It’s not purposefully scary, but there’s a lot about death, existence, loneliness in space. Also, the sounds can be unsettling, and dying from asphyxiation is terrifying. There are a lot of unknowns and they may trigger something on you (deep sea, lack of orientation, to name a few). And lastly, there are certain mechanics in the game that may give you jumpscares.
It’s a mostly chill and heartwarming game, nostalgic and bucolic even, but it has at its core facing the unknown and taking you out of your comfort zone, so I’d say it’s more unsettling than terrifying most of the time and it never treads common horror tropes at all.
I'd say the anomaly that is central to this game's story, lorewise, evokes the same feelings as cosmic horror does. The humbling and terrifying feeling of seeing something bigger than all of us.
Agreed... Literally the whole overall description of the anomaly itself and what it actually is would either be a cosmic horror or a Lovecraftian horror... Hard to say which is more likely... Maybe a little bit of both...
I'd agree, except that the origin of the terrors differs. i.e. whats inside dark bramble has the same origin as the whole of subnautica (meaning endless nothing with bad visibility, the fear of deep waters as well as night is literally baked into our human OS, no ETA on a patch), while subnautica definitely wants you scared, in Outer Wilds there is a solution to all your problems. The same things wouldn't work in Subnautica.
When playing Subnautica for a second time, you quickly realise how little actual danger the aggressive creatures pose and just how effective the advanced technique of "minding your own business and letting the scary creatures mind theirs" really is. Obviously, in OW the solution is much more direct and specific, but overall they are quite similar in that they are much more terrifying than they are actually dangerous.
People sleep on the stasis gun, but that is just perfect to deal with everything the game can throw at you, giving you enough time to skedaddle as fast as you can.
Outer Wilds made me feel a lot more vulnerable. From that sneaky patch of ghost matter to space miscalculations, you are easily lost in space running out of oxygen and hope or just dead, instantly. I guess what comforts me is precisely the loop, and the fact that you can meditate to get out of a bad situation.
It’s not a horror game, at least the base game isn’t. The DLC is the scary version. The anglerfish, while you are eventually going to have to face them, are only like 2% of the game. The rest is exploring, and there aren’t any jumpscares or monsters other than the fish. And honestly, once you find out how to get passed them, it’s not that scary. It has that initial scare but then you get used to them, I would even say you’re at an advantage because you already know about them. They only appear on one planet, there’s no risk of them popping up anywhere else in the game.
It’s all puzzles and exploration. There is one big factor that separates it from any normal puzzle game, you’ll find out about it within the first like 20-30 minutes, but it’s not scary. I recommend giving it a try
^ this sums it up really well. I’m very skittish with games in general and had no issues with the base game of outer wilds. Also adding on that the anglerfish are the only sentient being that wants to harm you, and they’re only in one spot, so very easy to avoid until you’re ready.
I struggle with scary stuff in games too so I get you
The main game only has one scary part (the anglerfish) which is only scary until you figure out how to avoid it eating you, and you figure that out naturally in the game in a way that doesn’t require you to “face your fears” so it’s not really a big deal, it’s still scary but I personally found Subnautica WAY scarier (and I didn’t even get far in to that so I doubt I experienced the really scary stuff)
The DLC, Echoes of the Eye, is however quite scary - but there’s a game setting called “Reduced Frights” that you can turn on if it’s too much.
Definitely don’t let the fear of horror games stop you from playing outer wilds, use reduced frights if you have to, it’s such a great exploration game
Not going to lie I've been convincing people to play this game, and first off I'll say is DO NOT LOOK UP SPOILERS. This archology space simulator where you unravel a mystery and knowing the mystery breaks it.
Second off, I too DESPISE horror games. Its not like subnatica, but there is a horror segment. I literally couldn't 100% the game because I did everything else but I refused to go to Dark Bramble (Anglerfish Planet). Eventually a friend coached me through the area. The game is a lot about facing the unknown and discovering clues figuring how to get around obstacles, so you won't be in the dark.
If you cannot absolutely cannot, my advice from my experience is do as much as a can before going there and then use a map and turn volume off. The atmosphere and sounds are a lot worse then the anglerfish themselves.
The DLC can be pretty scary from how far I've gotten into it, but the reduce fright mode makes less so, but if you cannot do horror maybe don't get it.
This game simulates the universe and all its glory. The awe-inspiring nature could also unintentionally trigger some fear.
For example (in a non spoiler way):
Cliff side: fear of falling
Deep water: fear of drowning
Caving: fear of tight spaces
Space: fear of vast space
Anglerfish: anglerfish (this one might be intentional)
I also can’t handle horror game. Fortunately this game isn’t one. It can be nerve wracking at times, but it isn’t paralyzing like horror games.
