Line #24 SoYouWantTo/WriteASurvivalHorrorGame


1	->''"The door to safety is shut. There is no turning back."''
2	-->-- ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0''
3
4	Since fundamental plot concepts apply even here, [[SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory be sure to check out the basics.]]
5
6	In terms of genre rules, ''SurvivalHorror'' is as liberal as PostModernism, allowing for a great deal of rule malleability and boundary overlap. However, since said freedoms are given, '''''be careful that it does not tip too close to ActionAdventure lest the atmosphere and plot become somewhat tainted.''''' The best way to check this is to examine which "horror movie role" your character fits into; if you're giving the player a muscular hero [[Franchise/DeadSpace wearing power armor]], [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 loaded to the teeth]] and [[VideoGame/Left4Dead sticking with buddies]] over a GenreBlind oaf who can barely function, ''[[SurvivalHorror please read through the fundamentals of the genre again.]]''
7
8	That said, as long as caution is taken when coloring outside the lines, Survival Horror is pretty open to numerous themes and ideas. When writing, be sure to consider the following:
9
10	!'''Covering the basics:'''
11
12	!!'''Choices, Choices...'''
13
14	* '''Weaponry:''' Generally, you shouldn't give the player high-powered weapons until late in the game, if at all, and after the enemies have gone up in strength and difficulty. Most games restrict it to things like melee weapons, handguns, shotguns, hunting rifles, and other civilian weapons that one would expect to see lying around. By all means, avoid providing the player a {{BFG}} in anything except a NewGamePlus. Above all, make sure it fits the theme of your setting.
15	** Also consider how proficient the protagonist should be with them. The key is to keep the protagonist feeling vulnerable, and limiting them to random flails of an ImprovisedWeapon can help keep them feeling desperate.
16	** In fact, you might even consider the idea of not allowing the protagonist to fight back ''at all'', meaning they can only run from or, at best, stun enemies. Do not make the mistake of assuming that fighting and killing enemies are necessarily essential components.
17	** Nor should you make the mistake of assuming that the inability to kill enemies equates to giving the player no means to at least temporarily dispense with threats so they can make progress through the game. When done wrong, the need to drop what you were doing to run and hide from the ImplacableMan every 30 seconds can quickly stop being scary and start being ''annoying'', which is not the effect you're supposed to be going for. Furthermore, not being able to fight back means that the player knows that the only means of survival is to run and/or hide. If you take this approach, think about designing enemy encounters so that they all feel unique in some way (creature design, environments, enemy attacks, [[VideoGameSetpiece big moments]] during the chase, a balance of stealth levels versus chase levels), as otherwise, a repetitive gameplay loop can set in, sapping the scares as the player knows exactly what to do to make it out of a given situation.
18	** ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories'' is one example of how to handle the defenseless approach without making it annoying. You can only run away from enemies, but they also never show up in areas where you have to solve a puzzle.
19	* '''Health and ammo:''' How much of each should there be? Too little and the game will be NintendoHard... ''but'' it will also be scarier since every bullet and health pack counts. A fine balance between enough/too little should be found. Consider including multiple [[VideoGameDifficultyTropes difficulty settings]], with lower difficulty providing more health and ammo and vice versa.
20	** Building on the lack of ammo, some games also have [[BreakableWeapons melee weapons that take damage over time]], eventually breaking or otherwise becoming unusable. This can be used to discourage players from getting gung-ho with melee combat, forcing them to stay on their toes and avoid enemies. If you do this, though, make sure you strike a balance between longevity and fragility. Having a single pipe that can last you over an hour of combat defeats the purpose of breakable weapons, but that same pipe breaking after only four swings can violate the players' WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief and frustrate them.
21	** Honorable Mention goes to ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', which is Survival Horror only in the sense that it involves a ZombieApocalypse. It does, however, have a really useful feature you could crib: the ''[[VideoGameAI AI]] Director'', which pays attention to what has happened recently and is in charge of all enemy, item, weapon, and health placements. By tailoring those things to your recent performance, the AI Director can guarantee that you are always challenged, give you breathers after intense sections, and keep the game from getting stale, since you'll never face the same exact placement and composition of enemies even if you replay the same level five times. (Well, except for the {{Video Game Setpiece}}s, but those are appropriate frantic even ''without'' procedural generation.)
