Proposal of a Dynamic Surprise Control System for Avoiding Habituation in Horror Games

Abstract

The fun of a horror game lies in the player's experience of fear. Surprises are often used to help the player experience a high level of fear. However, there is a problem that players become accustomed to the stimuli that surprises provide. If the player becomes accustomed to the stimuli, the goal of the horror game, which is to give the player a sense of fear, may not be achieved. In this study, we developed a system that can avoid the player's habituation. In the proposed system, we measured the player's heart rate in real time during gameplay, and changed the timing and type of surprises depending on the value of the heart rate.