiple chests while a monster patrols the area you're in, [[SarcasmMode no pressure there.]]

* La Caza has several terrifying moments
** At one point you receive a key from a person behind a locked door. When you enter the room, there is no sign of the mysterious person, instead, it is full of suits of armor. When you activate a mechanism to open the gate, the suits begin to follow you and the next corridor you pass have rows of them.
** After a heart-stopping chase with a brute, you enter a library of fallen bookshelves. A moment later, the brute follows you into the library and it then becomes a terrifying moment of hide-and-seek.

* La Caza will ruin [[http://youtu.be/1KTndtOvELg?t=16m41s suits of armor for you]].

* When you are in low sanity, you would hear noises that aren't there such as rocks and teeth grinding. You would also encounter several cases of InterfaceScrew such as the screen distorting, your vision blurring, and bugs crawling on the screen. If your sanity is too low, you will hear your ear ringing as you become incapacitated.

* When you are in low sanity, you would hear noises that aren't there such as rocks and teeth grinding. You would also encounter several cases of InterfaceScrew such as the screen distorting, your vision blurring, and bugs crawling on the screen. If your sanity is too low, you will hear your ear ringing and you will become incapacitated.

\\
There's a nasty scare that can create a fear of wandering off exploring. Near the end of the Archives key-FetchQuest, there's chance that you'll just miss [[spoiler: a figure wandering towards the exit]], provoking you to investigate the other end of the "foyer". However, if you instead decide to head in the opposite end of the "foyer", [[spoiler: A gatherer is suddenly behind you, gurgling, wandering towards you. You likely turn around quickly and learn the hard way, what the grunts look like, before it vanishes. It's all a hallucination fortunately, but gets the ParanoiaFuel ignited.]]
* The Cellar Archives is the first time where you are in danger of getting killed. The whole area gets flooded and there is an invisible water monster chasing you. You need to safely navigate your way without stepping into the water and you sometimes have to toss severed body parts to distract the monster. At the final corridor, there are fewer objects to stand on to avoid the water so you have to RunOrDie. Additionally, the music in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yHHM0coEE this level]] is absolutely terrifying since it sounds similar to demonic seagulls.

* The "Storage" is a nasty wake-up call for players. The darkness approaches pitch-black in many areas, and Servant Grunts show up relatively frequently to send you running to hide. Plus, a stomach -- churning crime took place here. You have to come here to grab two of the control rods that help you repair a broken elevator. What makes it even more unsettling is that you hear the voice of a women crying in the background.
* The Prison Level. Most people give up in sheer terror because the place is swarming with monsters, and is very dark and claustrophobic. The monsters literally seem to be everywhere which gives out a deep sense of ParanoiaFuel. The ambiance is also terrifying as you can hear the crying and moaning from the past prisoners.

** Add a bit of FridgeBrilliance or FridgeHorror. See the corpse that suddenly appears? Turn around and what do you know, the corpse just disappeared.
* In the Choir Entrance if you have low sanity, you would find bodies hanging upside down with bags on their heads. Similarly, in the Transept, you could find corpses hanging in the cages.

* Subtle one, but there are [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101217182857/amnesia/images/thumb/1/17/1537059-portrait_alexander_normal.jpg/316px-1537059-portrait_alexander_normal.jpg portraits of Alexander]] scattered around the castle. Look at one with low sanity. [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110221100759/amnesia/images/thumb/3/36/Portrait_alexander_insane.jpg/316px-Portrait_alexander_insane.jpg Just try it]]. It can also act like a NightmareRetardant if you realize he now looks like an owl with no feathers. Or it can make it worse when you realize that there are plenty of clues that [[spoiler: suggest Alexander isn't human. Maybe his current form is a mask and that's his real face.]] It can be scary and silly at the same time. At least he looks like the monster he really is on the inside or at least Daniel's perception of that monster. This in turn raises another possibility: [[spoiler: if that really is his true face, it's possible that the monsters are his attempt to emulate his kind's form in humans, though bodily mutilation]]. And then it becomes NightmareRetardant again when you realize he looks like a [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} creeper]].

* In one flashback, Wilhelm and his men are invited by Alexander to drink wine down in the cellar only find themselves locked in the room. After they drink the tainted wine, BodyHorror ensues as their bones begin to twist and their bodies burst. You can find chunks of flesh scattered around the room they were in.

* "It feels like my chest is going to burst!" *rip*

* "Emma's story" has one of the most horrifying moments out of all the Custom Stories. You need to find drill parts to proceed at one point, and all of the parts are within the Torture Chambers. Wouldn't be so bad... expect you have to [[spoiler: ''go through hallucinations of going through the tortures caused by the devices'', including the ''Brazen Bull'', an ''Iron Maiden'' and the worst of them, ''The device where you get hung upside down and sawed through your pelvis''. Did we mention that we get a full description of what the people who actually suffered those tortures felt back then, the most disturbing of them being the last one, where the tortured mentions ''blood rushing to his head, making it take longer for him to bleed to death''?]]

* The Prison Level. Most people give up in sheer terror because the place is swarming with monsters, and is very dark. The monsters literally seem to be everywhere which gives out a deep sense of paranoia. The ambiance is also terrifying as you can hear the crying and moaning from the past prisoners.