22	* '''[[FirstPersonShooter First-person]] or [[ThirdPersonShooter third-person]] perspective?:''' The former allows for the player to be snuck up on by enemies much more easily, since most of the screen is no longer visible, but it can also frustrate players when they can't tell ''where'' the enemy is. Also, it can cause eyestrain, at least where dark areas are concerned. The latter avoids this, but can remove some of the fear and add FakeDifficulty if there's [[CameraScrew poor camera control]].
23	* '''How many enemies?:''' Some survival horror games get by with only one ImplacableMan hunting the player, a la [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] or [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]]. Others throw them into a ZombieApocalypse with ''thousands'' of enemies. 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.
24	* '''What Sort of Scares?:''' [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] divided monster scares into three; you might find others, but here are his:
25	** You walk by a cupboard and a monster jumps out and goes "A bloogy woogy woo!" (JumpScare moments, basically. Useful if they're not overdone.)
26	** You look at the cupboard and realize there's a monster behind you. And you just know he's going to go "A bloogy woogy woo!" at some point, but he doesn't, and you're terrified to turn around because what he'd do then would be even worse. (Here, your mind does most of the work: NothingIsScarier.)
27	** The monster says "A bloogy woogy woo," but he's all the way across the room and coming very slowly toward you, giving you plenty of time to get away. (Not usually so scary, but on the other hand, there's always the AdvancingWallOfDoom, where the monster acts as a visceral time limit on the actions you're taking to get away from it, and every little mistake or back-track makes it more intense.)
28	* '''What "flavor" of horror?:''' The stereotype of Western horror is that it's visceral, with the horror comes from the threat of being eaten or otherwise painfully murdered, while the stereotype of Eastern horror is that it's cerebral, with a focus on feelings of isolation and paranoia, some RuleOfSymbolism, and "being trapped with something that hates you in a very passive-aggressive way." Prime examples of Western horror include ''Franchise/DeadSpace'', where the enemies are basically ZergRush zombies with tentacles and claws and have to be mauled to death, and ''VideoGame/{{Outlast}}'', where you are trapped in a BedlamHouse with a bunch of escaped inmates trying to kill you. Prime examples of Eastern horror would be ''Franchise/SilentHill'', where there are few enemies, but the ones that are there are very symbolic and can be tied directly to regrets, frustrations, and mental trauma, and ''VideoGame/CorpseParty'', where the enemies are ghosts preying on a group of defenseless schoolchildren. There are exceptions in both directions, however, such as the ultraviolent Japanese series ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' and the cerebral Western games ''VideoGame/LayersOfFear'' and ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''. Something in the middle would be like ''VideoGame/TheThing2002'', where you're soaked in as much ParanoiaFuel as the writer thinks he can get away with, and he then provides a lit match in the form of an enemy [[ChestBurster popping messily out of a teammate]]. You could have something down the middle by starting out fighting hordes of zombies, and as you start to get mentally fatigued, pile on more and more Freudian imagery until the player is fighting (un)living Creator/HRGiger sculptures.
29
30	!'''Pitfalls'''
31
32	* '''Why Don't You Just Leave?:''' Not such an issue in a broken starship, but in a monster-infested suburbia, why not just hop the next bus out of town? Some games forget to give the hero a darn good reason for sticking around when there are monsters trying to ''eat his soul''. The reason could be [[JustForFun/HowToStopTheDeusExMachina external or internal]], ranging from "surrounded by desert" and "impassable forcefield" to [[VideoGame/SilentHill1 "my daughter's here somewhere and I'm not leaving till I've found her."]] But steer clear of the milder forms, like "the bridge is out" (why not just swim across the [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence river]]?) or "oh gee I might have to walk a couple miles down the road." At any rate, go read up on the ''Monster in the House'' plot in ''TenMoviePlots'', which is basically what SurvivalHorror ''is''.
33	* '''VillainDecay:''' Because of the nature of the player as a monster-killing dynamo, they may become a OneManArmy despite starting the game as an ActionSurvivor. As a result, players may lose that initial dread you worked so hard to get as the monster stop being scary. Common ways to avoid this is to make most enemies particularly weak on purpose, but giving them ZergRush tactics to keep them frightening en masse. Creating a few SubBoss enemies to harass players, or even an ImplacableMan that they can't kill for most of the game, and can survive only by fleeing, are other means to curb the player's confidence as they hit their stride. If you ''must'' use DemonicSpiders, make sure they aren't "cheap".
34	** EnemyRisingBehind. Think you got him? Naw, he's just [[TurnsRed mad]] now.
