Horror is a genre that evokes emotions like fear, disgust, unease, horror and terror. Horror frequently includes an element of the supernatural intruding in the otherwise real (usually modern) world, though it might include a non-real setting (such as fantasy or science fiction) or include no supernatural elements. Common elements include ghosts, extraterrestrials, vampires, werewolves, demons, evil witches, monsters, zombies, etc.
All types of horror game tend to feature player characters that lack agency or are otherwise unable to change their situation or the world they live in. Character death is particularly common in horror games.
Because horror can touch on scary and traumatic issues that can harm players, it is important to ensure the safety of all participants, usually by using appropriate safety tools.
There are two main approaches to horror role-playing games: emulation and direct horror.
Horror emulation[]
Emulation is when a role-playing game uses and adapts the tropes of existing horror stories in other media, such as films and literature. For example, Call of Cthulhu emulates the Cthulhu Mythos stories of H.P. Lovecraft, while games like Vampire: The Masquerade (marketed as "A storytelling game of personal horror") emulates tragic stories from the perspective of vampires, such as the works of Anne Rice.
Games that use the emulation approach often rely on the fluff of a game and the narrative skill of the GM to establish a suitable atmosphere, since the rules and game mechanics are often designed to replicate the beats and tropes of the original stories (e.g. the sanity mechanics of Call of Cthulhu) rather than influencing the emotions of the audience.
Emulation is the approach most often used when non-horror games want to try introducing horror, e.g. by introducing elements often associated with horror into the game world. Examples include the Ravenloft setting in Dungeons & Dragons, or the Fate Horror Toolkit in Fate Core.
Direct horror[]
Other games, particularly indie games, attempt to create a horror experience by eliciting the relevant emotions in the players themselves. This is generally done by encouraging players to connect with the emotions of their characters, a phenomenon called bleed.
Horror games of this type use rules and mechanics specifically designed to affect the atmosphere of the game. For example, Dread by Epidiah Ravachol uses a jenga tower for its resolution mechanic, which increases the tension among the players until the tower falls and someone dies. Ten Candles by Stephen Dewey requires players to sit in a darkened room lit only by ten candles, which are steadily extinguished throughout the game until the players are in complete darkness and the characters are all dead.
External links[]
- Horror fiction at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.