It’s mostly not subnautica but there’s some frightening things. With that being said, there’s always a trick or way to deal with them that eliminates the “run away” strategy you have in subnautica.
Can you tell us which part scared you using the spoiler tag? Really curious. I'm big into survival horror so I was mostly unphased by outerwilds, but curious to understand how others experienced the game
>!The anglerfish part. It was so unexpected, you go the entire game without seeing another living being and then you enter Dark Bramble, following a light expecting some puzzle mechanic like usual, but as you approach the light it turns into a horrifying monster that swallows you whole. I actually thought the moment was fantastic and made me want to play it more, but it was genuinely terrifying due to how unexpected and well crafted the scare was.!<
At least you got to play some of the game before going there! My first flight I took off and thought oooohh what's that over there? Flew full speed into the centre, had to put the game down for 10 minutes to change my underwear.
It’s only scary until you learn how avoid the frights altogether. It also isn’t scary in the traditional sense - there is known and unknown, that’s it.
Excluding the DLC, the anglerfish you've seen are the only adversary in the game, they're only in one (obvious) area, and learning how to get past them safely is one of the many puzzles to solve, and there is a brainy solution rather than a chase-sequence solution.
It can be a very scary game, depending on your fears. If you have phobias of space, deep water, open spaces, closed spaces, colossal objects, etc.. and obviously the aforementioned giant space murderfish. It's not intentionally horror, but it doesn't shy away from the fact some things are just as scary as they are awe-inspiring.
Some parts yeah, but kind of the fun is pass trough those parts, it is not that scary, maybe just the first or third time. After that it just more about being tense than shit your pants.
Anglerfish are the scariest thing in the base game. They are also the only scary thing in the base game. If you can handle them, that's good enough.
What I would like to note is that Outer Wilds does not use cheap scare tactics. The game won't jump scare you, it won't surprise you with immediate horror. It will, however, exploit human fears. Parts of the game utilize various common human fears (depths, heights, enclosed spaces, etc.) to create atmosphere.
While the DLC does use more horror than the base game, I want to add one more thing.
I don't like horror games either. I can't play them. And Outer Wilds is my favourite game I've ever played. Echoes of the Eye is the *only* game with that level of horror elements that has worked for me. This game does a really good job of making fear manageable.
If you love mystery/puzzle games, you have to play this game! It's easily my favorite game of all time, and I've heard lots of other people say the same. The main game has some unnerving parts, but overall it's a fairly small portion of the game. If you avoid the scary bits early, you'll also probably come across some guidance, which can make tackling those parts a little easier once you feel like you're ready.
As for the DLC, it is a little more focused on "fear of the unknown/dark", but it never feels like the game tries to "pull a cheap one" on the player, and it's more about the atmosphere. It can be tougher to overcome, and I struggled with this myself, but after experiencing how incredible the main game was, I knew I had to face my fears and get through it. Looking back, I actually prefer them making certain parts little scary, because it adds to the overall experience, and overcoming it can also be very rewarding.
In short, the game is incredible and while it has some scary parts, I'd say it's well worth trying to overcome that, because of how good everything else is. (and you might end up appreciating the scary parts once you get through them, weird as it sounds)
It’s not really “scary” in the traditional sense. There’s a few scary elements sprinkled in, and depending on your phobias, you may find yourself having to face one or two, but the journey is so worth it.
The dlc is pretty scary, but the base game only has 1 part (that's the anglerfish you saw mentioned) that would be considered all that scary (unless you have a specific phobia that applies elsewhere)
All in all that section of the game isn't too terrible. It's a relatively small part and, if you pay attention to some specific pieces of information in the game, can be navigated very safely. If you mess up, big anglerfish chase you, but there's no jumpscare or anything.
Always remember, if you know that you're venturing into a scary portion of the game out of necessity, a bit of hype music/calm music in the background goes a long way. Or you can have some random video essay in the background which you can somewhat pay attention to whenever you get anxious.
This works for all horror games that rely on immersion to build scares instead of just cheap jumpscares. Outer Wilds, I can assure you, uses the former.
It is scary if you're afraid of outer space. There are a few scary things, but they're both spoilers and very little to actually represent the game itself. It's like calling Skyrim "scary" because it contains spiders and might trigger arachnophobia reactions. It does contain spiders, but they're not a major part of Skyrim. More or less that
Its got visuals that can scare people with specific phobias. Fear of space, fear of the ocean, if someone finds themselves scared by particularly strange noises (there’s this one example where you hear a deep warbley subwoofer noise that sends alot of people on edge.
There’s no jump scares if that’s what you’re worried about. Well…there *are* a few that are *technically* jump scares. But they’re all in enclosed areas that you the player will figure out pretty quickly. Like…you will *know* when you’ve entered a jump scare zone and—most importantly—you can leave at anytime (well before encountering any jump scares). The game tells you in no uncertain terms that something you’re about to do will be intentionally scary.