35	* '''Camera Control:''' In a movie, a monster popping up out of nowhere is scary. In a videogame, a monster popping up out of nowhere is also scary, but if overdone can be a little annoying. In a movie, a hero who doesn't look both ways and gets mugged by the monster is subject to audience mockery. In a videogame, a camera that can't be made to focus on the places the player expects a monster to come out of is an EventObscuringCamera, and ''damn annoying!'' So, use the former, avoid the latter.
36	* '''Pacing''': To quote [[Creator/BenCroshaw Yahtzee]] again: "There haven't been any mainstream survival-horror games this year, just a lot of action games where the enemies have arms growing out of their tits." Gribbly enemies and atmosphere come to naught when one goes through zombies (or whatever) like popcorn and the story's done in four hours.
37
38	!'''Potential Subversions'''
39
40	* '''Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia... or both?''' Most Survival Horror games cause dread with small, cramped spaces and strange, hard to locate sounds. You never know what horror lies behind a new... [[ClownCarGrave or old]]... door. This is because it's usually thematically appropriate, since most of these games are in a ClosedCircle. However, some games manage to avoid the monotony of a sewer, haunted house, or cramped spaceship by adding vast, [[EmptyRoomPsych "empty"]] areas. The trick is to somehow hide the enemies, be it by playing possum, invisibility, impenetrable darkness, fog, or some other means.
41	* Rather than over-the-top gore, make the setting a SugarBowl (or more accurately, a CrapsaccharineWorld). Make the players ''fear'' the cuddly berserker teddy bears! Have the player run in fear of the pack of singing bunnies who want nothing more than to eat their flesh!
42	* Instead of trapping the hero in a remote, monster-filled location they must escape, place them in a densely populated environment where [[BystanderSyndrome no one will help them.]]
43	* Don't be cribbin' ''Franchise/SilentHill,'' use locations other than (or in addition to) the AbandonedHospital and Mannequin factories. ''Or'' use them in an unexpected way: the Hospital is completely clean. ''[[AsceticAesthetic Too]]'' [[AsceticAesthetic clean, even.]] And then the [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot steam-punk zombie orderlies]] show up to "clean up" the mess that is the player.
44	* ColdBloodedTorture is often done only by the villain. But is it too much to ask that the bad guy gets a taste of his own medicine for once? It's horror, use it as the MoralEventHorizon for the PlayerCharacter.
45	* Try setting your game in a historical period or a fantasy setting instead of the usual modern or sci-fi style setting. ''Film/ArmyOfDarkness'' and ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemptionUndeadNightmare'' have deadite/zombie attacks in [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy medieval England]] and TheWildWest, for example.
46	* Can't think of any cool monsters? Maybe try making a completely realistic survival horror. Perhaps take a setting that could be a shooter, such as a [[TheCityNarrows crime-infested district]] or a [[WarIsHell wartorn city]], but replace the skilled hero with a weak, terrified ActionSurvivor. It's a good way of showing how terrifying such a situation would be in real life, and lets you think outside the box in terms of gameplay; how do you take out that squad of trained soldiers with assault rifles if your pistol only has enough to take down two at most? Plus, when the monsters are human, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters any misanthropic lessons you want to impart have a greater impact then if it was just zombies.]]
47	* Use SchmuckBait. Instead of enforcing a InsurmountableWaistHighFence, allow players to try it, ''then'' kill them off. If the bridge is out, why not just swim across the river? Because there is a BorderPatrol aquatic horror waiting and a human's poor aquatic maneuvering means it is [[ControllableHelplessness impossible to escape or fight back]].
48	* Just about every survival horror's setting is in a small town. Why not change it up and have it be placed in a populated city? To really raise the stakes, try surviving in a city during a riot.
49	* Not every horror needs to occur in the dark. Take a player out of their comfort zone and have it happen during the daytime.
50
51	!'''Tension and Suspense'''
52	Building tension is one of the key elements of most horror. This holds true in film, literature, and games. It winds the player up, makes them anticipate and jumpy. The more tense they are, the more impact the horror will have. Fortunately, there are many ways to work tension and suspense into a video game, and most horror games will exploit a combination of these things to make the scares effective:
53	* Have sections dedicated to building up the danger without actually releasing it yet. The player is required to venture into a dangerous and frightening place. SinisterSilhouettes will be glimpsed in the distance, only to flit away before the player can get to them. Horrible scurrying and growling will pass by the player without seeing what caused it. A RedShirt getting grabbed and pulled off into the darkness, followed by distant screams as the player ventures on. [[NothingIsScarier Turn out the lights unexpectedly]], then turn them back on or activate a flashlight. Build up danger around corners, then [[EmptyRoomPsych do not deliver that danger]]. Give players glimpses of the horrors that they can expect without making them confront them directly. Do not let this go on forever, but stretch it out a bit.
