What is your Favorite Horror Element?

What makes a Horror Adventure a thrill for you? For example, jump scares, eerie music, wandering in the dark, whispers etc?

Ana

A subtle build up composed of a mix of music, sounds, faint visuals etc. I prefer J/K/T-horror style buildup to the American Horror buildup.

I, too, prefer the slow menacing, atmospheric build up, Jarkeld

Steeling myself to go down to that basement in "Scratches" is a prime example of what I mean

Things suddenly jumping out at me, though, aren't quite so much my cup of tea .... with just one or two exceptions

Subtle and understated, things that make me uneasy or fearful, are key components. This is one of the reasons that I love The Lost Crown so much, because there are many moments in the game like that. The Lost Crown reminds me of some great ghost stories that I have read by predominantly British authors.

I liked the kind of things Jon Boakes put in games like the first two Dark Fall games. The 3rd Dark Fall game didn't work so well for me.

I think "jump scares" from loud noises are cheap and don't work. A loud noise from someone throwing a book on the floor face-on might make me jump when it hits due to the sheer volume, but there's nothing scary about it. The adrenaline surge from hearing a loud noise is not only physically painful for some of us, but it produces swearing, makes you feel like beating someone up, and certainly prevents any future feelings of suspense.

Eerie background music doesn't do it for me -- at least not when it registers as "music". There might be some less-well-defined background sounds that would enhance suspense -- subtle sounds, where you can't be sure what's producing them.

Much better is something subtle but unexpected. For example, in Dark Fall: Lights Out -- when you suddenly notice the figure in the diorama has turned to face you. You can't be sure when it happened, you don't know what caused it, and you don't know what its next action might be. Maybe it's just looking -- or maybe it's about to ...

Obvious whispers might have worked once, but they've been overused at this point. Maybe a noise where you can't tell if it is a whisper or some other sound would work better.

"Wandering in the dark" is mostly just frustrating. In real life you might have some sense of where things are because of air movement, but simulating this on a computer doesn't seem to work well.

The first Dark Fall game was excellent - a creeping, edgy nervousness overall, an unexpected fright elsewhere.
Jump scares can work but are fleeting and over in a moment. I much prefer the slow burn.

My favorite horror element is an atmosphere of uncertainty and being left alone!

I couldn't agree more, Mad. Cheap "scare shots" don't show any creativity, anyway. I'm with those who loved Scratches and Dark Fall and The Lost Crown. Eerie mood making you feel uneasy, but you screw up your courage and go ahead.

I like the tiny little "fake jumpscares". You know, when the door closes behind you or the picture falls off the wall and such

Same as Mad going down to the cellar in 'Scratches'. Talk about heart palpitations.

I like it when I jump and hit the ceiling and bump my head! OMGosh!!

Music sets the tone but dim lighting and fear of the unknown are the best for me. Shivers comes to mind as one of the best scary games I can remember.

Some scenes just stand out - the room in faust full of screams and eye spy with the jar in Blackstone Chronicles come to mind. Both creeped me out.

Another game that generated the developing sense of menace I like in horror stories - and so got me feeling distinctly "unsettled" - was Phantasmagoria