Context:

In this research project, I will be finding if the pixel art medium could have a similar effect like other more rendered art styles in the horror game genre. If pixel art has a similar standard to other art mediums, this would allow starting indie game developers to have an easier access to quality art but not as time consuming or expensive. As someone who is looking to enter the game development sphere, time and money is a huge issue when it comes to creating games. Lowering the art barrier could allow for more thought into story/world building as well as new mechanics.

Methods:

First, I will play psychological horror games that contain monsters; I will record my own reactions and shifts of empathy caused by noticing details of the design. After learning of my reactions, I will watch a randomized set of streamers' reactions and see what design features are detected and how their reactions change. I will record my and streamer's reactions on a 1-5 scale on how excited they were when a creature appeared. I will then analyze the monsters, gather as much detail about the design as possible, and categorize them based on similar features such as color, size, physical details, and gore. Using this information, I know what parts of my design should be emphasized to convey my desired reaction.

The final product of this research will be my own concept artwork of monsters in the pixel art style. I will then create, with the help of my partner Cindy, a game put my monsters into context through being in the environment and in cutscenes.

Hypothesis:

I believe that using pixel art will help decrease the stimulation of the game environment and allot players more of their focus on absorbing story elements. The relatively reduced barrier of pixel art facilitates game developers in allocating more of their resources and money towards worldbuilding and game mechanics, thereby streamlining entry into the indie game industry with greater ease, in both time and financial investment.

Significance:

The video game market is huge and has only grown since the onset of COVID-19, when everything went virtual. Successful horror games like Five Nights At Freddy’s, Omori, and the recent Lethal Company achieved significant commercial success with millions of copies sold. Most of the top games currently are horror genres, and I aim to reduce the entry barriers to this industry, particularly in terms of artistic requirements.