54	* Eventually the tension will have to break, and the action will pick up. However, even action scenes have their own kind of tension, putting pressure on the player to perform. Having to do fine actions while under pressure is much more tense and difficult than performing those same actions while unhurried. Taking careful aim to pull off a [[BoomHeadshot headshot]] is one of those things. Watching life, ammunition, or other supplies gradually dwindle to nothing will get the player progressively more worried. Even if the game has little in the way of the player's ability to defend themselves, there are ways to build this pressure up. Having to quickly open a door to escape a threat is much more tense if it involves more than just the press of a button. Having to click and drag a mouse on the doorknob, or having to make a certain specific motion with a thumbstick to get it to swing open will ratchet up the player's sense of danger as they try to fumble their way through it in a panic.
55	* While the high-tension segments are the meat of the game, do give the players a chance to unwind a little. After a particularly climatic scene, give a bit of a BreatherLevel. Or just when circumstances seem the most difficult, give the player a temporary power up to surge their way through and clear it. Let the player have a HopeSpot before snatching it away from them. Let the tension ease out a bit after a time. You want to be frequently building tension, rather than maintain it indefinitely, and for that you need to release some of the previously built tension. A little relaxation once in a while will make the horrors to come seem worse by comparison. If you keep the tension up to long, the player will get too emotionally fatigued to continue playing. ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' is a great example here, the series being known for its save rooms where there are no monsters, you have access to a SavePoint and an item box, and calming music is played in the background.
56	* A very important aspect of building tension during gameplay is to limit player’s ability to predict what will happen next. If you decided to add a section with an AdvancingWallOfDoom or a fight with hordes of enemies, you should never give hints that the darkest hour is going to stop soon. Things like SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity should be avoided. The appearance of high-tier enemies (if it is not an introduction) should never be telegraphed.
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58	!'''Writers Lounge:'''
59
60	A discussion of the differences between Slasher Horror and Survival Horror can be found here. [[http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/2012/12/slasher-horror-vs-survival-horror.html "Slasher Horror vs. Survival Horror."]] from Blog/TheUnitedFederationOfCharles.
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62	!!'''Suggested Themes and Aesops'''
63
64	* Isolation: The player is usually completely alone for most of the game except for the hordes of fiends out for their blood. To emphasize this, add cutscenes or in-game dialog where the character freaks out, curses at monsters, or otherwise tries to keep it together. No need to make them a HeroicMime, this isn't an ActionAdventure after all.
65	* PayEvilUntoEvil: When the plot of a survival horror game features SealedEvilInACan or simple "mundane" debauchery and carnage, the only way for the innocent to escape is to pay with blood... which [[CycleOfRevenge calls to more blood.]] Having the protagonist fight the evil on a physical ''and'' moral dimension can add a lot of meat to the game. So introduce some branching choices, and if you have a KarmaMeter, consider making the BadEnding one where [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie the hero becomes the new "king" of hell.]]
66	* PersonalHorror. Give him (assumed to be a guy for the sake of convenience) a SanityMeter, and "comforts" to counteract his mental fatigue. 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 voluptuous. If he exercises to take his mind off things, make them [[JerkJock athletic.]] If he uses the FinishingMove a lot, [[BodyHorror have them drip gore from a 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 {{Naughty Nun}}s. Be sure to have them all reduce the same amount of stress, or they'll favour one over the other for that reason rather than that's how they unwind. 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.
67	** In some places, if the players come back to scour for items, spawn monsters. This will create a sense of unease and a feeling that even if they clear out a room, they are never safe. Use this sparingly, though, because this can be overused and might be considered comical if used enough.
68	* ImNotAfraidOfYou. instead of having a guns-blazing, gory finale, the protagonist (probably after VillainDecay has set in for the player) looks the BigBad square in the eye and tells it to "fuck off."
69	* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain. Center of mass is really easy. Now, you've got to pull off a very difficult shot over and over. Or be eaten alive.
70	** Or, you can do what ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' did. Make both headshots and body shots borderline useless and force players to target enemy limbs instead.