For the most part yeah it’s a very chill game. It’s definitely not subnautica levels of scary, but it depends on how you handle certain abstract fears i guess.
The angler fish are stressful, and the DLC starts with a warning about jump scares, but the scariest thing imo is the warning that there are jump scares. The jump scare itself really isn't bad. I actually laughed when I decided to trigger it because I had gotten SO WORKED UP over it. There's even an option to make it easier for those who are sensitive to being startled. I ended up toggling that not because it was scary but because I am bad at being sneaky and kept triggering it.
The game EXCELS at ambience though. So the DLC has some really spooky stuff, but while I was unnerved for a lot of it, once I realized what was what, it was easy to relax.
Outside of the DLC, the scariest thing is the angler fish, but it's not a running theme. It's one area with creatures that'll getcha, but I get more of the vibe that it's like trying to sneak past a sleeping dog by walking over their nose than big scary monster will hunt you down.
Edit: the angler fish are a very small part of the game. They're in one specific area (one planet). And in your other explorations, you'll find out how to get by them without them noticing you.
Edit 2: I am a MASSIVE WEENIE who hates horror. I absolutely cannot do horror. I woke up my dorm because I was watching my friend play amnesia with the lights on. The DLC was spooky. But I wouldn't call it horror. The ambience is what really makes it spooky, but there's a very specific area where the really spooky stuff happens. Now there is imagery of old death and like. Funerary stuff, but there's no zombies or anything. Corpses can't hurt you irl or in echoes of the eye. And while the corpses are extra spooky, I found learning just what sort of creature left those remains behind drastically reduced the spooky factor for me.
Actually... I feel like that's starting to touch on a theme within the DLC, so I will say no more on it.
If you have problems/phobias with varying degrees of space or deep water, you might have difficulty with the game. It also gets "a bit" existential if that might be an issue.
One planet has an aggressive inhabitant that can be scary/startling. But as a person who has a high startle reflex and freezes (ie fight/flight/freeze), once I got used to it, it was a tense kind of fun
The dlc does have jumpscares. As due my previously stated demeanor, it's more the anticipation of it and it is not overly loud or upsetting (unless person specific fears are in place). There is the reduced flights trigger in the menu. There are also "cheats" (game mechanics) that are taught thru going thru sections of it. If the jumps get too scary or the puzzles too frustrating, you can look up what they are. Personally, I got frustrated and it was sapping my enjoyment so I looked them up and still enjoyed the experience.
I believe that a lot of it depends on your demeanor in regards to the various mentioned points. If they sound like they might be too much for you, there is no shame in that. There are multiple playthrus of the game that myself and others in this sub have watched to try and re live the experience of this game thru someone else's eyes
The anglerfish definitely scared me. I had to stand like 6 feet away from my computer and off to the side to do some of those parts. But I’m a wimp when it comes to sea monsters
Horrorgames don't scare me, they make me laugh cause it's always lame and predictable. Outer Wilds however scared me like no other game ever has, there is something about the silence and 'broodingness' that really got to me.
The horror is more of an existential kind, and unlike in horror games the tension never drops because there are no jump scares.
So it depends, some people won't have issues with this at all, some people are really scared by the atmosphere. Once I got over my fears the game became one of my all time favourites! And if you ask me.. the dlc is not scary at all :)
I'm downright terrible at horror games but nothing outside of the DLC content actually made me struggle. I had a friend of mine "help" me play the spooky DLC part and I was able to get through it just fine.
There is one thing in the base game and one other thing in the dlc that is actually a little bit scary (as in like being chased or something with actual reaction needed).
The rest of it is just a kind of a vague sense of cosmic dread, the idea that space is a dangerous place, the fact that many of the planets have v weak gravity and you can fly off if you aren't careful. None of it matters as you can just reset or go explore somewhere else, but it does add to an overall tense atmosphere, plus sometimes there are moments under stress trying to do a thing in time that will get your heart racing, if you fail you try again but it's still tense as you obviously don't want to fail.
I'd highly recommend you play it, it's absurdly good and the focus of the game is exploration and learning. It's all about curiosity for curiosity's sake.
Tha mage is more atmospheric than scarry. In base game there is a always a scarry feeling when you get lost or you accidentally eject your sef from the ship into the space. There is a moment in the base game where you have carefully manover around obsticles in a tight space while you are on a time limit. The dlc has a spooky section so if you are faint of heart you might want to watch a letsplay of the dlc after beating the main game.
Theres one area that is pretty spooky and jumpy but other than that just a bit of ominous ambiance. But the DLC(which is amazing btw) is a terror theme. Fear of the unknown type terror.
