“Top 10 Best Horror Games of All Time.” GND-Tech. N.p., 19 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.gnd-tech.com/content/997-Top-10-Best-Horror-Games-of-All-Time>.
“Top 10 Best Horror Games of All Time” is an article published on GND-Tech.com. It’s a comprehensive list of 10 critically acclaimed horror games, providing detailed explanations for each showing why it deserves such praise. The website is a PC gaming related website, so the list is representative of PC gamers, which is currently the biggest platform for the horror genre.
We chose this source because our project involves making a short horror game, and we want to draw inspiration from the most popular and successful horror games. Our audience would be PC gamers, and GND-Tech is a PC gaming website. Unlike other, similar lists, this one provides a detailed analysis of the games (or links to other articles from the same site that provide a more detailed analysis). We looked at some of the games listed there for inspiration on our own game design. In fact, we’ve played every single one of those games giving us enough experience, and a more clear idea of what PC gamers enjoy. Our main inspiration, the game that is actually the foundation for our own, is ranked number one on that list. By reading that article we discovered that when it comes to horror games, making the player feel helpless and at times trapped are very useful techniques, and PC gamers enjoy interactive environments.
“Top 10 Scariest Moments in Video Game History.” GND-Tech. N.p., 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.gnd-tech.com/content/972-Top-10-Scariest-Moments-in-Video-Game-History>.
“Top 10 Scariest Moments in Video Game History” is an article published on GND-Tech.com, a PC gaming and computer technology website. The article contains a comprehensive breakdown of what they consider the top 10 scariest moments in video game history are, including a detailed analysis of each entry complete with references to other games and also film, in order to give the reader a more clear idea on successful terror-inducing techniques. The article also has a video for each and every entry, to show exactly what’s so frightening.
This source proves valuable to us because we’re making a horror game, and we want to scare the player. This article tells us and shows us what is very effective in scaring gamers. The website’s audience is the PC gaming world, which is our audience as well, so it’s relevant to our project. Some of us have played every game they listed, so we have a clear idea of what is effective and what isn’t effective at delivering terror and shock to gamers. Therefore, we know what to look for and we know what to avoid. The article suggests that dynamic, unpredictable, and randomized events tend to be extremely scary to most people, so we’ll look to include some of that. It also sheds light on other kinds of techniques used: some of the games listed actually don’t put the player in extreme danger very often, yet these games are found to be some of the most terrorizing. There isn’t just one “right way”, and creativity is a must.
“Amnesia Manual Download – Amnesia: The Dark Descent Game.” Indie DB. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
One of our goals as a group is to do research on different types of manuals that are related to our project, which is building a horror-themed video game. One of the manuals that we’ve focused on is the one belonging to the critically acclaimed horror game “Amnesia: The Dark Descent”. The user’s manual for Amnesia provides an instruction guide for the user showing how the game should be played. In addition, it provides configuration guidelines for the graphics, sound, profile setting, and most importantly the basic key interactions for a user to refer to. The instruction manual for Amnesia also gives the user an overview on what the game will mostly be about and what the themes of the game will be like. Overall, the instruction manual for the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent provides a well detailed guide for the users who will be playing the game. Our group believes that by looking through clear and well detailed user’s manuals like the one for Amnesia: The Dark Descent, we’ll get a more clear idea on what should be put into a user’s manual for our own game.
“Penumbra Manual Download – Penumbra:” Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
For this source, our group decided to look at the user’s manual for the game “Penumbra”, an episodic PC exclusive horror game made by the same people who made “Amnesia: The Dark Descent”. The user’s manual for Penumbra consists of sufficient information on the requirements that a user needs to be able to play the game. The manual is straightforward and very clear to the users; it informs the users what computer specifications he/she should have so that there won’t be any complications or slowdowns when playing the game. The user’s manual then continues to talk about the installation process of the game and details the steps needed to be followed in order for the installation to succeed. Although the manual for Penumbra didn’t include so much on what the game is about, it does a great job in helping the user install the game and assisting on how the game is played. We found the instruction manual for Penumbra useful as a group because it gives us helpful information and ideas on how we should create an user’s manual for a horror game, much like our previous source. Combining the two manuals gives us a more clear picture on what we should include and exclude.
In this article by Mark Molloy, he talks about how one day after moving into a new studio apartment, a man discovered a mysterious hatch in the floor leading into an underground dungeon. According to Molloy, instead of calling the police to inform them of his discovery, the new tenant called a friend over to help him investigate the creepy cellar. In this article the author provides a series of photographs of what the interior looks like, all of which taken by the tenant. The tenant reckons that it could be an old English monastery that dates back to the 19th century, but at some point in time it was converted into thirty apartments. The tenant states that it’s “a little scary living above it alone”, although he also says that the space would be great for a “home cinema or dungeon party.” Some of these photos show a stone bed and narrow corridors. Some people speculate that one of the photos may be showing an old furnace room.
The reason we chose this source is because it helps provide us with insight on what a real life 19th century European dungeon may look like. Our project consists of creating a horror game set in the 19th century, and our level design includes a dungeon. The pictures in this article help us design the corridors of our dungeon, and the positions of rooms we have in the dungeon.
“Separation – Pentonville – Victorian Crime and Punishment from E2BN.” N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
This article talks about the most feared prison in 19th century London. The prison is called “Pentonville.” It was built in North London in 1842. Pentonville was built to host prisoners waiting for transportation. According to the author, the design of this prison was intended to keep prisoners isolated from each other. It consists of a central hall, with five radiating wings, in which all the wings were visible to the staff stationed in the center. The author states that “guards could not see into individual cells from their central position. The design was was more about prisoner isolation than prisoner surveillance.” This prison can hold up to 520 prisoners each with their own cell. These cells are built to prevent transmission of sounds. The author provides us with detailed information on the design of the prison. The prison cells are about 13 feet long, by 7 feet broad, and 9 feet high, and the partitions between cells were 18 inches thick. In addition, the lights were only admitted by a window filled with strong glass and crossed with iron bars. The author went on to talk about the bedding of this prison, which consists of only mattresses with a blanket, and hammocks.
Like source one, we chose this source because the description provided by the author about this 19th century European prison gives us a mental picture of what prisons during this time look like. Since the setting for our game is 19th century Europe, we thought it was a good example which we could use to help design our interior levels.