71	* WasOnceAMan: ''What do you mean 'it used to be a person?' ''The (usually, violently abrupt) distortion of the human form is creepy. Bits missing or bits that shouldn't be there ([[EyesDoNotBelongThere wrong place]], [[TooManyMouths too]] [[MultiArmedAndDangerous many]], [[UnwillingRoboticisation painful-looking augmentations]], etc.) make the mind reel, and so is the threat of it happening to you or someone you care about. ButWaitTheresMore [[TheCorruption Having it happen slowly and inexhorably over the course of the game]], [[FindTheCure searching for the cure]], and then finding it, [[HopeSpot only to discover it doesn't work or there's none left because you waited too long]] adds that little bit of PlayerPunch for getting the DownerEnding.
72	** Making the monsters so inhuman, then reveal it's this trope near the end can be equally horrify, if not more so. This is, however, much harder to pull. Mess it up, and your players will think it's AssPull. Do it right, and you leave them chill with how people can turn into these abominations.
73
74	!!'''Potential Motifs'''
75
76	* Blood, guts, and carnage. So, lots and ''lots'' of red.
77	** There are several colors inherently disturbing to the human mind, such as off-white (corpseflesh), grey / yellow green (rotten meat), and middle brown (shit). Red is [[HighPressureBlood self-explanatory.]]
78	* Moral decay leading to physical decay.
79	* ScienceIsBad GoneHorriblyWrong.
80	* SlidingScaleOfUnavoidableVersusUnforgivable
81	* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness
82
83	!!'''Suggested Plots'''
84
85	* ZombieApocalypse -- Survive the enemy hordes.
86	* DwindlingParty -- Find the killer before he gets your friends and you.
87	** HumansAreBastards: What's scarier than being hunted by monsters? Those monsters being ordinary humans just like me and you.
88	* Escape the ClosedCircle
89
90	!!'''Tropes to Consider'''
91
92	* ActionSurvivor: The main character should be, ''at best'', a BadassNormal. SuperSoldier {{space marine}}s in PoweredArmor are best left to classic [[{{FPS}} First-Person Shooters.]]
93	** RedShirt To add that little extra bit of "You're fucked, my friend," have the enemies take said Space marines apart.
94	** You can potentially get away with using stronger and more able protagonists by scaling the threats accordingly, though here the balance issues between enemy challenge, ammo/health items, and other factors becomes crucial to avoid VillainDecay.
95	* AlwaysClose
96	* BodyHorror: There is so much you can do with this trope!
97	* ButThouMust / StupidityIsTheOnlyOption: The only thing worse than monsters? Forcing the player into a trap. Worse than forcing them into a trap? ''[[NothingIsScarier Make nothing happen.]]''
98	* BystanderSyndrome / PoliceAreUseless / ThereAreNoTherapists
99	* CollapsingLair: Good for preventing immediate escapes or subverting a HopeSpot.
100	* ConvenientCranny: Letting a player crawl in a tiny hole to hide is great for enforcing cowardice and fear.
101	* CosmicHorrorStory: When normal freaks aren't enough, it's time to go [[EldritchAbomination one step further...]]
102	* CutsceneIncompetence: Best avoided. Making the player watch the protagonist accidentally set off a booby trap will just irritate them. Making the player unwillingly set it off ''will surprise them and make them panic.''
103	* EscapeTropes
104	* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Not only recommended, but ''encouraged!''
105	* GoMadFromTheIsolation / MonsterDelay: Remember: the only thing scarier than something is '''''[[ItsQuietTooQuiet nothing.]]''''' It might sound lazy, but letting the player's imagination do the work is much better than anything you can throw at them.
106	* GrotesqueGallery: Ugly drooling monsters, a guy with a pyramid on his head and so on. You need something you ''don't'' want to meet in a dark alley in order to scare and traumatise people.
107	* MissingChild: My kid's in some serious shit, and I'm not sure I can help.
108	* NightmareFuel: It's not enough to unintentionally scare people. The whole point of survival horror is to scare the living daylights out of the player.
109	* NoEscapeButDown: An abyss is a perfect fit for fear of the unknown.
110	* NothingIsScarier: Ditto.
111	* ParanoiaFuel: Remember - since surviving is difficult, be sure to pad out the potentially boring bits with ''[[MonsterDelay lots]] [[ItsQuietTooQuiet of]] [[EmptyRoomPsych suspense]].''
