Creating tension through game-centric design in survival horror video games

Abstract

The process of eliciting emotions in players is an essential cornerstone of creating a memorable experience in video games. Whether it be feeling powerful after defeating a challenging boss, the sadness felt after an untimely death of a beloved character, or receiving a tantalizing sword from a chest hidden deep within a monster-infested dungeon.

This study aimed to explore the essential elements of what creates a survival horror game by analysing other games in the genre and exploring ideas such as level design, atmospheric creation, sounds, ambiance, and game mechanics, which enhance and create the feeling of tension and stress in the player. These aspects are furthered by looking closely at how these emotions are evoked and the efficiency of each element of the game—finally compiling the findings into an application featuring a fully designed game prototype.

The prototype was developed in the Unity game engine and supported three different gameplay scenarios in order to test and examine the impact that the elements, mechanics, and ideas discovered in prior research have on the ability to create tension. These scenarios were used in a qualitative playtest, the re sults of which indicated that the mechanics and elements implemented in the prototype were an effective means of creating tension.