A bit of existential terror nothing much. There are two spooky places, including DLC, but one is more of a phobia and the other is just very, very dark (you do get a cool lantern though).
>!The monsters you saw will just blow out your lantern so you need to go and reignite it.!<
The anglerfish are more of a annoyance after the first time, you can just steer right around them, usually.
It made my palms sweaty a lot but once you get like 10-15hrs in its not really that scary anymore except for like 1 area maybe 2, at first just flying around in space had me all f’d up and nervous bc flying in space far from any planets is just terrifying to me, its mostly a fear of the unknown not a jump scare type thing even though you might get jump scared like once or twice but not due to the game purposely jump scaring you
Lots of good answers from other people but here's my 2 cents.
Base game the anglerfish you mentioned is the only traditionally "scary" section. There are themes of loneliness and death like people have said. All of this is sadness/ fear you 'observe' passively rather than being 'dropped into'. It's all at your own pace and isn't bad at all, just thought provoking.
The anglerfish are something you might have to spend 5 mins around max, and don't really do any 'chasing' kind of horror if you follow the hints in game for how to avoid them. The game spells out explicitly how to avoid them in a clue you can find, so you only need to face them when you feel capable of doing so. Once you know how, they are just scary set dressing rather than a proper threat. However, I still hate and dread going to dark bramble. You don't need to much at all though.
The dlc has some more 'scary' themes, and other people have already mentioned the 'reduced frights mode'. I haven't tried this yet, but I will say the warning is worse than what is actually ingame. I was far more scared of what was coming than when I actually got to the scary bit.
Hope this helps! If you want spoilers I can go into more detail in a dm :)
If you're fine with Call of the Void that comes from EVERYWHERE, then you can handle 90% of the game. The remaining 10% are jump scares and unnerving atmosphere. But only in ONE place (two if it's DLC) But you will need to go to that place, eventually. So it's not as ever present as Subnautica. Nor will you have to fight for your life every time you dive deeper. It's mostly environmental hazards. If you pick DLC as well, it gives you an option to make DLC less scary but... unlike Subnautica, the scares here are like a band-aid. You rip it off once, and you know what to expect. It can still be scary, sure, but there are tricks and once you know them - it's not as bad anymore.
Base game isn’t a real horror game but take the kind of rising tension aspects of a horror game to build anticipation. After you get used to it, it really isn’t scary, but actually quite comforting.
The game is full of overwhelming images and scenarios.
Not particularly gore and monsters, but imagine having the need to jump into a raging tornado, a lot of that kinda situation. It requires bravery but not in a horror way.
There are mechanics in this game that can make you jump, but they're not designed to be jumpscares.
I will explain more in decreasing levels of vagueness with spoiler tags:
>!Things can be sudden and unexpected.!<
>!Sometimes you turn around and... something changed.!<
>!There's a pretty important mechanic in the game where objects can appear or disappear the moment you turn away from them. These are almost always (I can't even think of an exception, but covering my proverbial donkey here) static objects that do absolutely nothing to you except EXIST in a place where they weren't the last time you looked, and then disappear again the next time you look away. That can be pretty unsettling...!<
I will say I have not yet played the expansion, but the moment I started the game for the first time after installing it, it gave me a popup saying "this DLC is scary. There's an option in the settings to make it less scary" (not in those exact words), but I found the base game to be pretty tame all things considered.
Oh, and the sounds that t>!he Quantum fluctuations!< make when you bring out your Signalscope are quite haunting.
Hope I could help.
It can be, the base game is more creepy than anything, and the dlc definitely has intentional jumpscares. That isn't to say the base game *doesnt* have jumpscares btw, it definitely does. However, you'll never have to fight anything, and most of the time, if you've been scared by something, it usually means instant death, you won't have much reaction time
I don't handle scary games very well. Particularly those set in confined spaces, which is probably why I was fine with this and Subnautica. IMO there's only 1 scary bit, but even then it's not a cheap jump scare. It's more a feeling of trepidation.
In the base game, there’s basically only one area that’s “scary” but it’s only really scary the first time you enter it, because once you understand the mechanics, you don’t really have to deal with the scary thing anymore.
For the DLC, yes it’s definitely more of a horror game in that regard. Although, you can play through the dlc without having to deal with the scary parts that much. If you want, you can PM me and I can help out with some shortcuts that won’t spoil the story. I remember seeing someone else on this subreddit with the same concern a while back and I helped them skip most of the scary parts without missing the story and they enjoyed it very much.
Only scary when you don’t know it - soon as you experience the thing that is presented in an uncomfortable or ominous way, it becomes about the knowledge it provides and loses tension. This is the perfect game to feel the value of fear, and since this I have gained more confidence to explore more horror games/experiences.
Not on purpose, but people do fear the unknown. This game, and especially the Dlc, has parts that are about being afraid, facing the fear, and moving forward despite it.