112	* PsychologicalHorror
113	* SurrealHorror
114	* ZombieApocalypse: Not essential, but still used a lot. Give it a twist to make it less "generic zombie", but in keeping with the "nobody can/will help" concept.
115
116	!'''Departments'''
117
118	!!'''Set Designer''' / '''Location Scout'''
119	Very important, since it help set the mood. Generally, it has to be a scary place. [[TownWithADarkSecret Is it a town in the American Midwest? A small village?]] [[GhostShip a spaceship?]] Or maybe it's [[AllJustADream all inside the head of your hero.]]
120
121	The main idea is to build a feeling of fear and isolation. Potential tropes include:
122	* BedlamHouse: [[VideoGame/DementiumTheWard Nothing says creepy like an old asylum.]]
123	* GhostCity: It is large and has potential for varied locations and open world explorations. It's also easy to fill it with zombies. You can also re-use it for the sequel. Just think of Raccoon City from ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''.
124	* GhostShip: [[VideoGame/DeadSpace Perfect for]] SciFi SurvivalHorror.
125	* DarkWorld: [[Franchise/SilentHill Take a normal place and turn it into a dark, distorted version.]]
126	* [[VideoGame/TheSuffering An old prison, preferably one with a bloody history. Always a favoured hangout of restless dead.]]
127
128	Also consider that a big part of horror is the familiar acting in an unexpected and horrifying way. Thus, a familiar location that has been distorted may be more effective than strange architecture or locations that most of the audience will never see. Also has the advantage of making people squeamish when they return to these places in real life, thanks to TheTetrisEffect.
129
130	!!'''Props Department'''
131	* Ideally none beyond puzzle items (i.e. keys) and ''small'' numbers of health items.
132	* If weapons are added, use {{Improvised Weapon}}s that inevitably [[BreakableWeapons become useless at an inopportune moment]]. So 2X4's, assorted sports equipment, [[GrievousHarmWithABody severed limbs, etc]].
133	* For obvious reasons, avoid decent weapons and useful props until later, or be sure to force either low ammo drops or minimal stopping force.
134
135	!'''Costume Designer'''
136	* Depends on the setting and character.
137	* For the main character, give them relatively [[TheEveryman normal clothes for the setting and for their position in life.]] Jackets and vests seem to hold popularity, but as long as you can show how average your character is, you can justify helplessness.
138	* Remember that if your protagonist must have protection, [[ArmorIsUseless it needs to be flimsy]].
139	* For TheLoad, consider something cumbersome or inappropriate for survival.
140	* If there happens to be any CrazySurvivalist types around, they should wear makeshift but tough armor so it implies that they're making do with what they can in the situation, but add a few bloodstains and nasty looking {{Improvised Weapon}}s to imply they're not exactly the good guys in this situation.
141
142	!!'''Casting Director'''
143	Think carefully whether the protagonist should meet anyone at all. Though groups of allies can work, it can be more unnerving and isolating if no one is encountered.
144
145	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. Any sympathetic and helpful characters should either die quickly, get separated from the player, turn on the player, or be TheLoad that has to be protected. Having said character be kidnapped ''may'' work, but beware turning things into a case of "The princess is in another castle".
146
147	To this end, if you ''must'' have additional allies, the following come especially recommended:
148	* CrazySurvivalist
149	* IneffectualLoner
150	* TheLoad
151	* ManipulativeBastard
152	* NietzscheWannabe
153	* TricksterMentor
154
155	!!'''Stunt Department'''
156	* Frequent narrow escapes and {{twisted ankle}}s.
157	* [[CollapsingLair Flimsy structuring]] and frequent flooding for justified ButThouMust and claustrophobia points.
158	* AirVentPassageway to add slow movement in a tiny place.
159	* Since fear of the unknown is key here, NoEscapeButDown.
160
161	!'''Extra Credit'''
162
163	!!'''The Greats'''
164	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' and ''Franchise/SilentHill'' are the {{trope codifier}}s for the genre. ''Resident Evil'''s brand of horror is heavily focused on [[BodyHorror grotesque abominations]] and [[ZombieApocalypse zombie mayhem]], while ''Silent Hill'' helped pioneer the more psychological brand of survival horror. Both spawned [[LongRunners long-running]] franchises that continue strong to this day,[[note]]well, not ''Silent Hill,'' sadly, it's as good as dead thanks to Creator/{{Konami}} completely [[CreatorBreakdown losing their god-damned minds]] and turning it into a pachinko machine where you ''[[MemeticMutation HIT THE LEVER!]]''[[/note]] with several installments of varying quality each under their belts.
