What do you think about romance-horror game?

[JustAnotherMe]

I'm planning to make a horror game. A japanese horror to be specific. It has this kind of sickness like in fatal frame (though it's not based on it). It includes scary rituals, sacrificing lives, insanity and full of those craps. Twisted, yes. Romance, also yes. It's a GXB. And I plan to make the romance to be the main story, but expect a really sick story in it. Perhaps, expect some bishies too XD.

So, the question is, are you interested in playing it? What are you thinking of this? And, uhm, although I'm scared to draw scary things, I just can't help and think that I'd make little scary animations for the game. What do you think about shocking animations and scary voices? (I might be scared to play my own game... ugh...) I don't want to make intimate scene, so it's not a hentai. But because of the content, I guess I must rate this. What minimum age do you think this should be rated? (I'm sad that I can't let children play this though T_T) Though I don't plan to visualize the brutality, maybe only with words.

Thanks for the feedback!! ^w^

[Wright1000]

I like horror games, horror movies, and horror stories. But sometimes they are too scary. And, since winter is coming, it is more fun to play horror games in the cold. I've made one horror game myself but it wasn't too scary, nor it was very long.
I understand what kind of horror game you want to make.
You want to make a game like Clive Barker's Undying, am I right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Barker%27s_Undying
I played that game a long time ago, and it was too scary.
I didn't complete it, because at that time, I was still a kid and that game scared me to death.
In my opinion, such games should be played by people only above sixteen.
If you make one, I am sure not many people will want to play it. But, since I like horror games, I hope you make it. I just don't understand how you plan to include romance.

[Auro-Cyanide]

I'm pretty sure you couldn't make anything that would make me squirm, and I do enjoy some horror stuff, especially psychological horror.
For written horror, you are probably looking at generally 14 and up (though people will read what they want on the internet and in real life. I know I did.)
For general visual horror, probably 15 and up, and for some of the more dark stuff, 17 and up. I have found people have different tolerance levels for this though and so age is a general guideline. It sometimes has more to do with people's mental age and their ability to deal with or like horror, in which most people differ.

[Taleweaver]

Actually, I'm very fond of horror games if they are done well. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories might very well be one of my favorite games ever, for the way it allows you to experience the story. There isn't one single jump scare (which is a good thing as I hate jump scares; they come cheaper by the dozen), and the horror comes slowly and on two different levels: one being what happened to your daughter, the second being what happened to you.

Setting the mood is very important; take away the light and obfuscate as much as you can, and you're on a good way. But even more important is an engrossing plot: behind most good horror, there's a heartwrenchingly sad story. Remember The Ring? Parents get scared of their daughter being able to read their minds, beat her to death and throw her down a well. Or "The Shining", for a Western example? Years after a hotel caretaker massacred his family in a fit of cabin fever, history repeats itself as a new caretaker and his family arrive there. Good horror always has a tragedy hidden somewhere in the past, and unraveling that tragedy is often what makes the story memorable.

By all means, make scary animations if you want to. However, the best thing you can do is denying your players a clear view at them. Put everything out of focus, force them to experience the entire game through a camera laden with static or just plain turn off the lights and give the players a small, flickering flashlight for experience. Your art doesn't need to be scary at all; it's enough if it feels scary to the players.

Also, put a LOT of effort into finding music and sound effects. Audio is a big mood-setter, especially when it comes to horror.

[JustAnotherMe]

@Wright: Yeah, something like Clive Barker's Undying. Though it's not much of a horror like that XD (I can't bring myself to do the art of horror. Not too fond of it. Might as well died from being too scared...) And, uhm, yeah, I think that most people won't play this. But maybe I can make them more interested with some good arts and maybe with the romance aspect^^ (Oh, you don't know about the romance aspect of the horror game? Many of the horror story includes the romance relationship)

@Auro: I will NOT make a game that will make you squirm... (I might be too scared to play my own game if it's like that... nooooooooo~...) Uhmmm... maybe I'll just take the shocking animation out, since I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. But I'll be making those creepy song sang by children, and creepy atmosphere, along with funny events and romantic events XD
So... maybe it's rated 15 and up? Since, maybe I'll make some horror pics, without animation though. (And yeah, I'm probably the same as you. I started watching horror since I can read a b c.)

