Overview
Fear you control. Horror games exploit interactivity’s unique capacity for dread—unlike films where audiences watch victims make poor decisions, games make players responsible for their own survival. The genre evolved through distinct eras: text adventure tension, survival horror’s resource management, psychological horror’s sanity systems, and streaming culture’s communal screaming. Each generation found new ways to weaponise player vulnerability.
Fast facts
- Text era: Haunted House (1982).
- Survival horror: Resident Evil (1996).
- Psychological: Silent Hill (1999).
- Streaming era: Amnesia (2010).
Genre evolution
| Era |
Characteristics |
| Text/early |
Atmosphere through description |
| Survival horror |
Resource scarcity, tank controls |
| Psychological |
Mind as battleground |
| First-person |
Vulnerability maximised |
Survival horror template
| Element |
Function |
| Limited saves |
Progress tension |
| Scarce ammo |
Combat avoidance |
| Puzzle gates |
Pacing control |
| Fixed cameras |
Controlled fear |
Psychological horror
| Technique |
Implementation |
| Unreliable reality |
Silent Hill fog |
| Personal demons |
Character psychology |
| Sanity systems |
Mental deterioration |
| Ambiguous threat |
Uncertainty |
Streaming phenomenon
| Factor |
Impact |
| Reaction content |
YouTube/Twitch growth |
| Shared experience |
Community bonding |
| Indie viability |
Low-budget success |
| Let’s Play culture |
Marketing through fear |
Design principles
| Approach |
Effect |
| Vulnerability |
Player powerlessness |
| Anticipation |
Dread over shock |
| Audio design |
Unseen threats |
| Pacing |
Tension and release |
See also