165	* The ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}'' series and its spiritual successor, ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', made by Frictional Games. They are played from a first-person perspective, but the similarities to contemporary FPS games end there. Combat is almost non-existent, and certainly not advisable, forcing the player to rely on stealth and good old-fashioned running like hell. ''Amnesia'' in particular has developed quite the reputation for being possibly the most pants-wettingly terrifying game ever made, with [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] describing it as being "unmatched as [[BringMyBrownPants a constipation aid]]".
166	* ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness: Sanity's Requiem'', described on this very wiki as "''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' meets ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu''". It is known for its SanityMeter, which, if it should fall too low, would not only cause your character to see things that aren't there, but would make ''the player'' experience such things as well, with [[InterfaceScrew volume shifts, controller malfunctions, fake memory card deletions, and the video feed cutting out]].
167	* ''VideoGame/{{Metro 2033}}'' is a prime example for having all the proper trappings of the genre. Ammo is scarce, [[ScavengerWorld things you need are always in short supply,]] fights almost always end in a net loss, and [[CrapsackWorld there is no solution to the world's problem.]] The gameplay elements are taken up to eleven in Ranger Mode, where every shot will be carefully aimed, each filter will be used to its limit, the knife will be used more than guns, and attempts will be made to avoid each unnecessary fight. Oh, and the mutants are [[NauseaFuel horrific and nauseating]] to the fullest extent of the words.
168	* ''VideoGame/{{Slender}}: The Eight Pages''. Together with the aforementioned ''Amnesia'', this game is often credited with helping to revive survival horror as a mainstream genre in the late '00s. Also together with ''Amnesia'', it helped popularize a particular type of gameplay that's [[FollowTheLeader since been employed]] by many indie horror games: a fully unarmed and defenseless protagonist, an [[ImplacableMan unstoppable villain]] (in this case, [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slender Man]]), gameplay progression revolving around collecting items from the environment, and a heavy profusion of {{jump scare}}s. The first game is free, so there's little excuse not to play it. It later got a full-length retail sequel, ''VideoGame/SlenderTheArrival''.
169	* ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation''. Taking a page from ''Amnesia'' giving the player little defense, while it may drag at points, ''Isolation'' shows off how much [[ArtificialBrilliance good A.I.]] can benefit a game within this genre. The Xenomorph's unpredictable behavior and ability to learn the player's patterns means that the player needs to constantly adapt, change up, and stay on their toes to stay alive. This is in addition to careful early-game pacing and well-placed {{Apocalyptic Log}}s to keep the player [[ParanoiaFuel paranoid]] about what's around the next corner. While the player eventually does get tools to help even the odds, such as a flamethrower, the game makes sure that they always know that the Xenomorph is the predator in any situation where it shows up.
170
171	!!'''The Epic Fails'''
172	* The reboot of ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDark2008''. Shitty controls just make people RageQuit, it does nothing for tension.
173	* ''VideoGame/VampireRain'' from AQ Interactive. A failed attempt to mash VideoGame/MetalGearSolid with SurvivalHorror, the game is especially notorious for having a thinly-written plot with wooden voice acting, dreadful dialogue, lousy gameplay, horrendous enemy A.I. and [[SchizophrenicDifficulty inconsistent difficulty]]. Moreover, the most innovative thing in the game is that your knife (a ''melee'' weapon) actually requires ''ammo'' to use. ({{Facepalm}})
174	* ''Ju-On: The Grudge'', a game also from AQ Interactive. Notorious for having cheap scares that a 12-year old won't scream at, horrid controls, ludicrously short amount of gameplay, and poor sound effects, it will more likely put the player to sleep than wet his or her pants. Sad part is, the controls would have been less of an issue if they at least utilized the Wii Nunchuck; instead, you have to push the A Button to advance while tilting the Wiimote to turn. All at the speed of molasses.
175	* ''VideoGame/{{AMY\|2012}}'', a downloadable game from Creator/VectorCell, is a prime example of how '''not''' to make a SurvivalHorror game for your Platform/PlayStation3 or Platform/Xbox360. [[http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/amy As these reviews point out,]] there's nothing quite like a perfect storm of horrible controls, repetitive scares, and FakeDifficulty to buzz-kill an otherwise interesting premise.
