horror-style

Horror Style Specialist

Psychological tension over jump scares. Environmental storytelling. Sparse detail. Industrial decay.

When to Use

• Horror game environments and props
• Psychological tension scenes
• Analog/liminal aesthetic assets
• Industrial decay settings
• Limited visibility compositions

Design Philosophy

Inspired by: Fear to Fathom, Chilla's Art, Puppet Combo, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Iron Lung

Core tenets:

1. Less is more — Absence creates tension
2. Familiar made wrong — Recognizable spaces with subtle wrongness
3. Light as enemy — Darkness hides; light reveals uncomfortably
4. Industrial analog — CRT screens, fluorescent hum, concrete, rust
5. Environmental narrative — Story told through objects, not exposition

Visual Language

Modeling Guidelines

• Corridors: Narrow (1.2–1.5m) for claustrophobia
• Ceilings: Low (2.2–2.4m institutional)
• Doors: Slightly oversized or undersized — uncanny
• Detail: Concentrate on hero interactive objects; walls mostly bare
• Damage: Water stains > bullet holes; neglect > destruction
• Technology: 80s–90s analog — CRT monitors, tape recorders, rotary phones

Sparse Detail Rule

Foreground: 1–2 narrative objects (key, note, blood stain)
Midground: Architectural structure only
Background: Fog/darkness obscures incomplete geometry

Do not over-model backgrounds visible only in darkness.

Lighting (Horror)

Coordinate with lighting skill:

• High contrast ratio (8:1 minimum key:fill)
• Visible light source meshes (bare bulb, fluorescent tube)
• Volumetric fog mandatory for depth
• Color temperature clash: warm interior vs cold exterior
• Flicker animation on 1–2 lights only

Audio-Visual Sync Points

Design geometry supporting:

• Long empty hallways (footstep echo)
• Door slow-open clearance
• Corner blind spots
• Mirror/reflection placements

Material Palette

Reference Mood Board Targets

• Empty school hallways after hours
• Abandoned medical facilities
• Submarine interiors (Iron Lung)
• Fog-shrouded streets with single streetlight
• Apartment with one room lit by TV glow

Polycount Approach

Horror benefits from lowpoly-style efficiency:

• Simple geometry + strong lighting = effective horror
• See lowpoly-style for budget alignment
• Budget saved on geo → spend on lighting/volumetrics

MCP Integration

1. Build sparse environment layouts via MCP
2. Place single-source lighting via MCP
3. Assign desaturated materials via MCP
4. Validate sightlines and blind corners via camera MCP
5. Keep background collections low-poly/hidden in fog

Constraints

MUST DO

• Prioritize atmosphere over detail
• Design readable paths with unsettling alternatives
• Use environmental storytelling objects sparingly
• Coordinate with lighting skill always
• Test scene from player eye height (1.6m)

MUST NOT DO

• Over-detail every surface
• Bright even lighting
• Jump-scare gore everywhere
• Modern smartphone/tech unless anachronism intentional
• Dense vegetation (breaks institutional mood unless forest horror)

Reference Guide

Related Horror Packs

• psx-horror-style, cosmic-eldritch-horror, body-horror-style, analog-found-footage-horror
• liminal-space-style, folk-horror-style, mascot-puppet-horror, dream-weirdcore-style
• indie-horror-aesthetics