History ParanoiaFuel / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' is ''built'' with this trope as its foundation. You're alone on a desolate space station, relentlessly hunted by a ravenous, merciless Xenomorph. [[ImplacableMan It cannot be injured, killed, or reasoned with]] and it's [[LightningBruiser much faster and stronger than you]]. Your best hope is to [[KillItWithFire stun it with incendiary devices and flee]], but even this is a temporary measure, as with enough exposure the Xenomorph will eventually [[NoSell power through the flames and kill you]]. It knows you're hiding and the slightest mistake or noise will let it find you and [[ArtificialBrilliance it adapts to your strategies to constantly keep you on your toes]]. The constant creaking and noises lets you know its lurking about in the vents, ready to strike at any moment. [[VerticalKidnapping And if you foolishly walk under an open vent, it will do just that]]. And don't think the [=NPCs=] on the station can help you. Oh no. They're just as scared of the Xenomorph as you are and they're so paranoid that they will most likely shoot you on sight. Making matters worse are the killer androids called Working Joes, who are just as tough to beat as the Xenomorph (thankfully, unlike the Xenomorph, they're killable) and fighting them carries the risk of attracting the Xenomorph to you. Finally, there's TheReveal: [[spoiler: ''There is a whole hive of Xenomorphs on the ship'', meaning that even if you escape from one, there's another lurking about and ready to kill you]]. All in all, you're alone in a place where EverythingIsTryingToKillYou, fighting to survive against an enemy that is not only unstoppable, but can be '''''anywhere'''''.

* The whole point of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is to induce this in you. You're a security guard. You have nothing except a bunch of security cameras, two doors that you have to manually close (and normally leave open to save power), two hallway lights and 3 [[BlatantLies friendly]] animatronics on the stage that you have to guard. Uh... make that two on the stage and one in the dining area. Wait, there's only one on stage, one in the dining area and [[spoiler: one in the hallway right outside!]] You check the security cameras... There's only two. Where [[spoiler: '''[[JumpScare SCREE]]''']]

** It used to be much worse. The thing that made that combination of items a REAL pain in the [[IncrediblyLamePun back ]] is the Saharan Spy set. If a player who was playing the Spy had all three items from the set including the hat, they gained a bonus. For the Spy, the bonus was a HUGE reduction to the decloak sound that plays whenever they come out of invisibility. The draw back to it was that if you bumped into someone cloaked, you're revealed for a bit longer... But that doesn't apply to the 'feign death' watch. Now, the main draw back of the watch that fakes the Spy's death is that it gives off a very loud decloak sound... That is if you didn't have the Saharan Spy set activated. Should a player actually have this set, they were given a silent fake death, a knife that kills silently and leaves no trace, AND a revolver that will replenish the watch's cloak meter. Fortunately ([[BrokenBase at least to some]]), Valve did away with item set bonuses, so the extra bonus of the silent decloak is gone.

* The Garry's Mod mod [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAVaeb70z_0 The Harmless Companion Cube]]. Manages OffscreenTeleportation... in a FirstPersonShooter via pure physics.
** A well done horror-esque movie about said [[http://www.wegame.com/watch/Paranoia/ cube]]
** well, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13YlEPwOfmk I'll just leave this here]]...

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has quests with "Unstable" environments. "Unstable" means that while you're doing whatever the quest tells you to do, an "intruder" large monster will show up on the map at some point. This means you could be hunting another monster or gathering materials for yourself when suddenly, you encounter anything from the [[WarmUpBoss managable-at-all-levels]] Great Jaggi to endgame horrors like Deviljho or Rajang, and if you're playing G-rank quests in ''Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate'', it's likely you'll encounter their ''[[SuperMode Apex]]'' versions. And let's not forget Mr. DynamicEntry himself in ''Rise'', Crimson Glow Valstrax, who often introduces himself to unsuspecting monsters and hunters by ''divebombing'' into the area from the skies.

** Let's take a step back and look at the "original" Assassin, Altair. The guy makes his way through the Holy Land killing {{Mooks}} and big names without ever getting caught. Why is that? ''Because people just don't see him coming until it's too late!'' If done right he looks just like a harmless guy walking around until his target suddenly has a blade in his throat. And after that he fights off dozens of armed guards without taking a hit or getting ''any blood on him''. Think about living in the time this guy was active, maybe even as a Templar. It's a wonder most of them managed to sleep at night.