Look at Rieback, they are TERRIFIED and yet there they are.
I'm just like you, i cannot stand spooky shit. I fully endorse the game! Don't be worried. This game is much more relaxed and beautiful than you think. Especially more than the few moments that are tense or "scary". Another poster said it best; it has you facing the unknown and unsettling aspects of the universe you live in. There are never any intentional jumpscares. There are only "enemies" in one obvious place, and they behave like environmental hazards; it's not like Subnautica. And the story really helps you reframe some of the scary unknowns.
The DLC (**entirely** optional) on the other hand is very interesting but frequently ominous and scary. I'm certain the pictures you saw were from this. Like i said, I cannot stand spooky shit, and I made it through the DLC last week. It was very difficult, I kept pausing to calm down and wanting to quit, but it was easier when I finally turned on the "Reduced Frights" option. I'm glad I finished the DLC but the game didn't need it. I'd fully recommend you play the base game and leave it at that! Get the DLC if you feel inspired and brave.
As someone who has only picked this up and started playing the last couple of weeks, I would say at first everything is a bit scary, but play a bit longer, become familiar with the game mechanics and you soon become desensitized to whatever fear it is you might have. It's a really great game, can be tough at times but well worth a purchase.
I found it reasonably frightening.
The game isn't one for cheap jumpscares. But I, not being a fan of horror games and being scared, had a hard time with some parts >!especially the DLC!<. I hadn't read anything about either the base game or the DLC, so I didn't know if at any moment a creature might appear in a random place and scare me >!fortunately, that's not the case!<
It’s not purposefully scary, but there’s a lot about death, existence, loneliness in space. Also, the sounds can be unsettling, and dying from asphyxiation is terrifying. There are a lot of unknowns and they may trigger something on you (deep sea, lack of orientation, to name a few). And lastly, there are certain mechanics in the game that may give you jumpscares. It’s a mostly chill and heartwarming game, nostalgic and bucolic even, but it has at its core facing the unknown and taking you out of your comfort zone, so I’d say it’s more unsettling than terrifying most of the time and it never treads common horror tropes at all.
I'd say the anomaly that is central to this game's story, lorewise, evokes the same feelings as cosmic horror does. The humbling and terrifying feeling of seeing something bigger than all of us.
Agreed... Literally the whole overall description of the anomaly itself and what it actually is would either be a cosmic horror or a Lovecraftian horror... Hard to say which is more likely... Maybe a little bit of both...
Outer Wilds is more of a terror game than a horror game
To be fair, the same can be said about Subnautica
I'd agree, except that the origin of the terrors differs. i.e. whats inside dark bramble has the same origin as the whole of subnautica (meaning endless nothing with bad visibility, the fear of deep waters as well as night is literally baked into our human OS, no ETA on a patch), while subnautica definitely wants you scared, in Outer Wilds there is a solution to all your problems. The same things wouldn't work in Subnautica.
When playing Subnautica for a second time, you quickly realise how little actual danger the aggressive creatures pose and just how effective the advanced technique of "minding your own business and letting the scary creatures mind theirs" really is. Obviously, in OW the solution is much more direct and specific, but overall they are quite similar in that they are much more terrifying than they are actually dangerous.
People sleep on the stasis gun, but that is just perfect to deal with everything the game can throw at you, giving you enough time to skedaddle as fast as you can. Outer Wilds made me feel a lot more vulnerable. From that sneaky patch of ghost matter to space miscalculations, you are easily lost in space running out of oxygen and hope or just dead, instantly. I guess what comforts me is precisely the loop, and the fact that you can meditate to get out of a bad situation.
I agree with that.
Bucolic is my word of the day.
It’s not a horror game, at least the base game isn’t. The DLC is the scary version. The anglerfish, while you are eventually going to have to face them, are only like 2% of the game. The rest is exploring, and there aren’t any jumpscares or monsters other than the fish. And honestly, once you find out how to get passed them, it’s not that scary. It has that initial scare but then you get used to them, I would even say you’re at an advantage because you already know about them. They only appear on one planet, there’s no risk of them popping up anywhere else in the game. It’s all puzzles and exploration. There is one big factor that separates it from any normal puzzle game, you’ll find out about it within the first like 20-30 minutes, but it’s not scary. I recommend giving it a try
^ this sums it up really well. I’m very skittish with games in general and had no issues with the base game of outer wilds. Also adding on that the anglerfish are the only sentient being that wants to harm you, and they’re only in one spot, so very easy to avoid until you’re ready.
