Horror games have a particular fascination behind them that some people just can’t ignore and actually crave. You’re going to get jump scared, your heart will be pounding and you may even have nightmares... Which is obvious. Yet some gamers still flock in their droves to get their hands on the latest scarefest of a game. But why is this?


The genre of horror has grown so popular. We understand that it isn't for everyone and there are people that prefer to stay well clear of anything horror related. What can't be argued is that it has worked its way into almost all forms of digital entertainment. This even includes online casinos that offer bonus spins to play your favorite slots (Yes, there are horror-themed slots!). Let’s take a look at some of the aspects that have made this genre of the game so popular.


The Scares


Most of us have built-in fears - death, injury and apparently falling are all things we’re born scared of. Beyond these though, video games like to use other elements to bring the goosebumps.
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One of the most common is the aspect of abnormality or disfigurement of the normal. The clue is in the name - many horror games take something we’re used to and twist or morph it into something we aren’t used to.


This can be done in a subtle way such as slightly janky movement or odd characteristics, just like Alma in the original F.E.A.R game. But what some of the best horrors do is go in the opposite direction and make things so disfigured you can’t help but recoil. A classic case of this is the Dead Space franchise. The first game wasn’t just scary thanks to the atmosphere, the body horror was downright traumatizing.


Another big tactic horror games will implement is the use of darkness. There’s something inherently scary about the pitch black. It taps into a primal part of the brain, the part that wonders what kind of threat is lurking in the void. Alan Wake used the darkness as one of its core mechanics, even giving you as the protagonist a flashlight as one of your main methods of combat.


The atmosphere that surrounds your character is a huge tactic. From level designs to the ambience, different elements are woven together to add a whole new level of immersion. Many indie horror games and even indie horror films - such as the recently released Skinamarink - have used atmosphere to create unforgettable experiences.


A lesser-known tactic is the recently researched ‘excitation transference’. This theory dictates that the anticipation building up to a scary event helps add far more weight to the scare. Those scary noises you’re hearing in the distance as you wander around a hallway? Building anticipation. The soundtrack and sound design play a vital role in supplying the biggest scares when using excitation transference, allowing the suspense to build either slowly or quickly.


Why Gamers Play Horror Games


Knowing that they’re going to have the heck scared out of them, why are gamers lining up to experience these horror titles? You may be thinking it’s for the Twitch views but there has actually been quite a lot of extensive research done into why we crave being scared out of our skin!


One theory states that a certain type of personality appreciates these digital scares thanks to the sensation it provides. The emotional high they get when they get scared out of their seat is the same kind of short adrenaline burst they would get from high-octane activities such as swimming with sharks or skydiving.


Other personality types like the escape to a more surreal fantasy of a scenario that will (hopefully) never take place in the real world. The breaking of social norms and the sheer otherworldliness of the events that may transpire in the game draws them in.


A very interesting theory that many people feel holds weight is a simple theory that these games can help us master and overcome fears. This is especially the case for younger gamers who are playing quite intense horror games such as Five Nights at Freddy's. Playing scary horror games can give the player some form of control as the player knows they can handle whatever happens to them in the digital world. They’ll survive and conquer the demon/zombie/evil spirit/other scary creature and go on with their lives. This virtual courage can leak into the real world.


Another theory posits that A big section of gamers wants to feel the 'thank goodness that's over' high. This releases feel-good hormones that are comparable to taking part in high-adrenaline activities. The psychological arousal that occurs during the game builds and builds, adding even more impact to the high when the ‘horror’ is over (much like the excitation transference we talked about before.) This theory dictates that people don’t actually enjoy the horror itself, but rather the huge high that comes after.


The final big theory is the social aspect of being able to get through a scary gaming experience. This theory was found to be mainly applicable to males who put themselves through these hair-raising games for hypothetical ‘toughness points’. Some theorists go so far as to say it’s a way for these men to demonstrate their ability to protect loved ones.


Conclusion


Whilst there is no real set-in-stone reason why horror games draw gamers in, it’s certainly an area that is absolutely ripe for research. No doubt there will be more studies done - which will result in even scarier games!

Ginger Nuts of Horror is proud to bring you the debut feature in our Meet The Artists series of feature articles, where we throw the spotlight on the cover book artists in the horror world.  Please welcome Don Noble and Nicholas Day from Rooster Republic Press.  

