Basic Interface Mockups and Colour Scheme

Start Screen

Main Interface

Confirm Quit

Main colours: Dark Red, Grey and Black. I chose these colours as they are dark and well suited to the horror genre.

My Psychology of Horror Research

Below is my research essay on the psychology of the horror genre. If I had to do it again I would make it looker and more in depth and looking back on it I feel some sections were a little lacking in details, such as the section on the brain. ThePsychologyoftheHorrorGenreEssay-2

The Short Story

The Haunting of 13 Rosebush House

(My short story that my game will be based upon).
I decided to do my game based upon this story as I felt the killer being a different ghost from the others did not come across well in the story and hoped it would in a more visual medium.


A loud clap of thunder struck out from nowhere, making many people of all ages jump an inch in the air. More people than usual jumped at this thunder clap as there had been previously no sign to suggest there would be any thunder or lightening. The sky had been clear all that day, in fact there had been not so much as a breeze in the air.

It had gotten dark out now, and few people could be found out on the streets, that would not happen until tomorrow night. Tonight was the eve of that magical time that comes, but once a year, no not Christmas, but that occasion that is so very underestimated and under appreciated, Halloween.
It’s a time that there is an undeniably different atmosphere about. It’s a time that people can let their hair down and have a bit of fun, dress up as all sorts of creatures that go bump in the night, go partying, trick-or-treating or simply staying in, putting on some ghostly horror movies surrounded by decorations of black cats, ghosts and skeletons.

However as you are about to learn there is much more to Halloween than pure entertainment.

The famous curtain between the realms of the living and the dead are at their thinnest and what better time for a ghost to make an appearance?

Lets forget about ghosts for a minute, do you really imagine you're in no more danger than on any other day? Have you not ever thought what a perfect night this is to be a serial killer, a deranged psychopath? How easy it would be for one to hide his face behind a mask, yet still fit in?  What about the ghost of a serial killer? Or how about both, ghosts and a serial killer?

Perhaps it’s from pollution, but this year the veil seemed to be thinner than normal. Everyone could feel it, this year’s halloween felt different, a slight shiver up the spine as you looked out the window or a feeling of dread as you stand outside alone trying to unlock your car door.

It was five pm now and it had already become dark out. It had continued to thunder and lightning since that initial strike. As if the thunder and lightning was not enough in the dull lighting to create a spooky climate, if you went to 13 Rosebush House you might catch a glimpse of a closed curtain pulled aside in one of the windows, with a shadowy figure peeking through the gap.

13 Rosebush House with its innocent sounding name lays about a mile and half from it’s nearest village. Its exterior looking quite pleasant, a demonstration that you can’t judge a book by its cover, for to be an occupant of this house is to truly stare death in the face.

Jake and Jill a newly married couple with a bouncing baby boy (less than two months old) are the “lucky” new home owners who have moved into 13 Rosebush House just three days ago. Had they been bounced about their bedroom from floor to ceiling yet? Of course not, these things take time.
However it was not going to take as much time as perhaps it could have, as poor Jake and Jill had unfortunately moved in, right in time for Halloween.

The first thing Jill had noticed in that house from day one, was little things like car keys would disappear and reappear in odd places, this however she and Jake had just ignored as “just one-of-those-things”. But it wasn’t until Hell Night (the night before Halloween) that neither Jake nor Jill could deny that one of two things were happening; 1. They had gone completely insane from the stress of moving house, or 2. Their new home was seriously haunted.

They quickly started to hope that they were indeed insane, as that would have been preferable to the alternative, perhaps even safer than the alternative. Jake had awoken on that 30th of October at three am, for what appeared to be no reason. He didn’t need to go to the toilet, nor could he hear any obvious sounds that may have disturbed his sleep.

So he turned over and adjusted his body to get comfortable, while not trying to disturb his wife laying next to him. But he wouldn’t get the chance, before he could get back off to sleep he heard it as clear as day, loud footsteps coming up the stairs. It could of course have been simply a burglar, in which case it would have been a good idea for him to have shot out of bed, and either investigated or at least have locked the door. But he was too taken by surprise so he just laid there listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer.





