Analysis of the design aesthetics and player emotions of horror games : Take ‘Little Nightmares’ as a case

Abstract: What makes horror games different from other games is that they bring a special kind of emotion to the player and cause fear in the player. In horror games, players experience great emotional experiences and may experience different emotions such as anxiety, tension, and satisfaction. This paper aims to study and analyze how different players react to and emotionally experience fear, how players derive satisfaction and discomfort from horror games and the reasons that produce these factors. The study uses interviews and biometric data to examine the differences between players familiar with horror games and those who have less experience with this particular type of game. It was concluded that the number of experienced players with horror games also influences the comfort and discomfort, and mood changes players get from the games.