gaming Why do people play scary games?

[BrainyBrony 252]

I just don't really get it.  Obviously, some people record their reactions for people to watch while others just play it 'to play it' if you know what I mean. I just can't see why people do it often. Now, I have played a couple of indie horror games and they scared the pants off of me. I suppose this topic could also be called 'Do people enjoy being scared?' but I'm trying to talk about gaming.

 

So, do you play scary games? Do you enjoy them? If so, why? 

Edited July 23, 2013 by BrainyBrony

[SCS 7,537]

They're usually only fun for me if I'm playing them with friends. For me, scaring myself when I'm alone isn't a whole lot of fun, but it can be pretty fun when I'm with a friend or two. I wouldn't want to do that a lot, though.

[XXVYNIKK 145]

It's better than scary movies, because it's in your face, and you're in control. Also people/commentators probably drink a lot of energy drinks. People like scary movies, blah. It's like the lesson in the halloween episode in mlp. Plus it's some adrenaline.

[repsol rave 2,963]

i play scary games most of the time. 

i play them because i just love the atmosphere of those games. they really keep you on the edge of your seat.

my favorite scary games include:

 

Dead Space Series.

Amnesia The Dark Descent

The 4th Wall

Home

Lone Survivor

SCP: Containment Breach

[BrainyBrony 252]

 

 

For me, scaring myself when I'm alone isn't a whole lot of fun, but it can be pretty fun when I'm with a friend or two.

 

It can sometimes be quite fun with friends, but that's mainly because you know that you're not the only person who is scared out of their mind! 

Dead Space Series.

Amnesia The Dark Descent

The 4th Wall

Home

Lone Survivor

SCP: Containment Breach

They're some good ones.   I tried the Amnesia demo but I was too Scootaloo chicken to buy the full game. I've played SCP: Containment Breach, but sometimes it seems a little too luck based for me.

[Kamarat 103]

I definitely play them for adrenaline   

If the game is made decent, it is usually really fun to play. But I can't play all horror games for sure.

For example I couldn't play penumbra without a guide because the whole place is so spooky for me, I mean in amnesia places were rather giant but in penumbra, it is full of little tense places like a building with low ceiling and lots of corridors, etc. It looked so spooky for me I played the whole game with guides

[Moonlight 7,288]

Yes, I enjoy playing scary/horror games. They're just a lot of fun to me. It's mostly about the thrill and such. Depending on the game, horror games can really wake me up in the morning. Plus, it gets my blood pumping. I don't know...it's just fun being scared. 

[Foreigner And Lover 207]

I play horror games occasionally. These days though they don't scare me. Dunno if that's good or bad. I do enjoy playing them with my friends so we can laugh at the games attempts at scaring us.

[DaReaper 1,945]

I only ever played one game that gave me nightmares and that is "Blood Omen Legacy of Kain" for it's time on the ps1 it was a truly "scary" game other then that horror games never get to me other then the quick suprise like frim resident evil

[sunset_sprint 190]

No matter how many times I play slender everytime slenderman appears and the sound effects kick in, it scares the crap out of me but its still kind of fun to be afraid of something that isn't real, can't really explain why though.

[Blue Bay 1,027]

Well, I've played the Dead Space series, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Slender, and all this stuff everybody knows. I quite enjoyed those games, but never really felt scared while playing horror games, probably due my healty annex to paranoia. That may sounds dumb, but if you're paranoid all the time while playing those games, it's a permanency and you get used to it. Of course the one or other jumpscare get's me, but geez, nobody is jumscare resistant all the time.

[ReverseFaller 2,484]

I've never really played a "scary" game. Slender always seemed lame to me. Left 4 Dead is a fun, arcade game. Not a scary game. Dead Space...eh, it looks a little scary. I've never really played them, so I don't know though. I need a good scary game to play...hmmm, what to play?

[sunset_sprint 190]

I've never really played a "scary" game. Slender always seemed lame to me. Left 4 Dead is a fun, arcade game. Not a scary game. Dead Space...eh, it looks a little scary. I've never really played them, so I don't know though. I need a good scary game to play...hmmm, what to play?

Its the jump scares that are fun, all in all slender isn't a scary game in a general sense. I mean you're in a forest, tasked to find 8 pages of artwork all the while being chased by a man in nice business suit. Last time I checked that wasn't in the horror recipe book.

[Misty Rose 3,216]

I haven't actually really played scary games before because my mom's pretty picky on what games I play.

But my friend has two games from the Fatal Frame series. I've seen the trailers for all of them and they look pretty hard core. You go into this mansion and use this camera to scare away ghosts. Yeah I know sounds alot like Luigi's Mansion so you're probably thinking LAME!! But the game even has a warning on the back saying DON'T PLAY ALONE IN THE DARK! My friend said she did it once and was scared senseless. But she still plays the games because it's just fun being scared sometimes.

The one time I played SlenderMan he did startle me a couple times, but I never actually screamed. It was pretty fun!

[Clockwork Chaos 219]

I play scary games for the adrenaline rush, that and they are the most immersive of any games. think about it, it's really hard to enjoy a game when you're not sucked into it's world, and horror games just do that perfectly. my personal favourites are:

 

Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 4

Amnesia

Condemned: Criminal Origins

 

Another thing i love about Horror games is that while they may not be the most compelling narrative, there is usually a great lore to get lost in, adding an extra layer of depth to the atmosphere. 

