Indie games are often the most experimental and creative games out there, especially when it comes to horror games. However, when it comes to any type of media in general, they each have their tropes, and that’s no different with indie horror. One of the most interesting tropes is when a horror game takes older graphics and utilizes the visual style in a way that enhances its horror.
One Japanese horror developer, Chilla’s Art, is one that utilizes older graphics styles to a highly effective degree. A few of their games, such as “The Closing Shift” and “The Convenience Store,” are well-made games that utilize this style to really drag out a feeling of the uncanny valley. Characters within their games have realistic features translated through an old visual style, which creates a stark contrast that makes the player feel like something is off. These games place the player in very uncomfortable and scary scenarios where the visual style helps to complement as well.
“Squirrel Stapler,” by David Szymanski is another example of this trope in indie games. The base premise of the game is that you are a hunter who hunts squirrels, then staples them to a dead body. This horror game has a uniquely bizarre premise that, when combined with its old graphical style, creates a truly unsettling atmosphere.
“Nun Massacre” is another indie game that utilizes this style well. On top of the old PS1 style graphics is an old VHS filter that gives the game a retro feeling as you play as someone exploring an old building as you get chased down by a killer nun. Combined with its intense sound design, it’s one to truly scare your socks off.
