What has discovering Amnesia/Frictional Games done for you?

[n0rtygames]

For me, Amnesia was (like many) the gateway to Frictionals other titles. As another indie dev - a survival horror is something I'd wanted to do for years, but being a big fan of HP Lovecraft and older Japanese horrors - I wanted to try and capture the isolation and overall feeling of a more psychological horror with buildup to the grand finale. But most games featured gunplay and too much exposure to the enemies you encountered. I'd seen Amnesia on steam a few times but (shamefully) never really checked it out until the hype started and I started seeing more of the game.

Then, when I got around to playing the demo I was basically hooked. Played through Amnesia over the course of several weeks when I could get the time after putting the kids to bed and then started on the Penumbra series.

I think the thing that stands out the most, is apart from a few grunts and "Oh s***!" moments when I'd trigger a monster I didn't know was there - most of the horror of Frictionals titles takes me back to being an early teenager and playing dark moody games alone in my room with a feeling of apprehension over what's around the next corner. Something Thomas Grip always talks about in depth is the use of sensory deprivation to let the player scare themselves with their imagination. Limited draw distances, subtle sounds and well written plot elements all help to weave quite a macabre and horrible picture in a unique experience that sort of commands some unspoken audience participation.

So, in a word - discovering Frictional has been inspiring. Rediscovered the horror genre again and realised that there's a whole load of life left in it for developers to explore.

Plus it's contributed to an increase in electricity bills due to stained underwear.