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In this classic GDC 2012 postmortem, Frederick Raynal shares how he and his team crafted the seminal horror game Alone in the Dark that helped spawn a genre that still scares millions today.

October 24, 2018

1 Min Read

Before classic horror games like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, there was Alone in the Dark -- an influential PC title that proved video games can be atmospheric, claustrophobic, and incredibly scary.

In this classic GDC 2012 postmortem, Frederick Raynal shares how he and his team crafted the seminal horror game Alone in the Dark that helped spawn a genre that still frightens millions today.

Raynal discusses how Alone in the Dark established conventions like claustrophobic areas, stories revealed through expository items, and giving players limited ammunition to deal with hordes of monsters.

It's a great look into the origin of popular and effective tropes of the survival horror genre, so developers shouldn't miss the opportunity to do so now that it's freely available on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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