** To Sans, [[spoiler:'''you''' are a source of this, thanks to your ability to reset timelines and his awareness of multiple timelines. No matter what he does, you have the power to take his efforts all away by simply bringing up the save file screen and hitting the [[ResetButton "Reset"]] command. That GoldenEnding that you, him, and everyone else [[EarnYourHappyEnding worked so hard for]]? Say hello to a common player pattern: hitting "True Reset" and then going for a [[KillEmAll "Genocide" run]].]]

* If you leave a game of ''VideoGame/BookwormAdventures2'' idle for long enough, Lex will say "How long does it take to go to the bathroom?" Perfectly innocent and amusing...unless you happen to be in the bathroom wearing wireless headphones at the time. Lex is watching.

* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' will have you routinely dismembering corpses whenever you enter a room for fear of "infectors". As this game features "strategic dismemberment" as a game-play mechanic this tends to produce a lot of gore.

*** Also, there is a scripted event in which a necromorph will get the jump on you should you use a particular upgrading bench. At ''no'' other point in the game will you risk being attacked while you use a bench, provided you first check to make sure there are no space zombies around. But that single one scripted event will make you nervous every time you use a bench afterwards.

* ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' is ''built'' with this trope as its foundation. You're alone on a desolate space station, relentlessly hunted by a ravenous, merciless Xenomorph. [[ImplacableMan It cannot be injured, killed, or reasoned with]] and it's [[LightningBruiser much faster and stronger than you]]. Your best hope is to [[KillItWithFire stun it with incendiary devices and flee]] (But even this is a temporary measure as the Xenomorph will eventually [[NoSell power through the flames and kill you]]). It knows you're hiding and the slightest mistake or noise will let it find you and [[ArtificialBrilliance it adapts to your strategies to constantly keep you on your toes]]. The constant creaking and noises lets you know its lurking about in the vents, ready to strike at any moment. [[VerticalKidnapping And if you foolishly walk under an open vent, it will do just that.]] And don't think the [=NPCs=] on the station can help you. Oh no. They're just as scared of the Xenomorph as you are and they're so paranoid that they will most likely shoot you on sight. Making matters worse are the killer androids called Working Joes, who are just as tough to beat as the Xenomorph (thankfully, unlike the Xenomorph, they're killable) and fighting them carries the risk of attracting the Xenomorph to you. Finally, there's TheReveal: [[spoiler: ''There is a whole hive of Xenomorphs on the ship'', meaning that even if you escape from one, there's another lurking about and ready to kill you.]] All in all, you're alone in a place where EverythingIsTryingToKillYou fighting to survive against an enemy that is not only unstoppable, but can be '''''anywhere'''''.

*** And as if the main game wasn't rife with Paranoia Fuel, the Halloween Update takes the trope to ''[[UpToEleven absolutely insane levels]]'' by giving us a Blind Mode, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. You are unable to use your flashlight, meaning you have to rely purely on intuition and hearing alone. And if that wasn't bad enough, there are three other modes: Mad Freddy (Freddles appear on bed at lightning speeds), Insta-Foxy (Foxy is in the closet from the start), and All Nightmare (replaces all the animatronics with '''[[TrueFinalBoss Nightmare]]'''). Even worse? You can stack them with Blind Mode. '''[[SerialEscalation All of them.]]''' Playing on Blind Mode is hard enough. All four modes? '''''[[HarderThanHard It's sheer hell.]]'''''
** And now we have ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight''. Not only are there now ''[[UpToEleven 50]]'' of those things [[spoiler: and even more thanks to Dee Dee]], there are now animatronics that ''start in your office''. All of these (except for maybe Rockstar Freddy, seeing you can hear him and he usually gives you some time for you to pay him [[spoiler:or trick him with the heater]]) have easily some of the scariest mechanics in any FNAF.

*** [[CeilingCling Ceiling]] [[BeingWatched Peons]]. ''[[NightmareFuel/{{Pokemon}} Everywhere.]] '''[[UpToEleven Even on the elevator.]]'''''

