Game Making: Start By Healing the Player

Chapter 54

As the latest release from Nebula Games, or rather, as the latest release of the infamous Chen Xu, there were many who were keeping tabs on it.

And these people weren’t just gamers; numerous game designers, and gaming media outlets were included.

After all, the name of Chen Xu is now a recognisable brand, a publicly acknowledged award winner.

‘To the Moon’ touched the hearts of many and grew the fanbase by a wide margin, so the anticipation of his next release was sizable, to say the least.

But perhaps the most enthusiastic group of people were the horror game fans. Speculation and discussion of ‘Outlast’ had made waves in their community.

And now that the release had come, the forums were lit up with posts about the new game.

[ Good lord! Today I stumbled across a newly launched horror game. Scared the pants off me! I thought I was just adding a cheap, typical game to my collection, but damn, this is the first time I took a break out of fear *sweat emoji* ]

[ I know, you’re talking about ‘Outlast’ right? I still can’t believe it’s made by the same guy who made ‘To the Moon’. This game is terrifying! The early jumpscares weren’t too impressive, but it was all a false sense of security! ]

[ Saaaaame, brother, same. It’s actually so scary. When I hid in the locker and prayed for the monsters to not find me, I knew I was playing a good game. ]

[ I could handle the jumpscares, I’m used to jumpscares, but the night vision mode parts really got to me. I’ve never been more creeped out in a game. ]

Those who had experienced the game were actively discussing various aspects of ‘Outlast’. Their conversations and threads attracted the attention of players who had no clue about the game.

While mentioning ‘Undertale’ and ‘To the Moon’ will draw attention and interest for gamers who are in tune with the indie gaming landscape, the wider mainstream was still unfamiliar with Chen Xu and Nebula Games as a whole.

This is why marketing budgets never seem to stop increasing for major gaming companies.

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Most gamers are pretty passive with the games they play. Unless something strikes a chord with them, they rarely bother with remembering the names of the studios and game designers.

With numerous threads and posts popping up, ‘Outlast’ came to draw in many people who previously weren’t interested or aware of Chen Xu.

[ A new horror game with such good reviews, huh? ]

[ Are you speaking facts or is this just hype? C’mon, it’s just a horror game.]

[ Lmao, fine, go try it yourself then. It’s available on the official platform, and if you get it on the Nebula platform, there’s a bit of a discount. ]

[ OJBK, i’ll fuckin do it! ]

( OJBK = slang for “fine, whatever” )

[ I’ll try it too, yall are just a bunch of cowards. ]

[ I look forward to your reactions. Don’t keep me waiting hehehe. ]

[ Yep, we’ll get back to you after beating this cheap game. ]

Those bold words were soon put to the test, and a follow up was posted within two hours.

Their earlier bravado had vanished, their dismissive tones hushed.

Their comments were drenched by their current state of mind.

[ WTF I nearly died of fright! Who approved of this game? ]

[ I’m actually feeling dizzy. The basement part with the generators almost broke me down. It’s so dark, I’m out of batteries, there’s a guy chasing me… ]

[ Damn near wet myself, shouldn’t have had that much coffee before playing XD. ]

[ You know, now I’m curious. What did the game designer go through to make something like this? Scratch that, what did the company go through to make this? ]

[ This is already 100% the best horror game of the year, maybe even of the last few years. ]

[ + 1 ]

[ I recommended this game to my cousin who is staying over. He’s trying it tonight. I’ve ordered the popcorn. ]

[ Brothers! Good things are meant to be shared! ]

[ Great minds think alike, brother! I’ve made posts and recommendations in several other forums and threads. The good word must be spread. ]

[ Same here, we should help bump each others threads for more visibility. ]

[ Dang it, you went ahead of me! Not fair! ]

As the first wave of horror game fans were undergoing the ‘Outlast’ hazing experience, many who couldn’t bring themselves to continue the game gathered in the forums instead to spread the word.

Of course, they weren’t sharing out of the goodness of their hearts. Their thoughts were simple: I suffered, so others must suffer too.

Muddled into the fray were agents of Chen Xu, planting the seeds and fanning the flames.

They were the excited staff members of Nebula games, watching with glee as more hapless souls delivered themselves into the maw that was ‘Outlast’… Who knew watching people get genuinely scared would be so addictive.

This is not to mention the promotional teams Chen Xu hired to stir up posts and discussions. Though employing such a method would require the product to actually deliver on the hype it was creating.

And did ‘Outlast’ deliver on its promises?

The answer spoke for itself.

So it was that a wave of free marketing swept the gaming forums. The first batch of players began recommending ‘Outlast’ passionately to their friends, family, and even strangers.

How could such a great game only be terrifying for themselves? They had to make sure other players felt the “love” of this game too!

[ Highly recommend a new horror game called ‘Outlast’. I gifted it to my school rival, and it worked wonders — he couldn’t sleep well after playing it and now his scores are below mine! ]

[ Bought it for my kids who won’t shut up, now the house is filled with peace and quiet. ]

[ Other games cost you money; this one also costs money, and your sanity! Buy now! ]

[ Bought in the morning, played at noon, dead by evening! 10/10 ]

[ If you’re a wuss, definitely stay away from this game, it’s strong stuff, too much for you, wuss. ]

[ Recruiting people to sit near me and hold my hand while I attempt to finish the game. I have snacks and drinks. ]

The posts in the forums were generally split into two categories: memes, and people trying to trick other people into playing the game.

And the psychological effect was somewhat working.

Could this ‘Outlast’ really be that scary? Could it really cause such a strange turn of events? Is this some kind of multilevel marketing ploy? How curious, I might try it out too.