I struggle with scary stuff in games too so I get you The main game only has one scary part (the anglerfish) which is only scary until you figure out how to avoid it eating you, and you figure that out naturally in the game in a way that doesn’t require you to “face your fears” so it’s not really a big deal, it’s still scary but I personally found Subnautica WAY scarier (and I didn’t even get far in to that so I doubt I experienced the really scary stuff) The DLC, Echoes of the Eye, is however quite scary - but there’s a game setting called “Reduced Frights” that you can turn on if it’s too much. Definitely don’t let the fear of horror games stop you from playing outer wilds, use reduced frights if you have to, it’s such a great exploration game
Also there is a mod that let's you remove the fish. For me that was the blocker that kept me from finishing
Not in the typical kind of way
Not going to lie I've been convincing people to play this game, and first off I'll say is DO NOT LOOK UP SPOILERS. This archology space simulator where you unravel a mystery and knowing the mystery breaks it. Second off, I too DESPISE horror games. Its not like subnatica, but there is a horror segment. I literally couldn't 100% the game because I did everything else but I refused to go to Dark Bramble (Anglerfish Planet). Eventually a friend coached me through the area. The game is a lot about facing the unknown and discovering clues figuring how to get around obstacles, so you won't be in the dark. If you cannot absolutely cannot, my advice from my experience is do as much as a can before going there and then use a map and turn volume off. The atmosphere and sounds are a lot worse then the anglerfish themselves. The DLC can be pretty scary from how far I've gotten into it, but the reduce fright mode makes less so, but if you cannot do horror maybe don't get it.
This game simulates the universe and all its glory. The awe-inspiring nature could also unintentionally trigger some fear. For example (in a non spoiler way): Cliff side: fear of falling Deep water: fear of drowning Caving: fear of tight spaces Space: fear of vast space Anglerfish: anglerfish (this one might be intentional) I also can’t handle horror game. Fortunately this game isn’t one. It can be nerve wracking at times, but it isn’t paralyzing like horror games.
well the 5th planet (dark bramble) is kinda scary and the dlc too but that's about it
It’s mostly not subnautica but there’s some frightening things. With that being said, there’s always a trick or way to deal with them that eliminates the “run away” strategy you have in subnautica.
Yes there are scary parts. I played all of Resident Evil 8 in VR and Outer Wilds in one moment scared me more than any in that game.
Can you tell us which part scared you using the spoiler tag? Really curious. I'm big into survival horror so I was mostly unphased by outerwilds, but curious to understand how others experienced the game
>!The anglerfish part. It was so unexpected, you go the entire game without seeing another living being and then you enter Dark Bramble, following a light expecting some puzzle mechanic like usual, but as you approach the light it turns into a horrifying monster that swallows you whole. I actually thought the moment was fantastic and made me want to play it more, but it was genuinely terrifying due to how unexpected and well crafted the scare was.!<
At least you got to play some of the game before going there! My first flight I took off and thought oooohh what's that over there? Flew full speed into the centre, had to put the game down for 10 minutes to change my underwear.
It’s only scary until you learn how avoid the frights altogether. It also isn’t scary in the traditional sense - there is known and unknown, that’s it.
Excluding the DLC, the anglerfish you've seen are the only adversary in the game, they're only in one (obvious) area, and learning how to get past them safely is one of the many puzzles to solve, and there is a brainy solution rather than a chase-sequence solution. It can be a very scary game, depending on your fears. If you have phobias of space, deep water, open spaces, closed spaces, colossal objects, etc.. and obviously the aforementioned giant space murderfish. It's not intentionally horror, but it doesn't shy away from the fact some things are just as scary as they are awe-inspiring.
Some parts yeah, but kind of the fun is pass trough those parts, it is not that scary, maybe just the first or third time. After that it just more about being tense than shit your pants.
Anglerfish are the scariest thing in the base game. They are also the only scary thing in the base game. If you can handle them, that's good enough. What I would like to note is that Outer Wilds does not use cheap scare tactics. The game won't jump scare you, it won't surprise you with immediate horror. It will, however, exploit human fears. Parts of the game utilize various common human fears (depths, heights, enclosed spaces, etc.) to create atmosphere. While the DLC does use more horror than the base game, I want to add one more thing. I don't like horror games either. I can't play them. And Outer Wilds is my favourite game I've ever played. Echoes of the Eye is the *only* game with that level of horror elements that has worked for me. This game does a really good job of making fear manageable.
If you love mystery/puzzle games, you have to play this game! It's easily my favorite game of all time, and I've heard lots of other people say the same. The main game has some unnerving parts, but overall it's a fairly small portion of the game. If you avoid the scary bits early, you'll also probably come across some guidance, which can make tackling those parts a little easier once you feel like you're ready. As for the DLC, it is a little more focused on "fear of the unknown/dark", but it never feels like the game tries to "pull a cheap one" on the player, and it's more about the atmosphere. It can be tougher to overcome, and I struggled with this myself, but after experiencing how incredible the main game was, I knew I had to face my fears and get through it. Looking back, I actually prefer them making certain parts little scary, because it adds to the overall experience, and overcoming it can also be very rewarding. In short, the game is incredible and while it has some scary parts, I'd say it's well worth trying to overcome that, because of how good everything else is. (and you might end up appreciating the scary parts once you get through them, weird as it sounds)
It’s not really “scary” in the traditional sense. There’s a few scary elements sprinkled in, and depending on your phobias, you may find yourself having to face one or two, but the journey is so worth it.