** The stand out example are the reaper leviathans. They aren't the biggest fish in the sea, nor are they the strongest. But when you're in their territory you will ''constantly'' hear them roaring, even from half a kilometer distant, as a continuous reminder of their threat. Their erratic movements and tendency to try to circle around the player makes it hard to tell if they've noticed you or not, and in darkness their lack of bioluminescence makes them damned near invisible until you're right on top of them. And if they do decide to hunt you they are capable of being sneaky and silent as they creep up from behind, so there's no guarantee you'll hear them coming.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has quests with "Unstable" environments. "Unstable" means that while you're doing whatever the quest tells you to do, an "intruder" large monster will show up on the map at some point. This means you could be hunting another monster or gathering materials for yourself when suddenly, you encounter anything from the [[WarmUpBoss managable-at-all-levels]] Great Jaggi to endgame horrors like Deviljho or Rajang, and if you're playing G-rank quests in ''Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate'', it's likely you'll encounter their ''[[SuperMode Apex]]'' versions.

* Chapter 2 of ''VideoGame/Mother3'', Osohe Castle - Anyone who has played ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' knows as soon as they see one of the abstract paintings that they -are- going to attack you. The problem is, most of them really are just paintings. "Most", not "all".

* In VideoGame/SecretFiles 2: Puritas Cordis, the final battle involves Nina needing to outmaneuver [[spoiler: Shelton as she scrambles up and down a building. Each floor, she needs to figure out what to do but take too long and Shelton suddenly walks out of the stairs and pulls a gun out and fire, forcing, Nina, the player character to another floor. It's even scarier if you remember that you could get a NonStanardGameOver before if you approached Shelton too carelessly.]]

*** ''Fallout 4'' also generates some paranoia fuel for the real world as well, because the prologue takes place the day the bombs drop. Imagine, you're at home, chatting with your spouse, playing with your infant son, then you hear the newscaster on the TV say in a terrified tone the words "nuclear detonations." In the blink of an eye, everything you know and love is gone. And let's not even get into the AdultFear that the main plot brings when someone kidnaps your child and murders your spouse ''while you're powerless to stop it.''

** The ([[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation seemingly]]) final game, ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4'', ramps up the Paranoia Fuel by completely changing the rules and pitting you against the most horrifying renditions of the Fazbear gang to date. You can move around your room freely and you have no resource to manage, making this game less frenetic than previous entries. But you have no cameras to keep track of the animatronics. Your only defense is a flashlight and two wooden doors you have to manually close, meaning you have to go to a door, peer into the inky darkness and listen for the animatronics' breathing before making a decision. Make the wrong choice, (I.E. shining the flashlight when an animatronic's near the door), and you'll be [[JumpScare greeted by its snapping jaws]]. This also means that Foxy and Freddy can sneak into your room at will. The worst part of all this? This doesn't take place in a pizzeria, this takes place in someone's ''[[HauntedHouse house]]''. And even worse? You're not a badass security guard, ''[[AdultFear you're a defenseless child]]''. All this comes together to form the ultimate Paranoia Fuel: '''''You're not safe in your own home.'''''

* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's]]'' use of YouALLLookFamiliar for multiplayer [[FridgeBrilliance may actually be for this]]. With all the [=NPCs=] looking like the playable characters, how do you know which ones are the other players? Newbies will give themselves away with High Profile actions like running around and going on rooftops, but experts will hide in the crowds, waiting for you to pass by, and then OHSHITWHEREDIDTHISGUYCOMEFRO- poof, YetAnotherStupidDeath.

*** Subtly reinforced by how Seekers -- the guards who would [[GenreSavvy poke any hay carts or haystacks they came across on their patrol routes]] -- appear more frequently than they ever did in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed II]]'', although the devs explained that as being a historical nod (to the rise of pike-and-shot tactics).

* If you leave a game of Bookworm Adventures 2 idle for long enough, Lex will say "How long does it take to go to the bathroom?" Perfectly innocent and amusing...unless you happen to be in the bathroom wearing wireless headphones at the time. Lex is watching.
* The Tiny Tina DLC for {{VideoGame/Borderlands 2}} introduces a new enemy, [[ChestMonster the mimic]]. You will never trust another chest again.