When it comes to covers that are more based in photography, I have to mention my business partner, Nicholas Day, who is also a talented illustrator, writer, editor, and photographer and when needed, we will join forces and work a piece together (we both wear a lot of hats at Rooster Republic Press). So, for photography based works, I do a Frankenstein method. Most people call them composites or photo-bashes where you're cutting up images of people and things and blending them together, but it's Frankensteining to me. You might see a character as one whole piece for the final product, but every part of their figure may be several people spliced together. The house, trees, grass, the sky and the moon, the tentacles bursting out from someone's guts, all of them separate layers of photographs, blended together, topped off with some digital painting, touch-ups, rim-lighting and then finally color graded. It sounds exhausting just writing it out. I can only imagine how you feel reading it.

Every horror writer knows the story. When Clive Barker first released Books of Blood, it was met with—for all intents and purposes—crickets. When its story was translated into the film Hellraiser, however, the hand of God (in the form of Bangor, Maine’s most famous resident) plucked Barker from relative obscurity and thrust him into the spotlight. I have seen the future of horror and his name is Clive Barker. One sentence of praise (slapped onto the cover of subsequent editions of Blood, naturally) and suddenly, “an unknown author of some books of short stories that nobody was buying” could write his own ticket for the rest of his career.

Ah, for a chance at a blurb such as that.

A book’s summary or description provides readers with an overview of a book’s content. A book blurb, on the other hand, is an endorsement of the book (and/or its author). While authors might pine for a thumb’s up from Stephen King, well-written words of praise from anyone with expertise in the field can pull eyes onto work that might otherwise be neglected. Although blurbs are not required to increase sales, they can often glean attention from booksellers and readers as well as be an invaluable addition to a book’s marketing plan. But how can a newer press or indie author obtain one?

Who to ask

First, consider the content and target audience of your book. Although it might be considered priceless on a horror work, King’s endorsement would be impractical for a religious studies text or romance novel. Narrow the pool of possibilities even further by considering the length or format of the piece. For example, if you’ve written a collection of short stories, seek out someone who excels in short fiction. Finally, align your wish list of possible candidates with the subgenre of your work. If your book is extreme horror, seek out a splatter specialist; if it’s a collection of Lovecraftian poetry, make a list of cosmic horror creators to approach.

Keep in mind, the person writing a blurb for your book is doing you a favor, not the other way around. While it is flattering to be asked to write a blurb, it also requires quite a bit of work, and the blurb writer gains very little from having his/her name on your book.

How to ask

It follows basic logic: if the person you ask for a blurb is an expert in the field, s/he is going to be busy. It’s also a safe bet that the expert has been asked to blurb others’ work. Understand that while your book might be the best piece of literature conceived this century, others have commitments and lives outside of your needs, and sometimes, your timeline just won’t jive with another’s workload.

Perhaps you follow the author on social media. If so, you could reach out to him/her in a direct (private) message there. However, a thoughtfully crafted email is a more formal, and therefore preferable, method. If the author maintains a website, there may be an email contact form (or link) there. It should go without saying, but don’t post your request publicly as a comment on the expert’s social media feed.

Remember: you are not a used car salesman working on commission. While your goal is to convince the expert to give your book a look, don’t corner or aggressively accost the person. A polite and to the point message is your best approach. One frame to try:

Dear (Expert),

I am (a simple phrase indicating what kind of author you are) and (how you know of this expert, whether you have met, are a fan, or follow him/her on a social media). I have a (kind of book you wrote) coming out (release date) from (publisher), and I am writing to ask if you might have the time and/or interest in writing a blurb for it. (Name of the work) is (one sentence summary of what your book is about).

If the answer is no, I completely understand. I hope this letter finds you well and I appreciate your time!

Sincerely,
(You)

If the expert agrees to read your work, provide the ARC immediately, and be clear (and rational) about your deadline. Never expect someone to read and blurb a book in under a month: as a former office manager I know likes to say, “Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” A safer bet is a three-to-six-month window.

If the deadline for the blurb is rapidly approaching (i.e., a week away) and you have not heard from the person who agreed to write the blurb, send a gentle and polite reminder. If you still do not hear back, assume that the person did not care for the book or was unable to read it due to other commitments. While of course it is bad form to agree to write a blurb and not follow through, it is also irrational to expect a stranger to work his/her life around your needs.

No matter what, do not—and this bears repeating due to some of the recent lack of basic manners on social media platforms—DO NOT deluge an expert’s inbox with messages or emails: not when initiating the request, and not when following up. It is one thing to be rejected; it is quite another to come off as an obnoxious, spoiled brat. Don’t leave another author with a bad taste in his/her mouth because you are ambitious; bad behavior is rarely forgotten.