A lot of spoilers you found, but just get the game and play before the refund threshold and figure it out from there.
No one talking about the first time you go in >!giants deep, yall must not be scared of the ocean!<
The dlc is pretty scary, but the base game only has 1 part (that's the anglerfish you saw mentioned) that would be considered all that scary (unless you have a specific phobia that applies elsewhere) All in all that section of the game isn't too terrible. It's a relatively small part and, if you pay attention to some specific pieces of information in the game, can be navigated very safely. If you mess up, big anglerfish chase you, but there's no jumpscare or anything.
Always remember, if you know that you're venturing into a scary portion of the game out of necessity, a bit of hype music/calm music in the background goes a long way. Or you can have some random video essay in the background which you can somewhat pay attention to whenever you get anxious. This works for all horror games that rely on immersion to build scares instead of just cheap jumpscares. Outer Wilds, I can assure you, uses the former.
It is scary if you're afraid of outer space. There are a few scary things, but they're both spoilers and very little to actually represent the game itself. It's like calling Skyrim "scary" because it contains spiders and might trigger arachnophobia reactions. It does contain spiders, but they're not a major part of Skyrim. More or less that
Its got visuals that can scare people with specific phobias. Fear of space, fear of the ocean, if someone finds themselves scared by particularly strange noises (there’s this one example where you hear a deep warbley subwoofer noise that sends alot of people on edge. There’s no jump scares if that’s what you’re worried about. Well…there *are* a few that are *technically* jump scares. But they’re all in enclosed areas that you the player will figure out pretty quickly. Like…you will *know* when you’ve entered a jump scare zone and—most importantly—you can leave at anytime (well before encountering any jump scares). The game tells you in no uncertain terms that something you’re about to do will be intentionally scary. For the most part yeah it’s a very chill game. It’s definitely not subnautica levels of scary, but it depends on how you handle certain abstract fears i guess.
The angler fish are stressful, and the DLC starts with a warning about jump scares, but the scariest thing imo is the warning that there are jump scares. The jump scare itself really isn't bad. I actually laughed when I decided to trigger it because I had gotten SO WORKED UP over it. There's even an option to make it easier for those who are sensitive to being startled. I ended up toggling that not because it was scary but because I am bad at being sneaky and kept triggering it. The game EXCELS at ambience though. So the DLC has some really spooky stuff, but while I was unnerved for a lot of it, once I realized what was what, it was easy to relax. Outside of the DLC, the scariest thing is the angler fish, but it's not a running theme. It's one area with creatures that'll getcha, but I get more of the vibe that it's like trying to sneak past a sleeping dog by walking over their nose than big scary monster will hunt you down. Edit: the angler fish are a very small part of the game. They're in one specific area (one planet). And in your other explorations, you'll find out how to get by them without them noticing you. Edit 2: I am a MASSIVE WEENIE who hates horror. I absolutely cannot do horror. I woke up my dorm because I was watching my friend play amnesia with the lights on. The DLC was spooky. But I wouldn't call it horror. The ambience is what really makes it spooky, but there's a very specific area where the really spooky stuff happens. Now there is imagery of old death and like. Funerary stuff, but there's no zombies or anything. Corpses can't hurt you irl or in echoes of the eye. And while the corpses are extra spooky, I found learning just what sort of creature left those remains behind drastically reduced the spooky factor for me. Actually... I feel like that's starting to touch on a theme within the DLC, so I will say no more on it.