* The obscure shooter Chimera Beast does this with its good ending. It says this, and I quote: [[spoiler: "EATERS have destroyed the entire ecosystem of the planet, which is now in ruin. Now the EATERS will roam the universe in search of more victims. Repeating their pattern of destruction on each planet they find. Eventually, they'll undoubtedly reach the Earth. And you'll have to live with the knowledge that what led them there was...you."]]
* ''VideoGame/CondemnedCriminalOrigins''.

** Also the [[MurderousMannequin Murderous Mannequins]] in the department store level. A disturbing number of lunatics have taken to adhering bits of plastic to their bodies and dressing up as the mannequins in the displays, waiting in very similar poses to the real mannequins to hop off and kill you. They have a slightly different pose from the real ones that can clue you in to their real appearence, but many players never know that it was a fake until they're getting beaten, they go up to every mannequin and whack it with a pipe, or they turn around and find that the mannequin that used to be behind them has disappeared....
* After the first time a [[ChestMonster Mimic]] instantly devours you when you try to open it in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' you will probably attack every chest you see.

* In ''Depth: Divers vs Sharks'', the divers' heartbeat will pick up when sharks approach, getting faster and faster until the shark finally attacks. Combined with dark, murky waters, unprepared divers will have no idea where a shark is until it bites your legs off.

* ''Videogame/DreamingMary'': "Never stop running. The moment you think you're safe is the moment he'll get you."
* After your first encounter with a dragon in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', you'll likely flinch every time you see a shadow fall over you. Even if it's just a bird.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''

** It gets worse in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}''. You think Deathclaws are bad news? Wait until you have your first run-in with a '''''[[ChameleonCamouflage Chameleon]]''''' Deathclaw! You'll never be able to walk through the wastes again without fear of getting struck by these nigh-invisible devils.

** And now we have VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight. Not only are there now ''[[UpToEleven 50]]'' of those things [[spoiler: and even more thanks to Dee Dee]], there are now animatronics that ''start in your office''. All of these (except for maybe Rockstar Freddy, seeing you can hear him and he usually gives you some time for you to pay him [[spoiler:or trick him with the heater]]) have easily some of the scariest mechanics in any FNAF.

* The Barnacles from ''Videogame/HalfLife'' have made people reflexively look towards the ceiling for ''years''. Which is arguably good, because the commentary for Portal stresses that it is hard for developers to get players to look up.

-->'''Game Dev''': Headcrab in every vent? Predictable. Headcrab every fourth or fifth vent? Terrifying.

* From Kongai: A stealthed, deadly, unpredictable killing machine, Angelan just might be behind you RIGHT NOW!

* VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild: Guardians. Unless you keep your guard up at all times, you'll be liable to be happily walking in the wilds of Hyrule, when suddenly you hear angry piano riffs and see a laser sight on you. That's a Guardian Stalker, intent on blasting the Hylian shit out of you with lasers that chop off a MINIMUM of six hearts. As soon as that reticle locks on to you, you have roughly five seconds to run the fuck away before you get annihilated. Oh, and for extra [[SarcasmMode fun,]] ''[[LightningBruiser they clamber towards you at Mach 5]]'' once they catch a glimpse of you. [[ImplacableMan They have tons of health, are incredibly durable in terms of defense, have a deceptively long sight range, will blast away anything you're hiding behind like it's nothing, won't stop when they catch wind of you, and will attempt to blast you even after all six of their legs have been hacked off.]] And worse? There are some that look like busted ones, [[JumpScare but pop back to life or out of the ground when you get too close.]] You better sneak for your life and PRAY that it doesn't turn around when one of them is in the way of your destination. And there are ''[[AirborneMooks flying]]'' versions of these, too, which are faster and much harder to incapacitate due to the propellers they have taking much more punishment than a Guardian Stalker's legs. Keep in mind that there were an army of these things protecting Ancient Hyrule.

** From VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3, there's The Sorrow, who follows Snake around for a good portion of the game. Until the "boss encounter" with him, the player has no idea who or what he is, or what he wants. He doesn't attempt to harm Snake in the scenes he shows up in, but he's still quite creepy.

