There's something about all things scary that keeps us coming back, including scary video games. However, you might find it hard to put your finger on exactly why games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, or Alien: Isolation are so engaging.
Here are seven reasons that might explain why we enjoy playing scary games.
1. To Experience Danger in a Controlled Environment
A key reason scary video games draw us in is that they give us the chance to experience and interact with horror without being in any real danger.
Video games excel in this area because of their interactivity. It's one thing to watch a scary movie knowing that you're safe. It's another to be in the driver's seat of a horror video game and remind yourself that you're not in any danger. Arguably, horror games are even more terrifying, all without putting the player in any harm.
This allows us to enjoy all the aspects of scary games we find fascinating. You can focus on things like creature design, sound design (more on this later), gameplay, story, and actually being scared, all while being completely safe.
Like a rollercoaster, you're getting all the benefits of a good scare with virtually zero risk. Not bad, right?
2. Scary Games Are Thrilling
Obviously, we play scary games to get scared. But what is it that makes us actually want to be scared in the first place?
Well, one way we enjoy being scared is by how thrilling it is. The mounting tension and surge of adrenaline that a good scare can give you can be really, really gratifying.
Escaping a chase in Outlast by the skin of your teeth or watching the Alien in Alien: Isolation enter the room you're hiding in might leave you shaking and breathless, but it's sure tempting to keep playing just so you can experience that thrill over and over again.
3. To Overcome the Adversity That Scary Games Bring
One reason you might not only want to play scary games but finish them is to overcome the adversity they bring. And different types of horror games will give us different types of adversity.
Survival horror games, like Resident Evil, present us with overwhelmingly negative odds and, yet, tell us that if we stick with it, we can beat them. Action horror games, like Dead Space, pit us in a terrifying situation, but give us the tools to fight back. Stealth horror games, like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, give us zero means to fight our enemies but teach us how to think during constant tension.
Scary video games give you the chance to experience some things you fear, and prove to yourself that you're stronger than you think.
4. A Horror Atmosphere Is Second to None…
Good horror games—and good horror in general—don't just keep us playing through a series of scares, but also in the atmosphere they create.
Getting the right atmosphere is essential for horror games, as it could be the difference between a game being unnerving and a game being silly. Games like The Evil Within, Darkwood, and Alien: Isolation (yes, this is the third time we've mentioned it, but it really is a gem of a horror game) excel in delivering a world that makes your skin crawl in both fear and awe.
It's a testament that, for how unsettling, repulsive, and eerie they can be, we still want to experience the atmosphere of a good, scary game.
5. … As Is Sound Design in a Great Horror Game
Some horror thrives almost completely on the atmosphere it creates. And a key part of that is in its sound design.
Eli Roth once said, "If you don't want to be scared in a horror film, don't close your eyes. Close your ears". Something similar applies to horror video games: despite how scary their visuals can be, you'll remove a lot of your fear if you play them with the volume off.
However, this is another aspect that draws in horror gamers—great horror games are one of the best places you'll find excellent sound design in a video game. The ambient noise, creaks, sounds of the enemies, your character (Miles Upshur in Outlast only breathes, gasps, and screams to great effect), combined with its soundtrack (if it has one) all contribute to the dread, tension, and scares a game offers.
Next time you play a scary game, pay extra attention to what you hear.
6. Scary Games Can Involve Interesting Characters, Themes, and Stories
So, scary video games provide thrills, they're thick with atmosphere, and they can feature excellent sound design. What more would you want?
Fortunately, horror video games are for you if you're looking to explore interesting characters, themes, and stories. With these games, you can delve into dark character studies, themes that highlight the more uncomfortable side of humanity, as well as explore concepts you might actually be struggling with, such as grief or forgiveness.
Horror is one of the ways we cope with our fears, whether real or imaginary. It doesn't shy away from disturbing areas or unpleasant truths. And, if you let it, horror can teach you a bit about yourself. It's worth playing games like Soma, Observer, and Silent Hill 2 for their stories, characters, and themes alone.
7. Scary Games Are Great With Friends
Whether you love playing scary video games or hate the thought of it, playing them with friends is something different altogether.
Here, it's more about being scared together and laughing collectively about it, discussing how different things scare each of you, and seeing how each person reacts to what the game offers. Games like Until Dawn or Supermassive Games' other project, the Dark Pictures Anthology, are perfect for group play-throughs.
There's something fun and comforting when playing scary games with friends. Though this shouldn't work for the horror genre, it strangely does.
Scary Video Games Offer So Much Depth and Variety
Scary video games can just be cheap thrills, but they offer so much more. That these games can give us both surface level and deep, engaging entertainment is why we keep coming back to play them.
Whether it's exploring personal themes, overcoming your fears, or simply seeking that next adrenaline boost, scary video games will always offer you something of value, even though you might not see it at first.