Meanwhile two villages away an eighteen year old girl named Sarah had just finished babysitting and was walking home alone. It was dark here too of course, which a year or two ago would not have been a problem, however after the recession had set in, the local council switched off 30% of the village’s street lamps and on the path she was on, it was entirely black. It would have made more sense if they had turned off every other light and not all the lights in one area, but that’s another matter.
She was armed merely with a very small torch that gave out little light and her handbag with a few basic essentials in it, including the new ‘girl’s best friend’ her mobile phone. She however would not get a chance to open her bag and retrieve the phone. She was walking down a dark alley trying to take her mind off the fact that she was down a pitch black alley where anyone could be lurking. She had got half way along what had seemed like the never ending path, when a pair of arms had come out of nowhere, before she could react one hand had instantly covered her mouth silencing her and the other had wedged her arms behind her back, dragging her into the shadows.





Meanwhile the footsteps back at 13 Rosebush House had reached the top of the landing and had stopped outside of Jake and Jills bedroom door, he thought he heard a female sigh as it had reached the top. Jake had now finally decided to sit up in the bed a little, with Jill remaining fast asleep next to him.

The bedroom door started to slowly open, with Jake’s heart now pounding so hard it was on the point of leaping out of his mouth. The door stopped opening after having opened only about an inch, Jake had now had enough of the waiting and so had jumped out of bed. He ran to the door and swung it wide open, just to find no one there.

Jake knowing very well that he had clearly heard human feet on the stairs, proceeded to search the entire house to no avail.

He checked all of the windows and doors making sure they were fastened securely. After he was fully satisfied that the house was once again empty of any intruders and that it was as secure as he could make it for the time being, he went back to bed and decided not to bother Jill with it till morning.





The killer had finished with his victim by now and had long since left her body discarded in the alleyway, so badly mutilated that she would be even unrecognisable to her parents.

He was very pleased with himself, as a great artist maybe after finishing his latest masterpiece.
He had been drawn in a certain direction all night, as if pulled by an invisible magic leash. But now he could feel he was getting close to the source of this “magic”.

He was now on the same street as Rosebush House and he could feel himself getting pulled harder and faster, this time toward one house in particular. He read the sign next to the gate as he approached, it read 13 Rosebush House.

His recent kill had affected him oddly, on one hand he felt more alive and awake. But on the other he was physically tired. Any more killing would have to wait until he was recharged, but he was perfectly capable of being patient.

Tomorrow would be Halloween and he would have all the power he would ever need.





31st October

BBO News — BREAKING NEWS — Reports are coming in from all over the country of electrical disturbances. People are reporting short electrical outages and others telephone or internet connection problems.



Jill awoke shortly before Jake that morning and was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when he came in. He proceeded to tell her about the events of the previous night, when the lights went out.

At first Jake tried the bathroom light switch and then the bedrooms.
“It must be a power cut, I heard something on the radio in the bedroom about nationwide power blackouts.” Said Jill to Jake.

About twenty-five minutes later the power came back on. While making their second cups of coffee they talked some more about the things that went bump in their night. They decided that even though it was probably nothing, the best idea was to look into the history of the house and see if any thing odd had happened there or if anyone had died in usual circumstances.

So they agreed that after work, if he had the time he would pop into the county records office.

Jill stayed at home with the baby, but she soon would wish she hadn't. All the time she felt like someone was standing behind her, only to spin around and find no one there. The rooms were filled will a misty haze that had no source, at first she tried rubbing her eyes thinking she was just tired. The final straw came when she saw a shadowy figure in the corner of her eye and heard a door creak.

She decided to call her friend Barbara to see if she was available to come over, luckily she was.

Barbara arrived quickly and sat down to a cup of tea with Jill. Jill told her all about what had been happening in their new home. She too could see the misty haze and after a while she left the living room to go to the toilet.

She was gone for about five minutes when there was a loud blood curdling scream from in the downstairs bathroom, a scream of pure terror. Before Jill could reach the bathroom, Barbara came running down the hallway straight into her.

“GET OUT” she was screaming, “grab your baby and get out of this place”. Before Jill had time to even reply she was out the door and into her car, driving away as fast as she could.

Jill now more scared than ever picked up her baby and clutched him in her arms tightly. All she could do now was await Jakes return.

She sat there for ages in that creepy misty haze holding on to her baby, waiting. The more she waited the more every little creak and flicker got her heart pounding in her chest.

