Pitch darkness and jump scares are effective, but the game makers starting to rely too much on only that. SCP: Containment Breach, for example, pulls off both rather well, because the jump scares are because of the monsters' unique methods of chasing you, but there are a number of other games where every time you travel twenty meters the game's scripted to flash a bright image on your screen.

Pitch darkness and jump scares are effective, but the game makers starting to rely too much on only that. SCP: Containment Breach, for example, pulls off both rather well, because the jump scares are because of the monsters' unique methods of chasing you, but there are a number of other games where every time you travel twenty meters the game's scripted to flash a bright image on your screen.

The issue is that you can see something in games like that, when it's so black you can't even navigate there's a problem.

I noticed that if your screen is a TN panel (that is, colors begin to distort at a low angle but the response time is higher), it's easier to see in the "Can't See Shit" type games by tilting your screen forward. That actually makes it brighter and, therefore, easier to see shit.

Source: my laptop's display is a TN panel.

Indie Horror Games are all to much the same, there plot-lines are those weird metaphorical stories. They have lots of jump scares in dark places. They basically look like they were made at home over a weekend. Which is why I like Big Budget Horror games over Indie Horror.

i still think Happy Time Circus 2 is the best horror game made so far.

Indie Horror Games are all to much the same, there plot-lines are those weird metaphorical stories. They have lots of jump scares in dark places. They basically look like they were made at home over a weekend. Which is why I like Big Budget Horror games over Indie Horror.

True, but I have a soft-spot for cheaply made free/budget games and all their little quirks and flaws.  

learn to Gamma and brightness settings.

learn to Gamma and brightness settings.

This one doesn't have any(or barely graphics settings at all, for that matter)

Well the thing is, Indie Devs really don't have much to go on in terms of making a horror game. It's mostly due to the lack of a huge team,money, and experience/time. Because of these issues, they resort to the whole fear of being in the dark and not seeing anything.

However, what they should try working on is what was done in Silent Hill 2. The creator of that game said that it isn't things jumping out at you that is scary, it is the things you see and then vanish that are scary - seeing that creature at the end of the hallway and watching it turn the corner...

NOW you know it's there. NOW you know there is  abeast in your way and the fear comes from not wanting to encounter said monster