The Creepy Corridors of Video Games | Hacker News Reader

The Creepy Corridors of Video Games

eurogamer.net

61 pointsobjections28 comments

On the other hand, corridors in Half Life 1 were very well designed and not-fear inducing, especially in the beginning of the game - with colored lines on walls marking the routes to important destinations[1].

I wish this idea was applied to the buildings I work in, where I keep getting lost. For example, a green line tracing a way to the cafeteria; a blue one going to the restrooms; a red one to the exits, etc.

[1]https://youtu.be/hsTEoGoAxUk?t=396

It's very common in hospitals. I'd love to see it in more places.

Madrid's subway works that way. Each line is identified by a unique number and color, and the corridors feature the color of the line - so if you're in a red corridor you know your entering or exiting a line 2 platform.

Great point. But you can't mention that game without mentioning the corridors of "Office Complex" - lit by semifunctional fluorescents and strewn with destruction - which are perfect examples of this trope.

https://youtu.be/WZVj6_h4X0s?t=35

I've seen such an idea (colored lines on the ground) to show the way to the different line stops in train/subway stations with a lot of different lines. A pity the lines aren't made in a durable material and it quickly disappear.

Interesting. Talking about metaphoric memes, you might have noticed that pretty much every police and action show spends a lot of their time showing people with guns, and often flashlights too, exploring gloomy places.

There must be some academy for actors to learn how to dance from corner to corner holding the gun in the most sexy way.

Edit: is there some place with explanations of the signs patrols use? Like raising the fist in an angle to mean "stop".

Yes, here is the

1. British version https://www.contactleft.co.uk/british-military-section-and-p...

2. American version https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/tc3-21-60.pdf

And a classical parody: https://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10...

Unable to read the article currently (company network restrictions) but my Wife and I have a late night hobby of watching people play horror games on YouTube. The games we watch need to be a bit more interesting than cheap jump scares (interesting stories, etc) but its so fun.

We even installed a projector and pull down screen in our bedroom for the "movie theater experience" :)

Some games we enjoyed:

    - Outlast
    - Outlast 2 (not as good as original)
    - Resident Evil 7 (really good!)
    - Alien Isolation
    - Until Dawn

I was surprised how much I actually ended up enjoying watching other people stream their games. I just couldn't grasp why Twitch was so popular, and why people just didn't play the games themselves - until I finally watched some streamers. It's like they were able to box the younger sibling experience -- the older sibling is playing whatever game, and the younger is there watching and enjoying the experience (perhaps with a disconnected controller they can randomly press with no actual outcome). Over the month of October I saw some horror streams as well - and there is something really nice about sharing the jump scares etc with a group of people, even when you aren't playing.

It is an odd thing to explain to someone. "So.. you watch other people play games? Why don't you just play them yourself?"

When you are playing games (especially horror) you are really in the moment and focused on the objective. When watching someone else you can lay back and laugh when they jump out of their chair (and sometimes spill your popcorn as well).

I personally prefer YouTube however as I find the Twitch apps to be clunky and I don't really care for the so-fast-hard-to-read chat. I tend to find people that focus on the horror genre and check in with them every so often for new content.

Aliens total conversion for Doom was quite creepy, for its time. Supposedly a gaming company even tried to hire the creator. I'd say it doesn't hold up today though.

The game version of "sci-fi corridor"

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/313130/in_praise_of_the_sci...

https://scificorridorarchive.com/

This brings to mind my (rather limited) experience with portals designed as defense positions; short line of site, single person entry, with many twists and turns, and then, once you're inside, a nice long hallway to the manned security checkpoint.

No mention at all of either House of Leaves or The Library of Babel? Bah.

Not even the term “Liminal spaces”¹ is used.

1. https://imgur.com/gallery/xwOFK

And as another gaming example: Control. That game does nothing to hide the HoL influence.

> Buy P.T. from Amazon

lolwut[1]

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.T._(video_game)#Removal_and_...

The article links to a now-unavailable listing for a PS4 that still had PT installed on it.

I still rue the day I uninstalled that game.

/r/backrooms is an excellent subreddit devoted to real-life examples of this trope. It's surprisingly creepy.

This reminded me one of my childhood horrors when I climbed up the stairwell, looked around, and now both ladders go up to the dead end. One window upstairs and a corridor with no doors.

https://www.reddit.com/r/backrooms/comments/duzaw4/im_a_litt...

Some neat pictures, but I cannot fathom why anyone would be into weird roleplay based on a creepypasta.

"Stop liking things I don't like!"

With the tidal wave of hateful vitriol permeating the tubes, silly roleplay subs where people have creative harmless fun helps to restore my faith in humanity. See also: /r/thefridgelight

This reminds me of a truly creepy corridor game: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons for the Intellivision.

https://images.app.goo.gl/yzXtuK5EqMz5waiK8

It freaked me out so much as a kid in the 90s. Still uncomfortable to play :)

Fallout 3 has that great bit in the vault tec exhibit with scruffy bloodstained walls and flickering lights. Great environmental story telling. You expect an ambush to occur but it never does.

Lab X-18 in Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl has a lot of those.

Doom's were the best though :)

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