Be gracious, grateful, and authentic

When the book releases in print, reach out to the expert and offer to send him/her a copy, and follow through with that promise with a heartfelt thank you. You wouldn’t expect a reviewer to pay for a copy of the book and you should never expect a blurb writer to pay for one, either.

Finally, the only thing worse than an obnoxious author is a dishonest one. While most authors will have no issues with you tweaking their blurb for grammar, syntax, or space, do not swipe praise for a different work to use to promote a new one without checking with the author first. "If you're planning on using an excerpt from a review posted online to promote the book being blurbed about, that is great. Just don't use the quote out of context, and make sure to contact both the reviewer and outlet that posted the review to let them know in advance. If you're using a blurb that hypes the author from a previously reviewed release or a quote from an interview, you should absolutely get permission in advance. A reviewer or outlet may have loved that previous release but might not want to support the new release due to the content found within," notes Stuart Conover, the editor of Horror Tree.
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A blurb is a feather in an author’s cap, a testimonial of sorts that tells readers that your work is worth their time. However, it’s not worth burning your bridges over. Being courteous, respectful, and honest will win you more loyal readers—and colleagues—in the long run.

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Shocking film festival audiences and earning critical praise on its stateside release, director Robbie Banfitch’s The Outwaters is a terrifyingly original take on the found- footage format that takes audiences on a delirious, gruesome and wildly original journey into the unknown...

The Outwaters follows four friends who set out to make a music video whilst camping in the sun- drenched Mojave desert. Their trip starts off like any other, but the group soon realises something is not right. Mysterious sounds haunt them, and when a menacing force descends, their horrifying journey into soul-shattering darkness begins.


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 Blue Finch Film Releasing presents The Outwaters in cinemas 7 April 
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Runtime: 110 Mins

#TheOutwaters @BlueFinchFilms ​

Seven years ago a book hit the shelves that if you you believed it would turn anyone into a horror writer, it consisted of nothing but terrible cliched phrases, there was no writing tips, to guides to style, grammar, or even the most basic of writing tips.  

So I took the challenge to write a short story based on the book, I thought I had lost it forever, but thanks to Facebook memories I appeared on my Facebook timeline today, so folks here it is the one and only time I will ever write a piece of fiction, well apart from the note I leave my partner telling her what housework I did today.  

"The axe's silver head sang, severing life from limb. Which was rather annoying as it was a shit song. Why I was driving with a singing axe in the seat next to me I could not tell. It was at that point that the old lady flew over my windscreen like a sack of broken bones. Christ I thought that witch should really see a Dr she looks like death warmed up.

Then I realised that I should never have taken my eyes of the road, as it was at that point I hit him, and the wheels of mechanized death paved over his life, leaving tire tracks of hot death on his soul. It was at this point the axe decided to pipe up again......

"See I told you you were a shit driver”. Sick and tired of his cheek I threw the shiny little bastard out of the window with all the force this tired man could muster. Damn it I should have remembered that you shouldn't throw things out of the drivers side window. The axe hit the driver of the car coming towards me, crashing through the windscreen like a silver meteorite of death, to penetrate her deeper than any lover had.

Blood sprayed into the interior of her car like a fountain of blood. Death was instantaneous, well for her any ways.

The car jack knifed and careened into the gas station which erupted in white phosphorus explosions torching flesh into bone. My eyes bulged in fright at the thing. It was more than fright, it was a freezing of my soul.

It was at this point when a crazed form crept out at the shadows and stared at the now smouldering wreck, and the deader than dead corpse in the car. The lobster bibbed lunatic came at the girl with a knife and fork. The slobbering psycho sliced at away at her pregnant belly to get at the tender child meat inside of her. He then moved on to the less prized meat, her stolen eyes were quickly taken bursting like black grapes in the cannibals mouth.

I had to do something, I had to fight against the cold worm of fear that gnawed at my spine. My heart hammered in my chest like a cold steel hammer. Threatening to burst forth like that alien in that film that was written far better than this pile of piss. Oh how I wished I was a better narrator.

Shame and desire mingled hot in my throat. It was at this point I picked up a rock and crept towards the cannibal who was too busy to notice both my approach and hot hell of rage that burned behind my eyes.

As I crept closer the brambles pricked me, hungry for blood, as the trees coked the sun from the sky, plunging me into a primal darkness. It probably wasn’t a good idea to build a gas station right in the middle of a spooky forest, but hey what town planners are like. Why this thought came to me as I drew close the slobbering beast before me, just goes to show that I know nothing about building tension.