176
177	!!'''Honorable Mentions'''
178	* ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.]]'' is a combination of the tropes of FPS games and Japanese ghost movies a la ''{{Film/Ringu}}''. While it's quite possibly the most action-heavy game on this list, and only included here because of its supernatural horror elements, the two genres it draws from go together well enough to make it a worthwhile experience.
179	* The ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' games and their SpiritualSuccessor, the ''VideoGame/BioShock'' series, are also examples of horror-shooters done right. In particular, in ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' ASpaceMarineIsYou, and it substracts nothing from the game's spookiness. Same applies to ''VideoGame/BioShock'', as supplies can be scare if used unwisely, and some [[BossInMookClothing common enemies are extremely tough to fight and kill.]] ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', however, is a straight-up first-person shooter with plentiful supplies and non-scary enemies, [[spoiler: except in Comstock House.]]
180	* The ''VideoGame/SirenGames'' are a decidedly Japanese take on the ZombieApocalypse, with a heavy focus on stealth rather than combat.
181	* ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuDarkCornersOfTheEarth''. While quite buggy, it is still widely regarded as one of the best adaptations of the works of Creator/HPLovecraft ever made.
182	* ''VideoGame/ClockTower'' was one of the first survival horror games to render the player completely unarmed and helpless. You instead have to rely on your wits to escape a scissor-wielding psycho. Also check out its spiritual successor ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'', which gives the player a CanineCompanion who ''can'' fight enemies, just so long as you treat him properly.
183	* ''VideoGame/FatalFrame''. Your only weapon is a camera, so while the game gives you a means to fight back, it still takes away the psychological comfort of being armed with a "real" weapon.
184	* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace:'' uses 3rd person shooter elements and gives a combat focused play, while throwing hordes of grotesque untraditional zombies at the player that can only be killed through removing limbs, as well as claustrophobic environments.
185	* ''VideoGame/AoOni'', ''VideoGame/{{Ib}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheWitchsHouse''. Horror on a shoestring budget. Proof that games with simple graphics can still be scary.
186	* ''{{VideoGame/OFF}}'' gets an honorable mention in its combination of [[DerangedAnimation deranged art styles]], [[RuleOfPerception rule of perception]], and its skill at TheComputerIsALyingBastard.
187	* ''VideoGame/TheSuffering''. [[HellHolePrison Prison is Hell, indeed.]] Although it ends up being more action-packed than most other horror games on the list, its [[BodyHorror messed-up monsters]] and [[MindScrew even MORE messed-up storyline]] still make it a gripping experience. Special mention for [[{{Gorn}} the imagery of a prison besieged by demons]], [[InterfaceScrew psychological freak-outs galore]], and [[KarmaMeter a morality system]] leading [[MultipleEndings to different endings]] -- endings that carry over to the sequel, ''Ties That Bind.''
188	* ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}''. [[DoingInTheWizard Trading away supernatural entities for all-too-human criminals]], these games are notable for their stealth mechanics, compelling atmosphere, and [[BloodierAndGorier brutally gory executions]] that whipped the MoralGuardians into a riot. The first game follows the story of a DeathRow inmate forced into playing HuntingTheMostDangerousGame at the behest of a SnuffFilm director, and the second is about two BedlamHouse patients forced into unraveling a GovernmentConspiracy. The first game truly nails its atmosphere, and while the second game got some flack for being a SlasherMovie ClicheStorm, it's still worth checking out, especially since [[TheReveal its main twist]] makes it [[SpiritualAdaptation a more compelling video game adaptation]] of [[spoiler:''Film/FightClub'']] than [[InNameOnly the actual video game]].
189	* ''Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''. Instead of exploring or trying to escape the dangerous location, the player must protect himself in a relatively safe room from the dangers outside, having no opportunity to run away.
190	* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}''. Taking the mechanics and [[NintendoHard sheer difficulty]] of the DarkFantasy ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', ''Bloodborne'' uses those mechanics and difficulty, along with Victorian and Gothic aesthetics, to create a truly oppressive and foreboding atmosphere that its predecessors could only dream of. The enemy design and sound design help craft a horror story that starts out as GothicHorror before [[GenreShift gradually shifting]] into a [[CosmicHorrorReveal fullblown]] Lovecraftian CosmicHorrorStory. Most importantly, no matter how powerful the player gets, the game never evolves into a full power trip, [[ParanoiaFuel always keeping players on their toes]].

Context SoYouWantTo / WriteASurvivalHorrorGame