What's the most terrifying element for you?

[SWORDLION]

I started playing 2 days ago and today finally killed the Skinwalker on the first map. This game is really creepy and it surpasses some of the most popular horror games imo. The dev did an excellent job with this one. Would love to see more mechanics and maps added.

What's the element that does make this game creepy for you? Imo, it's when I approach a dog and don't know if it's real or a disguise when the dog is very close but I still can't see it due to tight tree placements.

[Virago]

It's really the atmosphere. If you haven't already check out another great one from the same developer
https://store.steampowered.com/app/661790/Witch_Hunt

[SWORDLION]

引用自 Virago：

It's really the atmosphere. If you haven't already check out another great one from the same developer
https://store.steampowered.com/app/661790/Witch_Hunt

Thanks, I know this game already and I actually played it long time ago, never finished though and I know it's the same dev.

[oogalord]

The visuals and the desolate atmosphere are top notch but the sound design and (occasional) music are what put these games over the top in terms of horror IMO

[JudgeMental1337]

I really like this "old" feeling of real Horror Games like Silent Hill back in the good old days. You get a tense feeling, the music, the sounds, and you never know what you may find "exploring" - all this old and golden standards are in both games. I played witch hunt a long time ago too and never finished It, but last october I finally was able to play through and I really had a blast!

Idk its like you´re playing a paranormal hunting sim, and those two are the only good games I know, so its really a niche.

[リアンダ]

What makes this game creepy to me is that you can die pretty much from the moment you load into a level. I play a lot of horror games and many of them have the problem that you often know whether you are save or not. Ususally nothing bad ever happens to your character in the first 30-60 minutes even if there's a bunch of scripted events trying very hard to convince you that you are in actual danger.

The second thing I think is scary is the randomized nature of events. With more linear games you can often predict what will likely happen next. Just finished a tense chase sequence? Well chances are you can relax for the next couple of minutes. Do you see a bunch of closets/beds/lockers in the room you're currently exploring? Well get ready for a "hide from the monster" sequence in the near future. Skinhunter is unpredictable. You might walk through the forest without seing the monster for 15 minutes straight after inital contact in one playtrhough or it might loop back to you and kick your butt a minute later. You never know what will happen next and that keeps you on edge.

Thirdly the consequences of death are relatively severe in Skinhunt compared to other horror games. Many modern horror titles will only set you back a minute or so when messing up a chase sequence or hide and seek sequence. Once you know that dying will only set to back to where you were mere seconds ago failure is no longer scary but frustrating. In Skinhunt not only can you lose a lot of playtime when dying but you might also permanently lose progress due to the random nature of the game. You might not be able to repeat a succesful streak of creature encounters or find that healing plant or shotgun shells you happened to come across before you died. Personally I would love to see even more drastic conseuquences to dying without having to move to hardcore mode. Such as having to pay blood to save at totems or a hunt failing after X reloads depending on difficulty.

And last but not least even though it may sound paradoxical but the fact that you have a weapon makes this game more creepy. The reason for this is that games with weapons allow for more agressive enemy design which would otherwise be considered "unfair" in a "simply run and hide from enemies" type of game. The fact that the player gets more agency means that the gameplay can be designed to be more punishing. If done well the balance of player agency vs player responsibility allows for a more rutheless gamedesign that really makes the player feel like they are on their own if they mess up.

[Bendixt]

Misfire. Freaks me out every time

[dakrath]

The desolate atmosphere and knowing that I can really only hide in very few places.

[IdioticShark]

The combination of the atmosphere and randomization so we're not thinking "hey I know where to find the shotgun" definitely helps the game a ton. I think if more horror games gave the randomization option to allow replay-ability then we'd have a lot more quality horror games. Look up Resident Evil randomization mods and you'll see what I mean, places you'd normally skip because you don't find something there a need now causes the player to HAVE to look there to see if they find an item they want/need. When I found out the randomization was included in this game I knew it was going to be a game I play a lot.

[Archie]

引用自 IdioticShark：

The combination of the atmosphere and randomization so we're not thinking "hey I know where to find the shotgun" definitely helps the game a ton. I think if more horror games gave the randomization option to allow replay-ability then we'd have a lot more quality horror games. Look up Resident Evil randomization mods and you'll see what I mean, places you'd normally skip because you don't find something there a need now causes the player to HAVE to look there to see if they find an item they want/need. When I found out the randomization was included in this game I knew it was going to be a game I play a lot.

Left 4 Dead has proven years ago that randomization is the way to go for horror games (even though i don't really consider L4D to be horror, not in the traditional sense at least). I still dunno why most horror games are still made in a linear, heavily-scripted fashion

[Kaisoku]

The creepy elements to me are:

• The isolating feel of the landscape... it feels so empty of humanity. Even the signs of life are actually poignant reminders, as they are usually long abandoned or disrupted mid-activity, with just a smear of blood to remind you that there's no one else where but you.
  
• The music is nice and creepy, and when it stops you get a tense feeling that something might happen. It's also very passive (other than cultist battles), which is best for building the dread.
  
• The atmospheric sounds. Having the "background" animal noises mixed in with real enemy sounds (growls, howls, hoots), gives the region a haunting feel. The non-enemy noises have actual locations (buzzing swamp flies, loons, what sounds like a moose call, etc).. they have a specific direction/location. That's a nice touch that aids in the immersive feel.
  
• The fact that any enemy can literally walk up to you at any given moment and gank you. Some give a second or so notice with a growl, but the deer and cultists can be so silent (especially when the music takes a moment to kick in for cultists). The fact that it's entirely random spawns and AI movements make this always a complete surprise if you didn't see them coming. "Organic jumpscares".

[MidgeCat]

The anticipation and atmosphere really brings out the fright and thrill. Although I wouldn't call the game particularly terrifying, at least once you've familiarised yourself with it, but the rich atmosphere is consistently effective at setting the mood and building a sense of dread. The screech the Skinwalker makes in the distance is also particularly unsettling and still gives me shivers on occasion