As I drew closer I could see that the lobotomy scar wasn’t the only sign of his madness. A shrill laugh burbled over his lips as he cracked open her skull eager to get to the sweat grey meat of her feeble woman’s mind. With his scarred misshapen faced buried in the ragged remains of her cranium, I decided to make my move. The rock rammed into the man’s skull with a meaty splat. I brought the rock down again pulping flesh, bones and teeth into one bloody mass. Like a hungry black snake the road rose up to meet his bloody corpse.

Once I was sure he was dead and no longer a threat I looked over at the remains of the woman driver. She radiated a sinister magnetism that drew me like flies to dustbin. The irony of which wasn’t lost on me as her ravaged head was already home to a buzzing mass of big fat bloated bluebottles. Blood started to throb in my veins like a scarlet web of desire. My pulse quickened with forbidden longing, I was powerless to stop myself from undressing. The steam from her splattered blood lent the scene an almost soft focus soft porn feel. I could almost hear the heavy bass line of a 1000 pornos playing in my mind. What we shared wasn’t love it was madness.

The wood was deadly silent, as though every animal that inhabited was hanging their head in shame at what they had just witnessed. I wasn’t proud of what I had just done, I never knew I was capable of such things. I couldn’t decide who as more vile me the corpse shagger or the cannibal that decided to eat her. It was then I heard a feral cry, the sort of cry that no animal should be able to make. I scrambled to pull up my trousers, embarrassed and scared, like a teenage boy getting caught pissing in the sink by his mother. The scream was followed by a crash of timber. I wonder if it would have made a sound if I wasn’t there to hear it."

Throughout cinema history, planes have frequently played a prominent role as the backdrop for action-packed movies, adeptly capturing feelings of tension, danger, and claustrophobia that arise when characters are confined to a limited space and face a variety of threats. The setting of an aeroplane frequently highlights the action through claustrophobic stories of survival, heroism, and resilience in the face of extreme adversity, offering audiences an exciting and thrilling cinematic experience.


The action-packed Plane features pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) who expertly lands his aircraft on a war-torn island to save his passengers from a lightning strike. However, their troubles are far from over when the passengers are taken captive by dangerous rebels. With limited options, Torrance must rely on Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), a convicted murderer being transported by the FBI, to aid in the rescue mission. As they work together, they uncover unexpected truths about Gaspare, and ultimately it is up to both men to save the lives of everyone on board. With Gerard Butler at his hard-hitting everyman best, and Mike Colter bringing the muscle as his bruising back-up, Plane is one flight not to be missed!


To mark the release of Plane on UK digital platforms now, we present a list of five adrenaline-fuelled action movies that take to the skies.


TOP GUN (1986)
Now regarded as a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most successful and beloved films of the 1980s, Tony Scott's Top Gun is a high-octane thrill ride that depicts the might of the US military complex against an unspecified enemy, embodying the heady excesses of the era. The film catapulted Tom Cruise to international stardom as daredevil US Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who undergoes an intensive training course under the watchful eye of flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis) alongside a cohort of memorable peers to take to the skies and defeat a common enemy all the while navigating themes of love, friendship, and coming-of-age in the face of adversity. The legendary soundtrack, featuring hits like Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone and Berlin's Take My Breath Away, adds to the film's enduring legacy, as do the awe-inspiring aerial displays that continue to captivate audiences to this day. Top Gun was a juggernaut at the US box office and its significance reverberated through the cultural landscape; as director Tony Scott noted, ‘its influence can be seen in everything from fashion to music to politics”. The movie even had a profound impact on a new generation of navy pilots, who were encouraged to follow in the footsteps of Maverick and pursue their dreams of flying!


DIE HARD 2 (1990)
Taking place on Christmas Eve precisely two years after the thrilling events of Die Hard, Renny Harlin’s 1990 sequel sees Bruce Willis reprise his iconic role as L.A.P.D police officer (now lieutenant) John McClane who once again finds himself inadvertently embroiled in a gripping high stakes siege. Harlin’s film replicates the singular location of its predecessor, transplanting the action from a towering skyscraper to Washington Dulles Airport where McClane races against time to stop a group of merciless terrorists hell-bent on freeing General Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), a despotic drug lord in the process of being extradited to the United States. Fighting against ruthless foes and distrusting airport police and military personnel, McClane uses his signature ingenuity and quick wit to prevent imminent catastrophe as the fate of thousands of aeroplane passengers, including his wife, hangs in the balance. While much of Die Hard 2’s action occurs within Washington Dulles Airport, as the film reaches its electrifying crescendo, McClane emerges onto a snowy runway, battling Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) in a gratifyingly memorable fight sequence on the wings of Esperanza’s escaping plane. Surpassing the monumental success of Die Hard was no mean feat but Harlin’s sequel achieved just that, proving even more popular with cinema-goers, amassing double the earnings of its predecessor and ranking as the 7th highest-grossing picture of 1990. Yippee Fly-yay!


