Disturbance: A Conceptual Tool for Horror Game Design
Resumo
Introduction: Horror games use design elements that provoke discomfort, such as fear, stress, and anxiety. Objective: This paper proposes Disturbance as a conceptual tool for classifying discomfort-producing design elements in horror games according to frequency, sensory modality, and diegetic status. Methodology: The concept is developed through an exploratory qualitative approach, inspired by principles of Grounded Theory. Results: Disturbance aligns with previous literature and shows potential as a tool for horror game design analysis.
Palavras-chave:
Horror Games, Game Design, Disturbance
Referências
Adolph, S., Kruchten, P., e Hall, W. (2012). Reconciling perspectives: A grounded theory of how people manage the process of software development. Journal of Systems and Software, 85(6):1269–1286.
De Andrade, D., Lopes, P., e Fachada, N. (2025). Liminal procedural horror. In 2025 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), pages 1–4.
Diel, A. e Lewis, M. (2022). Structural deviations drive an uncanny valley of physical places. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 82:101844.
Dudek, B. (2021). A sense of fear and anxiety in digital games: An analysis of cognitive stimuli in slender–the eight pages. Game Studies, 21(2).
Ekman, P. (2003). Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life. Times Books, New York.
Glaser, B. e Strauss, A. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Transaction.
Graja, S., Lopes, P., e Chanel, G. (2021). Impact of visual and sound orchestration on physiological arousal and tension in a horror game. IEEE Transactions on Games, 13(3):287–299.
Haahr, M. (2018). Playing with vision: Sight and seeing as narrative and game mechanics in survival horror. In Interactive Storytelling: 11th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2018, Dublin, Ireland, December 5–8, 2018, Proceedings, page 193–205, Berlin, Heidelberg. Springer-Verlag.
Habel, C. e Kooyman, B. (2014). Agency mechanics: gameplay design in survival horror video games. Digital Creativity, 25(1):1–14.
Hawco, V. (2023). The ludic impact of horror games on the body: Until dawn, amnesia: The dark descent, and alien: Isolation. Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, 29:381–400.
Hook, N. (2015). Grounded theory, chapter 18, page 309–320. ETC Press, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Juul, J. (2013). The Art of Failure: An Essay on the Pain of Playing Video Games. The MIT Press, reprint edition edition.
Ntokos, K. (2018). Level of fear”: Analysis of fear spectrum into a tool to support horror game design for immersion and fear. An International Journal (CGDEIJ), 1(33-43).
Pinedo, I. C. (1997). Recreational terror: Women and the pleasures of horror film viewing. Suny Press.
Pires, R. V., de Carvalho Azevedo, C. M., e Pimenta, F. J. P. (2018). Câmera em ação: uma análise semiótica das mecânicas de câmera em little nightmares. In Anais Estendidos do XXII Simpósio Brasileiro de Jogos e Entretenimento Digital.
Schell, J. (2008). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. CRC press.
Stol, K.-J., Ralph, P., e Fitzgerald, B. (2016). Grounded theory in software engineering research: A critical review and guidelines. In Proceedings of the 38th International conference on software engineering, pages 120–131.
De Andrade, D., Lopes, P., e Fachada, N. (2025). Liminal procedural horror. In 2025 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), pages 1–4.
Diel, A. e Lewis, M. (2022). Structural deviations drive an uncanny valley of physical places. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 82:101844.
Dudek, B. (2021). A sense of fear and anxiety in digital games: An analysis of cognitive stimuli in slender–the eight pages. Game Studies, 21(2).
Ekman, P. (2003). Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life. Times Books, New York.
Glaser, B. e Strauss, A. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Transaction.
Graja, S., Lopes, P., e Chanel, G. (2021). Impact of visual and sound orchestration on physiological arousal and tension in a horror game. IEEE Transactions on Games, 13(3):287–299.
Haahr, M. (2018). Playing with vision: Sight and seeing as narrative and game mechanics in survival horror. In Interactive Storytelling: 11th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2018, Dublin, Ireland, December 5–8, 2018, Proceedings, page 193–205, Berlin, Heidelberg. Springer-Verlag.
Habel, C. e Kooyman, B. (2014). Agency mechanics: gameplay design in survival horror video games. Digital Creativity, 25(1):1–14.
Hawco, V. (2023). The ludic impact of horror games on the body: Until dawn, amnesia: The dark descent, and alien: Isolation. Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, 29:381–400.
Hook, N. (2015). Grounded theory, chapter 18, page 309–320. ETC Press, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Juul, J. (2013). The Art of Failure: An Essay on the Pain of Playing Video Games. The MIT Press, reprint edition edition.
Ntokos, K. (2018). Level of fear”: Analysis of fear spectrum into a tool to support horror game design for immersion and fear. An International Journal (CGDEIJ), 1(33-43).
Pinedo, I. C. (1997). Recreational terror: Women and the pleasures of horror film viewing. Suny Press.
Pires, R. V., de Carvalho Azevedo, C. M., e Pimenta, F. J. P. (2018). Câmera em ação: uma análise semiótica das mecânicas de câmera em little nightmares. In Anais Estendidos do XXII Simpósio Brasileiro de Jogos e Entretenimento Digital.
Schell, J. (2008). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. CRC press.
Stol, K.-J., Ralph, P., e Fitzgerald, B. (2016). Grounded theory in software engineering research: A critical review and guidelines. In Proceedings of the 38th International conference on software engineering, pages 120–131.
Publicado
29/09/2026
Como Citar
NASCIMENTO, Miguel; XEXÉO, Geraldo.
Disturbance: A Conceptual Tool for Horror Game Design. In: SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE JOGOS E ENTRETENIMENTO DIGITAL (SBGAMES), 25. , 2026, Goiânia/GO.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2026
.
p. 452-462.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbgames.2026.25983.
