History SoYouWantTo / WriteASurvivalHorrorGame

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals and/ or treat food]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them [[TheGrotesque meth-head complexions]]. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove a lot, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]], and make them a mass of heavy bruises and {{Cranial Eruption}}s. Going to church a lot? {{Sinister Minister}}s and {{Naugty Nun}}s. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls of bruised flesh, distorted religeous heraldry, and VaginaDentata. You could even make Insanity TheCorruption.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals and/ or treat food]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them [[TheGrotesque meth-head complexions]]. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove a lot, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]], and make them a mass of heavy bruises and {{Cranial Eruption}}s. Going to church a lot? SinisterMinister and NaugtyNuns. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls of bruised flesh, and VaginaDentata. You could even make Insanity TheCorruption.

** There are several colors inherently disturbing to the human mind, such as off-white (corpseflesh), grey green, yellow green (rotten meat), and middle brown (shit).

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals and/ or treat food]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them [[TheGrotesque meth-head complexions]]. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove a lot, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]], and make them a mass of heavy bruises and {{Cranial Eruption}}s. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls of bruised flesh, and VaginaDentata. You could even make Insanity TheCorruption.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals and/ or treat food]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them [[TheGrotesque meth-head complexions]]. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]], and make them a mass of heavy bruises and {{Cranial Eruption}}s. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls of bruised flesh, and VaginaDentata. You could even make Insanity TheCorruption.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals and/ or treat food]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them meth-head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]], and make them a mass of heavy bruises and {{Cranial Eruption}}s. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls of bruised flesh, and VaginaDentata.

** EnemyRisingBehind. Think you got him? Naw he's just [[Turnsred mad]] now.

** EnemyRisesBehind. Think you got him? Naw he's just [[Turnsred mad]] now.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakingDrink booze and pills,]] give them meth head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror remove the skin and have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]]. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls, and VaginaDentata.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[GodINeedADrink booze and pills,]] give them meth head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror remove the skin and have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]]. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls, and VaginaDentata.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFreakinDrink booze and pills,]] give them meth head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror remove the skin and have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]]. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls, and VaginaDentata.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[YourFavorite home-cooked meals]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFrigginDrink booze and pills,]] give them meth head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror remove the skin and have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]]. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs, like gnashing, gaping maws, bleeding walls, and VaginaDentata.

* DaylightHorror. Dark locations are overdone. A shambling horde of living nightmares in broad daylight will do wonders if done properly.

* PlayingThePlayer. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his madness. If he goes for the [[ItsYourFavorite home-cooked meals]], make the monsters [[DeadWeight fat]]. If he reaches for the [[INeedAFrigginDrink booze and pills,]] give them meth head complexions. If he heads for the whorehouse, make them [[EvilIsSexy volouptous]]. If he excercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove, [[BodyHorror remove the skin and have them drip gore from the footprint in their chest]]. Sanity effects should be in full swing, also using the same motifs.

* HellIsThatNoise: Backmasking, glissando, whispering, doppler effects: just use whatever you can to make the music sound ''unnatural''. You want to make it so people are too scared to play the game during the night.

* '''How many enemies?:''' Some Survival Horror games get by with only one ImplacableMan hunting the player, a la Freddy Kruger. Other throw them into a zombie apocalypse. In the middle, a zombie apocalypse with a few iconic bosses/sub bosses can be used. In fact, it's possible to avoid standard enemies altogether by having the player trapped in a malevolent GeniusLoci.

* NightmareFuel: It's not survival horror unless it's full of Nightmare Fuel! Remember, it has to be scary. It is called [[SurvivalHorror Survival]] ''[[SurvivalHorror Horror]]'', after all.
* NightmareFuelUnleaded: When regular Nightmare fuel isn't enough!

* CosmicHorrorStory:

* ''BioShock''

Furthermore, a friendly, normal and reliable character can reduce tension if not used carefully. Consider making all characters strange and unreliable in some way, unsympathetic or downright malevolent.

* '''Weaponry:''' Generally, you shouldn't give the player police or military grade weapons until late in the game, and after the enemies have gone up in strength and difficulty. However, avoid giving a {{BFG}} in anything except a NewGamePlus. Above all, make sure it fits the theme of your setting.