EXECUTIVE DECISION (1996)
The hijacking of a passenger airliner by a group of terrorists with a vendetta against the United States forms the basis for Stuart Baird’s 1996 aviation thriller, Executive Decision. The film concerns expert intelligence consultant Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) and his team of specialists faced with the daunting task of infiltrating a hijacked plane and halting a terrorist plot to unleash a deadly nerve gas over Washington D.C. In classic action movie fashion, matters are complicated further when they discover a bomb aboard, heightening the severity of the threat as Russell and his cohorts race against time to defuse the bomb and save the day.  Boasting a star-studded cast including Steven Seagal, John Leguizamo, and Halle Berry, Executive Decision touches on concepts of bravery, selflessness, and the fight against terrorism while adding innovative ideas to the well-traversed hijacked aircraft scenario via the team’s daring infiltration of a passenger plane. Russell’s reluctant hero is easy for audiences to root for and the surprising and untimely death of Seagal’s Lieutenant Colonel Austin Travis brings gravitas to proceedings, considerably raising the film’s already high stakes.


AIR FORCE ONE (1997)
When it comes to on-screen depictions of fictional US presidents, Harrison Ford’s President James Marshall ranks as one of the decided greats; a charismatic born leader and former Vietnam veteran who isn’t afraid to take decisive action when he discovers his flight aboard Air Force One has been hijacked by terrorists on a return trip home from Russia. Orchestrating a fake mid-air escape, Marshall must band together with his loyal crew to quash the terrorist threat while proving his political steel as a strong and capable leader deserving of the presidential office. Featuring an impressive cast that includes Glenn Close, William H. Macy and Gary Oldman as Ford’s adversary, Ivan Korshunov, Air Force One showcases the outstanding skill of Wolfgang Petersen at the peak of his directorial powers who deftly ratchets up the film’s nail-biting tension towards its thrilling climax. The film would prove to be one of the most successful action movies of the 1990s, grossing over 300 million dollars at the US box office, more than tripling its production costs. Ford’s memorably heroic performance — who else could deliver the now legendary “Get off my plane!” line with such earnest conviction — and Petersen’s masterful direction solidifies Air Force One’s status as one of the great action-thrillers of the 1990s.


SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006)
Born from a modest screenplay by university administrator, David Dalessandro, Snakes on a Plane went through several rewrites, revisions, and rejections over the course of a decade before news of its attention-grabbing title attracted interest from an ardent group of eager fans, snowballing into a full-blown internet phenomenon. Starring the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson as FBI agent Neville Flynn, Snakes on a Plane follows Flynn, an agent tasked with escorting and protecting a high-profile witness who must fly from Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify against ruthless mob boss, Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). As the film’s title more than alludes to, all hell breaks loose when one of Kim’s goons releases a crate of venomous snakes on the outbound flight, wreaking havoc on a multitude of colourful and unsuspecting passengers and crew. As the snakes infiltrate every nook and cranny of the cabin, dispatching its occupants in various gruesome ways, Samuel L. Jackson’s Flynn utters the now infamous line which has gleefully come to define David R. Ellis’ film. A film without pretension, Snakes on a Plane leans into its B-Movie trappings proudly, effortlessly establishing its rightful place in the pantheon of cult cinema while simultaneously kickstarting the craze for a plethora of tongue-in-cheek creature features in the latter half of the 2000s and beyond.


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In the white-knuckle action movie Plane, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island - only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning.
When most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), a convicted murderer who was being transported by the FBI. Discovering there’s more to Gaspare than meets the eye, it will be up to both men to rescue everyone.
Plane is directed by Jean-François Richet (The Emperor of Paris, Mesrine: Killer Instinct); Produced by Alastair Burlingham (Moonfall), Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen), Marc Butan (Triple 9), Michael Cho (WeWork); Starring Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Yoson An (Mulan), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Dominion), Paul Ben-Victor (The Irishman). 

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