 

...i wanna play a horror game again now

[repsol rave 2,963]

I've never really played a "scary" game. Slender always seemed lame to me. Left 4 Dead is a fun, arcade game. Not a scary game. Dead Space...eh, it looks a little scary. I've never really played them, so I don't know though. I need a good scary game to play...hmmm, what to play?

dead space is definately recommendable. not the scariest games tough, but really fun to play. the best one in the series is dead space 2 to me. it has the best atmosphere and overall it''s really the most scary one in the series. lots of jumpscares. and it gets a hell of a lot scarier when you play on higher difficulties :3(enemies that fall down, only to jump up again when you''re on top of them, stuff like that)

Edited July 23, 2013 by repsol rave

[Ihei 714]

I guess people play scary games because it boosts their "cool" factor..? Or they just like scary stuff. I think people just like scary movies.

[chloe16 5]

I am freaked out easly and get nightmares.  I like scary games, but I can not play them for very long. Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Resident Evil. Its kind of fun to play scary games and be scared, but I don't anymore because I cant sleep at night afterwards.

 

For example I watched The Ring and had nightmares for a week and unplugged my TV.

[Mutemutt 773]

I don't play scary games all that much, honestly. I'll admit it: often times, I'm just too scared/ nervous to work my way through the game at a reasonable pace, so I don't get many scary games since it takes forever for me to finish them. It's much easier just to let someone else play through the game while I just watch; the games feel very different when your the one being chased around.

 

I'd like a moment to say that I don't find games like Deadspace or Resident Evil 4(5,6) scary at all. The world just doesn't feel as scary when you have high-powered weaponry and all the enemies drop enough ammo for you to be able to adequately defend yourself. There's just no sense of danger. Oh, and I can't stand jumpscares; those are just cheap. Yeah, I'll jump, but than I'll be annoyed if jumpscares are the only thing scary about the game.

 

Still, I enjoy playing horror games. Partially because I just like the dark/ creepy stories but mostly, and this might sound kind of strange but, because I like being the "weak" character. Let me explain: in most single player games, you are top dog. No one can stop you. Endless waves of generic enemies touting guns? No problem, you're the hero; if the guns-blazing tactic doesn't work, I'm sure an airstrike is on its way and then you can continue to mow down every enemy who was unlucky enough to cross your path. Then you look at the scarier games and, suddenly, your not so great. If your not spending the majority of the game being chased by someone or something you have no chance of defeating normally, you're usually not much better off than the enemies you have to face. There's a real sense of danger to that. 

[Gears of Halo Duty V 394]

When you see others play scary games and you see their reaction, real or fake, it's hard to not wonder how you yourself would react to it. It can be fun to get a little jump in you; you learn a little bit more about yourself and what really gets you, and it can bring some people back down to earth after playing so many action/adventure games.

 

 

Fatal Frame is my top scary game choice. Sorry fans of Amnesia and Slender, but both of those games can't hold a candle to this classic.

[Sectus 246]

Honestly, scary games are a tad iffy for me.

 

I can't really get into a scary game unless it has a very specific setting and feel to it. If the game is literally all jump scares, then obviously I'm going to consider it shitty and avoid it. If the game has too much suspense and draws everything out, I'll probably avoid it just because I can't stand waiting that long for something to happen.

 

The plot has to have common sense as well. If it is a generic, cookie cutter setup like 'bad guy has super evil powers and you must go through scary shit to stop him' then I'm going to avoid it.

 

Amnesia: The Dark Descent was a pretty good one, I'm already waiting to see the sequel that is due to come out. I know this game somewhat violates the 'bad guy with evil powers' idea I mentioned earlier, but I don't know, something about the game just gives it license to do that. 

 

 

[Corrosive Brony 48]

I've always wondered why I do this to myself haha. I recently bought the first Dead Space, (having already played and beaten 2), and I cant finish it. The second one had some jump scares, and it was a pretty creepy game most of the time, but the first one... I can't handle it haha

 

That's not to say I don't like scary games all the time. I enjoyed Slender very much, but jump scares are what do it to me. In Slender, it's not jump scares as much as it's just the fact that it's always quiet until he gets close, and you have no way to defend yourself when you see him. But it Dead Space, I have a gun, but the fact that it's so dark that I can't really see them coming until they have jumped out and stabbed me kills me.

 

I like jump scares sometimes, but that game is persistent. All in all, I would say that I like scary games that are more psychologically scary, than jump scares

[Krys9 456]

Are you kidding? I love survival horror games to death. Games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Siren Blood Curse definitely. I love the atmosphere of games alot. Usually horror type games excel in graphics which I can always marvel at and in the case of Silent hill and Siren Blood Curse especially they have really deep and engrossing stories that I just get lost in. It's a whole lot of fun.

 

Also studies have been shown that the brain releases bits of endorphin  when your scared probably because of the adrenaline rush that you get so your feeling uneasy and happy at the same time which is really strange when you think about it. Haha 

[RosemaryPetal 112]

Well, I don't like to play the games myself, but I'll watch when pewdiepie and them play the games, I like to see their reactions.

[caramba2654 602]

To avoid heart problems? Like, horror games really make your blood pump out of your veins. Also, stress relief. You just wait until the scary part comes and:

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH