Why are dark and frightening games attractive?

Petri Lankoski’s interest in this issue goes back to his doctoral thesis, where he analysed character design in the horror games Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3 and Project Zero. These games raised questions about how horror and other unpleasant experiences function in a medium where we not only observe what is happening but also participate.

“Powerful experiences get our emotional systems moving, and we prefer experiencing something to be being bored. Games also allow us to experience frightening, repulsive or otherwise unpleasant things without physical danger or actual consequences,” says Lankoski.

A protective frame

A central concept in Lankoski’s analysis is the “protective frame” that arises when we know that an experience is actually safe, despite it causing feelings such as fear or discomfort. He compares this to parachuting; without a parachute and the right training, it would be terrifying in a completely different way. Instead, safety equipment allows the situation to be experienced as exciting.

“By their very nature, games create this protective frame. They allow us to experience things that are frightening or unpleasant, without the physical dangers or consequences found if the same situation were real life.”

Discomfort can be beneficial

However, a gaming experience does not have to be pleasurable to be valuable. Researchers will sometimes make a distinction between hedonistic experiences, which centre on pleasure, and eudaimonic experiences, which can be rewarding even when unpleasant or challenging.

“Eudaimonic experiences are about meaning, personal development and self-awareness, rather than simply feeling good in the moment. I believe these types of experiences demand some sort of self-reflection, that you learn something about yourself.”

Games can provide a safe environment in which to explore aspects of your sexuality, for example, if you are not comfortable exploring this in your everyday life. This principle can also apply to completely different types of games.

Lankoski mentions This War of Mine, in which the player tries to survive as a civilian in a war zone. The game presents the player with unpleasant or morally difficult situations that can raise questions about war, morality and ethics.

The game is where you decide

The role of the player is what sets games apart from many other media. A novel or film can also allow us to approach dark and difficult subjects from a safe distance, but in a game we often have to make the decisions ourselves.

Lankoski describes this as an “I experience”. The player does not simply witness someone else succeeding, failing or making a morally difficult decision; they participate in it themselves.

“You are not just watching a character make decisions – you are the one making them. Your emotions are thus not simply tied to witnessing what happens, but also to your own choices, successes and failures in the world of the game.”