Another In The Sudden Deluge of Freeware Horror Games

In the vein of the SCP games and Slender, now there's "Haunted Investigations". It's painfully buggy and rudimentary, very much showing its alpha state, but god DAMN is it effective. At the risk of overhyping it, I had to quit after ten minutes because it was getting to me worse than Amnesia. Admittedly, the scares are of the "SUDDENLY A GHOST AND A LOUD NOISE" variety, but it worked on me just the same. I think this marks the first horror game that I will never, ever play at night. It's certainly the first that I had to quit out of because I couldn't talk myself into pressing forward.

http://officialhauntedinvestigations.wordpress.com/

Anyone try this yet?

I feel sad that the first thing that popped into my head was "Ghost Adventures: the Game," where you run around as a juiced up DudeBro in an Affliction shirt threatening to beat up the ghosts.

"Stop fapping! Stop! I don't appreciated it!"

@Grimhild: Haha, I was just watching that before I posted this. It's weird; I find PewDiePie unbelievably annoying, but I always end up watching his reactions to horror games I've recently played.

Also, I'd play the hell out of Ghost Adventures: The Game: Ghostpawnchaz 3D.

@ShaggE:

Yes, it's definitely a healthy sense of schadenfreude when I'm watching his bizarre ramblings get interrupted by expressions of absolute terror.

I'll probably check it out, but maybe let the guy flesh it out more. I tried Slender and it did nothing for me, oddly enough. Think I might just be getting too used to the formula.

@Grimhild: Yeah, Slender left me cold except for one well-timed jump. Until I started watching Marble Hornets yesterday, I thought of Slenderman as too cheesy to be scary. I still think he's cheesy, but now I see some potential at least.

If you're looking for a formula-breaker, might I suggest SCP-087-B? That one's more about the tension than the scares. It's actually more effective once you've run through it a couple of times and know what's coming.

Have either of you played Lone Survivor? Of all the recent indie horror games, it has to be my favorite. There are very few jumpy scare tactics.

I played Slender, and it really scared me once, but most of the time it just felt frustrating. Add to that how silly the slender man looks, and I wasn't really impressed.

I'll download this game right now, and see if I like it.

Have either of you played Lone Survivor? Of all the recent indie horror games, it has to be my favorite. There are very few jumpy scare tactics.

I played Slender, and it really scared me once, but most of the time it just felt frustrating. Add to that how silly the slender man looks, and I wasn't really impressed.

I'll download this game right now, and see if I like it.

@BoG:

Yeah, I like LS because it's basically trying to tap into the Silent Hill 1/2 vibe of tangible dread instead of cheap jump scares. And I'm usually pretty much over the 2d scrolling format, so that says something.

@ShaggE:

All the d/l links I'm finding for SCP-087-B are broken or "removed for violation." Post a good link if you have one and I'll totally check it out.

Hey look, Haunted Investigations, that's my game =D

@BoG:

I watched the QL, it looked really interesting. Just wish I could unsee the giant grin that the surgical mask looks like, haha. I'll give it a shot sometime.

@Grimhild:

http://scpcb.wordpress.com/scp-087-b/ Here ya go. Let me know what you think. :D

@reelife: Oh, you made this? Or do you mean it like "That's my jaaaaaam!"? If the first thing, well done, duder! I went upstairs for a cigarette after playing and realized that my hands were shaking. As far as I'm concerned, you've outdone Amnesia.

@ShaggE: How much liquid courage did you have before playing?

@scarace360: Ha, none, sadly. I was extremely tired, though, which may have had something to do with my reaction. Not quite ready to test that theory, though.

@ShaggE:

Getting ready to start SCP-087-B now that the night is fully here, just to get the full effect. Muaha... I'm ess'ited. Will edit in opinion shortly.

EDIT: Accidentally downloaded the first tiny version and not the actual alpha. Teehee. Was still ok though lol. Just kept going down stairs that felt never-ending until I fell in some pit eventually.

@Grimhild said:

@ShaggE:

Getting ready to start SCP-087-B now that the night is fully here, just to get the full effect. Muaha... I'm ess'ited. Will edit in opinion shortly.

