Horror blog - AaIsoaho

Well, I scrambled trough my notes and I found my "what makes games scary" -page. I thought it was important thing to go trough in my mind. Here's some of my thoughts.
Music and sounds plays the main part of the mood. Thinking about some scary, like serial killer dressed as a clown chasing. If you put something like slow and mainly instrumental piano music in background, you get into a mood where you almost shit your pants. If you put some happy stuff into background you'll get hilarious gameplay. Music should be kinda creepy and/or wicked-insane kind of stuff. And it should vary. Some parts should be silent, like when before the chase in an intensive place. Then, suddenly clown in a bloodthirst comes from the shades with his blade and wicked smile.
Another important thing, is extraordinary. You are not comfort with what you're not knowing. If you put some creepy and shady stalker instead of some lame zombie, you get the "what is that?" feeling and you're not sure about what to think. I'd be scared if some shady character chases me instead of some lame zombie.
Oh and I'd use some fobias against the players. Fear of clowns and fear of insects/spiders are common things. So why not add some clown crawling like a spider with four limbs attached to the ceiling? Only little children fears some smelly and clumsy zombie. Teenagers have seen too much horror stuff to be scared of something else. And adults seems to fear stalkers and shady characters like peeping Toms.
Graphical outfit also gives great amount of chills if it is done correctly. If everything fits into some pattern, it is much more rational and scary than a mess. Black and white with some powerful color, like red, is a good pattern to fit into. I'd rather see shades of grey with some red blood scary than colorful and pink world. Of course you can tease player with pink world where everything goes horribly wrong. Just for the shock.
And screamos (you know, like scary maze game) can create some brown underwear but if you overuse them, player becomes immune to them. Some random moments where some lunatic runs fast towards you and disappears is enough. If some faces flashes everytime you open the door, you learn to not to be scared of faces flashing from opening the door.
Have I forgotten something important... Oh, now I remember, of course. Rather than creating inhumanly strong protagonist, let other beings be way too strong and let the protagonist be some weak and pathetic creature.
That's about it? Have some chills. :)