* Chapter 2 of ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', Osohe Castle - Anyone who has played ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' knows as soon as they see one of the abstract paintings that they -are- going to attack you. The problem is, most of them really are just paintings. "Most", not "all".

--> [[spoiler: '''Claus''': Everyone's waiting for you, Lucas. Waiting to throw rocks at you, to spit on you, to make your life a living hell. Who's everyone? ''[[NightmareFuel ...Everyone you love.]]'']]

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}''. By our very nature, every single one of us is [[spoiler: summoning not one but two {{Eldritch Abomination}}s to arrive and wipe every single one of us out!]]
** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' also gives us the notion that at midnight, we turn into coffins while the world around fills with monsters, all without our knowledge. It also implies that we could be murdered by physical manifestations of our inner selves and our heads eaten from the inside out during this time! ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' introduces the concept of a total demonic world inside televisions, which can be accessed from even the TV in your own bedroom.
** Thankfully, that's not probable in RealLife. Now, [[spoiler: one of your classmates]] murdering somebody, like in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}''...

** Anyone who's played ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin 2}}'' knows that when you're in the caves, ANYTHING can suddenly drop on you at ANYTIME. In fact, when you're above ground in the Perplexing Pool after a certain number of days, a BEADY LONG LEGS can drop down on you out of nowhere.

* Forgetting the incredible VideoGameCrueltyPotential and the fact that you play as a NighInvulnerable [[IAmAHumanitarian cannibal]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] and ''think'' about the concept. [[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} Alex Mercer]] is capable of taking ''anyone's'' identity, even being capable of mimicking the sound of someone's voice when they're talking with a gas mask on ([[spoiler:as Karen Parker found out the hard way]]), and is known to the city at large as a violent, sociopathic bio-terrorist. Just think about trying to live in the BigApplesauce with that knowledge and getting to sleep at night. Granted, Alex tends not to go after civilians except by accident, but that doesn't bring any comfort to anyone in the military. It's not a surprise the "Patsy" ability works so well.

* [[SIRENBloodCurse Bella]]! It's mummy. I came to get you!

* Antagonist roles in ''[[VideoGame/SpaceStation13 Space Station 13]]'' run on this, especially traitors and changelings.

* [[http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=126769 They're]] [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 watching you.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'': Every bit about [[RealityWarper Yukari Yakumo]] and her eye-filled tears in reality. Her power over boundaries allows her to snatch anyone from outside world to put into Gensoukyou. Since "boundaries" are everywhere, you can potentially step into Gensokyo just by passing through an otherwise normal door ''inside your own home''... Or by lying in bed and crossing the boundary between being awake and asleep... That she's heavily implied to know more-or-less ''everything'' that goes on in Gensoukyou and is outright confirmed to have spies in the outside world as well are also facts that can stir up quite a bit of worry.

-->'''???''': Your actions have consequences....

** Spies themselves don't have it much better. They better do a damn fine job of disguising as the enemy team, and they have to constantly be on alert for any enemy who can see through their disguise, because once someone does, the Spy's limited capacity in a firefight and his likely lack of nearby teammates will not last him very long. Encountering a Pyro who's ProperlyParanoid enough to shoot bursts of flame at every teammate they see might as well mean you've been caught.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' [[MeaningfulName earned its title]] with the introduction of the E.M.M.I. robots, originally benevolent droids-turned-[[ImplacableMan Implacable Killing Machines]] that, unlike SA-X, won't just fire at you until it kills you: they will chase you down, pin you to the ground, and ''[[OneShotKill immediately kill you]]'' if you let them catch up to you. You will learn to ''DREAD'' [[HellIsThatNoise their otherwise innocent-sounding electronic chirps]].

** Beheeyem's dex entry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon Ultra Sun]]'' states the following: "With its psychic powers, it rewrites its opponents' memories. [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou You, too, may have already had your memories rewritten.]]"

** Spies themselves don't have it much better. They better do a damn fine job of disguising as the enemy team, and they have to constantly be on alert for any enemy who can see through their disguise. Encountering a Pyro who's ProperlyParanoid enough to shoot bursts of flame at every teammate they see might as well mean you've been caught.