Emily - Horror Game WIP - Feedback

Emily Wants To Play WIP

Thanks again.

I just watched “Creepy Watson” and it is actually hilarious. I can’t believe they kept it like that. So funny. And you are right there is something to it!

I watched the full Blink and Night Terrors episodes last night. Both were great and gave me plenty ideas. In Blink, I love that the weeping angels were “quantum locked”. In Night Terrors, the doll costumes were great and creepy then they added the giggling and sneaking around!

In both episodes, you can see the characters and the monsters in relation to them. So as a viewer, you think, “Ack turn around! Get away from there!”. In a first person game, it is a challenge to accomplish the same effect and feeling, since the viewer also controls the main character. Right now, you can walk around, see a doll sitting on the floor, come back later, and it is gone, which is scary. The problem is making sure the player checks back to see that the doll is gone. I really want them to see it!

In my game specifically, you have complete freedom. You are never stuck in a room, waiting to solve a puzzle or see a creepy event until the door opens back up. The player has complete freedom to move anywhere right at the start of the game. I need to try as hard as I can to get the player to see the creepy events I have scripted. But if they want, they can sit in one room all night. The dolls will come to them whether they are moving around or not though. :slight_smile:

Yeah this is good advice for people making anything scary. Try to make something that scares you and don’t stop tweaking it, until it does!

In Emily Wants To Play, once the dolls begin “playing”, you will never see them, until they are in the room with you. You can’t peek into a room and see them walking around. They are just suddenly in front of you, behind you or in the room somewhere. Then depending on the doll, it either gets closer, runs at you or stands there. It is best to try and keep the lights on, especially if its going to chase you, because you need to know which direction to run!

Exactly! Turning out the lights is terrifying!

So far, the basement actually always stays lit, but the lights are dim and flickering (cliche horror :)). The basement isn’t a safe place, because it is the largest room and only has one exit. If something decides to join you in the basement, you may not be able to get away in time. But for the brave, there are more unfolding story elements in the basement. Also, towards the end of the game, Emily will choose to hide in there sometimes and at that point you are forced to go in there.

Thanks, sounds good. I need to get some gameplay vids up, but I am torn between that and keeping it mysterious.