Horror Is Particularly Interesting to Watch Being Built
There is a special appeal to watching horror being developed because horror depends so heavily on atmosphere.
A normal game can show you a new mechanic and you immediately understand what it does.
Horror is different.
A dark corridor isn't necessarily frightening.
A sound isn't necessarily frightening.
An empty room isn't necessarily frightening.
But combine the right lighting, sound, environment, pacing and player movement and suddenly that same corridor becomes:
NOPE.
Watching developers experiment with those ingredients lets you see how horror actually works.
You begin noticing things you might normally take for granted.
Why is that light flickering?
Why is the hallway so narrow?
Why can I hear something but not see it?
Why is that door slightly open?
Why is there absolutely nothing happening right now?
Oh.
That's why.
The game is waiting for you to become comfortable.
That's when it gets you.