EDIT: Accidentally downloaded the first tiny version and not the actual alpha. Teehee. Was still ok though lol. Just kept going down stairs that felt never-ending until I fell in some pit eventually.

Haha, I never did play that version. I wonder how it compares?

*downloads*... *extracts it next to Haunted Investigations folder*... *pauses, considers*... *NOPEs away from folder*

@ShaggE said:

*downloads*... *extracts it next to Haunted Investigations folder*... *pauses, considers*... *NOPEs away from folder*

Oh c'moooooooooooooon... doooooooooooooo it.

You can try this, too. It's pretty horrifying.

@Grimhild: I hate that I enjoyed playing that.

As for HI, I'm tempted to do a reaction video.

@ShaggE:

lol Don't fight it, ShaggE.

I'll totally watch your HI reaction video.

@Grimhild: Consider it done! It'll be good practice for the Let's Plays I've always wanted to do. :D Just need to clear up some HDD space, set up FRAPS, and wait for daylight.

While I appreciate what these games are trying to do, I think I have a very low tolerance for scares that are purely for its own sake. Jump scares are the most obvious example but it can be stuff like deliberate putting you in a decrepit house with just a flashlight and a dude pops up every once in a while. I'm not really a fan of horror in the sense that I like being scared, quite the opposite, but with games for some reason if its a great game on its own I'll play it even if its scary. Amnesia was a wonderful game and while not nearly as scary, I loved both Dead Space and RE4. However these freeware indie games seem to just distill down to its very core what it would take to make someone scared and I'm just not interested in that. I bet its way cooler for people who like being scared. Anyway just throwing my 2 cents out there.

@BaconGames: Totally understandable. These games are basically drugs for fear addicts.

With all the hilariously dumb puns ShaggE makes on the forums, I would definitely watch an LP of him playing something like Slender or HI.

@MariachiMacabre said:

With all the hilariously dumb puns ShaggE makes on the forums, I would definitely watch an LP of him playing something like Slender or HI.

Haha, cheers! Don't know how many puns I could make while pissing myself, but I'm determined to try now that I know it won't go unwatched.

@BoG said:

Have either of you played Lone Survivor? Of all the recent indie horror games, it has to be my favorite. There are very few jumpy scare tactics.

I played Slender, and it really scared me once, but most of the time it just felt frustrating. Add to that how silly the slender man looks, and I wasn't really impressed.

I'll download this game right now, and see if I like it.

I played LS. I can't find games scary if my character has a legitimate weapon, so the atmosphere felt eerie or creepy at times, but never life-threatening like in Amnesia.

I enjoyed LS for the numerous ways the content could be interpreted, especially with the "report" at the end of a play through.

@Grimhild Aaaand here it is. Pardon my terrible commentary. :P

I have to say that the only scary thing in Slender is the music...but the music does a great job

@ShaggE: Yes it's my game ^_^ I've been working on it's since early June. I'm pleased to hear that you where frightened when you played the game =D I know I use jump scares a lot but what I'm trying to achieve is that the tension in between scares is scarier... if that makes sense. I'm hard at work on the next map, this one is scary ;) more so than my other 2 maps. I released a teaser trailer yesterday. ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keKGUr9Okv8

@reelife: The tension is definitely there. Even when I knew what was coming, I had to push myself forward (especially with that creature that peeks around the corner). I'd love to see this fleshed out into a full-blown game.

@ShaggE:

You cheap bastard! Using the glitch to save your dignity... Feh! ;)

The mockingbird in the background was a nice touch too. Do Part 2 so I actually get to hear the placid baritone crack under extreme distress. Teehee.

@Grimhild said:

@ShaggE:

You cheap bastard! Using the glitch to save your dignity... Feh! ;)

The mockingbird in the background was a nice touch too. Do Part 2 so I actually get to hear the placid baritone crack under extreme distress. Teehee.

Haha! Challenge accepted! There's another map in the game, and I'll jump into that for fresh reactions. (and I'll try not to be so deadpan and whispery this time :P)