@tale: YEAH! I'm planning to make the story as well-built as I can! That's my interest btw, because somehow I find that horror have this tragedy and sad events behind, and I feel it's heart-wrenching... Hmmm... might as well put your ideas of this flashlight into my story...

And... ugh! I know I must search like hell for the music and sound effect... Ugh... I'm scared btw. I just can't stand that sudden scary voice, that heart-thumping music (what is it called?)

I'll try to make this as good as I can...

And anyway, do you think it'd make many interested in this if I give it a go with... somehow a decent art? And of course a well-built story? Even though it's a horror?

[Alera]

Don't treat your project so differently just because you label it as "horror". I have the feeling you think of it as something way too different than normal and worry too much about it. Yes- do a research. A nice good one before you start seriously working on it. But naturally- you should do the same even if you say your story is fantasy, or just romance, or school related.

but in general- to answer the question. Yes, I'd be interested in playing a horror game. Very much actually! I'm a big fan of horror stories. And I don't mind it having all the aspects of a real horror.

[Sunlit-Dreamer]

XDDD Wow, so you're making a horror now eh? And when you said romance....the first thing that popped into my mind was the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni series, followed by Umineko series. (Although Umineko's more of a mystery type than a horror like Higurashi is)

But yeah, it can be made just like any other story. To make it easier on you, perhaps you should do the normal parts of the story first. While you're doing that, you can decide how to make it just right with the amount of horror YOU want. It could be a hint, for example like when Rena had her eyes slit while talking to Keiichi. Or in the middle, creepy, but not there yet. Then full blast horror.....however there are different types still. There's more to horror than just blood and gore after all. (And I do plan on writing one eventually, already got most of it planned in my mind...hehehehehehe.....)

But yeah, if you need help just let me know! ^^ (Oh yes....and there should be parts with no music....that way....no one knows what'll happen next. Like in that one movie with Will Smith.)

[JustAnotherMe]

@Alera: Uhmmm but maybe that horror is somehow not a game that can be played by all people. That's why I'm worried about this. Because I have some friends that like horror, and moaaarrr friends that don't even take a peek on it. So, yeah, I'll just focus on the relationship development and the romance aspect, but because I'm a horror lover too (despite being me easily scared) I'll make a romance-horror story. (I tend to make a somehow 'bloody' story whenever I put my thought on it... even though I want to make a very light story, I always end up making it darker...)

@Sunlit: Higurashi! I haven't finish it yet!! And I can't really stand to do horror arts... and drawing gore will make me puke... (I remember watching some kind of cannibal movie while eating... and I can't eat my meatball again...) You're making a horror one too?? OmG, I really wanna see it!!! Will wait for your horror XD
What's Will Smith movie is that? But I guess that's a good opinion. In some events, it'll b better if I don't add any music at all...

[HigurashiKira]

*raises hand* Horror enthusiast and writer here. I would definately be interested in it. However, the romance-being-the-center-of-the-plot thing makes me a bit iffy. Usually, romance is a secondary thing in a horror story (or nonexistent) since it's ment to scare you, not make you gow "'d'awww, love~" The only way you can make relationship scary is if the MC is caught in some sort of Yandere Love Triangle (Yes, men can beyandere too)

And you really don't have to draw gruesome scenes and the like, just detail it enough and our imaginations will do the rest.

[JustAnotherMe]

@Higurashi: yeap!! I'm planning to make the bachelor to be a yandere. But the other... hmmm. I think he's a tsun-yan-dere? Just a yandere but with a tsundere attitude. (or something like that) And about the romance being the main plot, I'm a big fans of romance but in the same time a fans of horror too... and in every horror movie, I always try to look at the story behind it, rather than the scary situations they make, and I'm not fully satisfied until the main story is completed and developed enough. That's why I wanna make a loving-horror story ^^ that will satisfy my romance-craving side and my horror-craving side (doesn't make sense, 'eh? XD)
And I don't plan to make a gruesome art, maybe just a... scary one. Like some kind of ghosts (the new-born, baby, sick man and woman, children) Not a dismembered body and guts and brain all over the place, or showing the cruel torture the victims experienced. (nope. I'm gonna puke just imagining about it) And I'll just write the details and make your imagination run wildddd~ XP

[Sunlit-Dreamer]

Ahh, remembered the movie. It's called "I Am Legend". It's not exactly a "full out blast horror" but it keeps you on your toes thinking something will happen. Especially since there was no music.

