Horror games are a genre of computer games which evoke in the players a sense of horror, fear, anxiety, foreboding, disgust or shock. At the turn of the 1980s and early 1990s, there appeared the first games horror games such as Elvira (two parts), Waxworks, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the second half of the 90s, horror has become a very popular genre of among computer games. We have been given such titles as, for example, Blood, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Doom.

Survival horror

The subgenre of adventure games inspired by horror-fantasy theme was survival horror. It is believed that the first game in this genre was Haunted House released in 1982. In such productions, the main goal of the game is to keep the hero alive. The name survival horror was first used in 1996 by Capcom during their advertising campaign for Resident Evil.

Gameplay in horror games

Horror games usually emphasize avoiding fighting and focus on solving puzzles that stand in our way. Usually, the player has a very limited amount of life, as well as few weapons and other resources. Therefore, he must be very cautious to use them wisely. The player doesn’t defeat his enemies using weapons, but rather with cleverness and ingenuity.

The locations are dark, claustrophobic, and make the player anxious. The sounds in the game intensify the tension. There are also frequent jump scare scenes – this is a technique that involves a sudden presentation of a frightening event, object or character (with a corresponding scary loud sound) in such a way as to induce fear. This technique is used to surprise – jump scares are often preceded by a calm, even idyllic scene.

Horror Movie Games

The titles which are most important games of the genre include Outlast, Amnesia, Fatal Frame, and F.E.A.R.