Write a horror game first as something else then add horror elements later

So let's say you're trying to make a game. It's a horror game, but this is for both developers and players. When you're playing a horror game, try to play it as though it is not a horror game, but an entirely different genre. Don't play it for the sole purpose of getting scared. Essentially, play it while focusing on the most interesting aspects. If you find the game boring, then you are either so focused on getting scared that you don't really care about the game, or the game is just boring overall and none of the villains or monsters interest you. Play another one.

When I say focus on it as if it were an entirely different genre, like mystery, thriller, etc., you have to get into a state where you don't need to be scared just to be interested. And yeah, pretty much.

However, you should also introduce it to other people who don't really play horror games. If they're not going to be scared, then they're going to enjoy the game far more than you will, unless you're desensitized. If you're so into horror that you're so desensitized that you can't really be scared by anything, then your endeavor of being scared by a horror game is a failure, and you must look into other genres or switch to a different kind of horror, basically, like analog horror.

But if you're a game developer, try to make a game that is actually very fun and good without being scary. There are certain people with mental illnesses that inhibit their ability to be scared or diminish fear, and not everyone's going to be scared of the exact same thing. Try to make a game that is actually very fun, interesting, and intriguing, with a very interesting story that isn't necessarily literal horror. Try to make it as a different genre first, then try to add the horror elements later. Write it without any thought of genre, and then add horror elements later, unless the only way you can write a good story is through genre-picking.

So the last post I made essentially was talking about making a horror game horror-first instead of something else later. Now, the reason why I did this is because it prevents fear crutch. What is fear crutch? Fear crutch is when you're so focused on making a horror game scary, or a scary horror game, or just the idea of making a horror game, that you don't do anything else. Like, you're trying to make a horror game, so you say, "I'm going to make it dark. I'm going to make a scary monster," etc., but you get so clogged into that that you don't add anything else.

Now, sometimes it can be helpful because you add these really fun mechanics, such as a really interesting AI, a really interesting, working monster, etc., but fear crutch essentially is when you're so focused on the scary aspect of a horror game that you don't actually make a good or fun game. You just make something boring.

Now, again, it could end up into something fun because your fear crutch could lead you to trying to make really fun, scary horror mechanics, such as a really interesting and scary AI. But essentially, with fear crutch, much of the time, you either add inconveniences, such as making areas so dark that the player can't really see, or making the boss enemy far too hard, or you get into a state where you don't really care about the game. You just care about making a game, and you don't actually make anything super-duper interesting.