Eventually to her relief she heard the sound of a car pull up in the driveway. She looked out of the window in time to see Jake stepping out of his car and for a minute she could have sworn she had seen a tall shadowy figure lurking in the bushes, but upon closer examination she could see nothing and brushed it off.

Jake came in and kissed her affectionately.
“Ok Sweet Heart?” he asked. She told him all about her day, as he listened intently. The first thing she was eager to ask him, was if he had time to research the house.
He hadn't, as by the time he got there they were closed for the day.
“But don’t worry” he told her, “I’ll try the net”. He tried the internet but even though there was power and he could use the computer there was no internet connection, just like there had been reports of happening on the news. He attempted to borrow his neighbours computer. But they reported having the same issue.
“So I guess all we can do is sit back and wait” he informed Jill.

As they waited it began to get dark. Creaks and groans could now be heard coming from all over the house, then just to top it all off the door handle on the backdoor started to rattle.
“All right that's it, I cant’t take anymore” shouted Jill.
“OK OK honey, let me give the net a try again, OK?” jake replied. He found at first it was disconnecting and reconnecting all the time, however after a while it seemed to be stable again.

The first thing he attempted to do was to look up anyway to “kill” or dispel ghosts. In the end about all he could find was to perform a “Smudging” with sage, unfortunately they had none, which would mean going out and finding some.
According to the net you could buy sage as a spice from plenty of places, but ready bundled for smudging he would have to go to some sort of Pagan or Wiccan shop. He found one approximately ten miles away which was closed, he decided to give them a call and they agreed to meet him there.
The next thing on his list, was to research their house, which caused another hurdle. They very quickly found some very interesting search results, when he clicked the most appropriate link his cursor just kept spinning and spinning. The internet had gone again. So he left it and went out to fetch the smudge sticks.



He wasn’t gone ten minutes when the backdoor started rattling again, this time more furiously. Then the pounding started, someone or something was trying to kick the door in.
Jill first grabbed up the phone, but like the internet it too was dead. So she ran up stairs and barricaded herself in their bedroom. As she sat there waiting with her heart in her throat and her baby in her arms, she could hear heavy footsteps going from room to room. Then there was creaking and thudding up the stairs.

Before long it had finished searching the upstairs rooms and had found its way to her door, first it shook the handle. Then realising that this was the room they must be in, it started bashing away at the door. Jill had never felt fear like this before and now the baby had started to cry.



Jake had made it to the shop in about twelve minutes, the shop keeper was waiting at the door for him. He gave the smudge sticks to Jake and told him not to worry about the money and to “just go home and do what needs done”.
That is exactly what Jake did, going at a speed that was sure to get him a speeding ticket in the post.

He got back in about seven or eight minutes, when he reached the door he could hear his baby crying frantically, fearing the worst he opened the door and began trying to light the sticks. Of course the lighter was being very stubborn, but eventually it did catch, and he was able to light them.
The sound of the baby crying was clearly coming from up stairs, he rushed up leaving a trail of burning ash behind him. For a moment he could hardly believe his eyes, at the outside of their bedroom door was a big black shadowy mass.

It speedily came at him, he waved the burning sticks right into it and it seemed to dispel. He knocked on the bedroom door
“Its me, Its me, open up!”, Jill did so and hugged him.
“We had better get the hell out of here” he told her and they made their way down stairs.
The thing was standing in front of the main door, Jill started crying. Again he swung the smudge sticks at it, but without any luck this time.

Luckily he remembered something he had read online about getting-rid of ghosts, you must be firm and assertive, which he quickly told Jill to do, after a short time she regained control of herself.
“GET OUT OF OUR WAY!” they both shouted with Jake waving the sticks at it. Once again it disappeared, they made their way to the car and drove away.
In the rear view mirror Jill noticed smoke rising from the house, it had caught fire from the burning ash, from the smudge sticks she presumed.
“And good riddance” she muttered under her breath.



If you were a fly on the wall as they left you would have seen the web page Jake had been trying to open finally load and on it was all the information on the house and its land going back seven hundred years. Included in this information was an article on how an old hospital, that covered the land that the house is now on (Rosebush Hospital) had burnt down in 1866, killing hundreds.

Welcome

This is the blog for my Final Major Project on my Games Development course.