As for my horror...that'll be coming out 2nd or 3rd IF I'm lucky. (I'll tell you details another time since this thread is for yooooouuuu~) No romance in it though. None. XD

But yeah, you don't need gore. There's a few I can think of that have no gore whatsoever....(Why did Ibitsu come into my mind right now...><) So just write to your heart's content! After all, there is only so much you can show in a drawing. While writing, in a way is limitless. You can tell every detail and get the effect you want that cgs, characters, and backgrounds can't do alone. Example, you see a guy holding....a fork with a piece of skin on it that has a shocked expression. But how would anyone be able to tell it's skin? What can be written about him? Why is he shocked? Is he shocked because he stabbed someone? Or is he shocked because he realized he was eating human flesh given to him by....whoever? And if it's that case, how did he know? Was he told straight out? Or was there a specific detail on the skin that made him realize? A scar? A tattoo? A forgotten piercing that he bit on?

Only writing can give the answer to that. The pictures just make it easier to visualize what they look like and where it's taking place among other things.

But yeah, I find it a bit funny it's this story I'm helping you out with. XD *shall give no spoilers away, fork man is completely unrelated to the story*

[Mink]

Unfortunately for you all, I'm going to have to rhyme right now: sometimes with gore, less is more. Quite often the scariest thing is what you don't see, and leaving things to the imagination can have really good effects.

...Unless you want to make a splatter 'film'/torture porn, but uh...I don't think you'd like that...

@HigurashiKira: Isn't Edward Cullen proof that a guy can be yandere? /shot

[JustAnotherMe]

@sunlit: I like I AM LEGEND!! And I know what you mean. No music, just sound effect, like the deep breathing, or the sound sobbing, or the sound of a cracked head, or the sound of footsteps. And... uhm... eating human given by that *whoever*... ugh... (I'll try not to imagine so much while writing the gruesome scenes...)
Just wait for a shocking CGI with this idea... Don't play this game at night... And I'm so not responsible for any heart failure...

@Mink:... I never plan to make something like that... never in my mind... maybe never in the next 100 years of my life...

And yeah, I'm not making a full-blast horror. It's a creepy romance. But with all the content I'd say it's a kind of horror too, so I say this is a romance-horror.

[Joey]

I'm interested in horror games and I'd definitely be interested in playing one with romance as the main story. XD; I think the catch with games made for a female target audience, you might have to implement the horror aspect of your game a bit differently than say, a game like Amnesia. There are surely girls out there who would play Amnesia but if the focus of the game is more of the romance aspect then I think the way you present the horror content has to be a little different so that it'll appeal to girls who play Starry Sky or TMGS too. If you get what I mean (^_^;) /poor explainer So maybe not so many in-your-face jumpscares or gore but focus on the psychological/emotional impact of the horrific experience the main characters are going through and how they will develop a romantic relationship because of this.

I think for a horror/BL (BL = aimed at girls, I would assume) VN the Nitro:CHiRAL's sweet pool did extremely well because many who play it aren't those who actively seek out the genre, though I wouldn't say that the way the romance was developed is the best out there. But the plot was sooo good. (OwO;;) It was rated 18+ but that's because it has H-scenes, so I'm assuming a GxB horror VN without H-scenes would be rated about 16+?

(^_^)/ Good luck!

[JustAnotherMe]

@Joey: thanks for the feedback!!! ^w^/
And yeah, I think the same too. If I target the female audience, then it'd surely have to be a more psychological than gory. I'll try to put my mind on it. Maybe making it feels like... inception? (don't know what reference to give)
And because I feel like a little bit sadistic, I'll try to make a story that will force the player to go through some shocking scenes, but make it interesting enough so that they can't help but continue to play it. >=D

And anyway, you're good explaining it!! ^^ I can understand perfectly what you mean!! Huummm... 16+... (still confused about the rating)