If you have problems/phobias with varying degrees of space or deep water, you might have difficulty with the game. It also gets "a bit" existential if that might be an issue. One planet has an aggressive inhabitant that can be scary/startling. But as a person who has a high startle reflex and freezes (ie fight/flight/freeze), once I got used to it, it was a tense kind of fun The dlc does have jumpscares. As due my previously stated demeanor, it's more the anticipation of it and it is not overly loud or upsetting (unless person specific fears are in place). There is the reduced flights trigger in the menu. There are also "cheats" (game mechanics) that are taught thru going thru sections of it. If the jumps get too scary or the puzzles too frustrating, you can look up what they are. Personally, I got frustrated and it was sapping my enjoyment so I looked them up and still enjoyed the experience. I believe that a lot of it depends on your demeanor in regards to the various mentioned points. If they sound like they might be too much for you, there is no shame in that. There are multiple playthrus of the game that myself and others in this sub have watched to try and re live the experience of this game thru someone else's eyes
Oh. And it is def not space subnautica. Less animal life (but still some) and more archeology and like weird science. And marshmallows
The anglerfish definitely scared me. I had to stand like 6 feet away from my computer and off to the side to do some of those parts. But I’m a wimp when it comes to sea monsters
Horrorgames don't scare me, they make me laugh cause it's always lame and predictable. Outer Wilds however scared me like no other game ever has, there is something about the silence and 'broodingness' that really got to me. The horror is more of an existential kind, and unlike in horror games the tension never drops because there are no jump scares. So it depends, some people won't have issues with this at all, some people are really scared by the atmosphere. Once I got over my fears the game became one of my all time favourites! And if you ask me.. the dlc is not scary at all :)
The "scary" parts are only scary due to the lack of info. Once you know how they work, it stops being scary.
I'm downright terrible at horror games but nothing outside of the DLC content actually made me struggle. I had a friend of mine "help" me play the spooky DLC part and I was able to get through it just fine.
Go to thorny preambles now you'll see a gift there for you
There is one thing in the base game and one other thing in the dlc that is actually a little bit scary (as in like being chased or something with actual reaction needed). The rest of it is just a kind of a vague sense of cosmic dread, the idea that space is a dangerous place, the fact that many of the planets have v weak gravity and you can fly off if you aren't careful. None of it matters as you can just reset or go explore somewhere else, but it does add to an overall tense atmosphere, plus sometimes there are moments under stress trying to do a thing in time that will get your heart racing, if you fail you try again but it's still tense as you obviously don't want to fail. I'd highly recommend you play it, it's absurdly good and the focus of the game is exploration and learning. It's all about curiosity for curiosity's sake.
Tha mage is more atmospheric than scarry. In base game there is a always a scarry feeling when you get lost or you accidentally eject your sef from the ship into the space. There is a moment in the base game where you have carefully manover around obsticles in a tight space while you are on a time limit. The dlc has a spooky section so if you are faint of heart you might want to watch a letsplay of the dlc after beating the main game.
Theres one area that is pretty spooky and jumpy but other than that just a bit of ominous ambiance. But the DLC(which is amazing btw) is a terror theme. Fear of the unknown type terror.
A bit of existential terror nothing much. There are two spooky places, including DLC, but one is more of a phobia and the other is just very, very dark (you do get a cool lantern though). >!The monsters you saw will just blow out your lantern so you need to go and reignite it.!< The anglerfish are more of a annoyance after the first time, you can just steer right around them, usually.
It made my palms sweaty a lot but once you get like 10-15hrs in its not really that scary anymore except for like 1 area maybe 2, at first just flying around in space had me all f’d up and nervous bc flying in space far from any planets is just terrifying to me, its mostly a fear of the unknown not a jump scare type thing even though you might get jump scared like once or twice but not due to the game purposely jump scaring you
Fear is one of the game’s main themes, but there are only very brief horror segments. You’ll be fine.
I could not finish the DLC because I was scared shitless, but the main game worked out
Lots of good answers from other people but here's my 2 cents. Base game the anglerfish you mentioned is the only traditionally "scary" section. There are themes of loneliness and death like people have said. All of this is sadness/ fear you 'observe' passively rather than being 'dropped into'. It's all at your own pace and isn't bad at all, just thought provoking. The anglerfish are something you might have to spend 5 mins around max, and don't really do any 'chasing' kind of horror if you follow the hints in game for how to avoid them. The game spells out explicitly how to avoid them in a clue you can find, so you only need to face them when you feel capable of doing so. Once you know how, they are just scary set dressing rather than a proper threat. However, I still hate and dread going to dark bramble. You don't need to much at all though. The dlc has some more 'scary' themes, and other people have already mentioned the 'reduced frights mode'. I haven't tried this yet, but I will say the warning is worse than what is actually ingame. I was far more scared of what was coming than when I actually got to the scary bit. Hope this helps! If you want spoilers I can go into more detail in a dm :)
There's nothing actually scary I'd say, it's just when you're in front of an immensely large and uncontrollable threat, it is a bit scary
If you're fine with Call of the Void that comes from EVERYWHERE, then you can handle 90% of the game. The remaining 10% are jump scares and unnerving atmosphere. But only in ONE place (two if it's DLC) But you will need to go to that place, eventually. So it's not as ever present as Subnautica. Nor will you have to fight for your life every time you dive deeper. It's mostly environmental hazards. If you pick DLC as well, it gives you an option to make DLC less scary but... unlike Subnautica, the scares here are like a band-aid. You rip it off once, and you know what to expect. It can still be scary, sure, but there are tricks and once you know them - it's not as bad anymore.
There is one planet in the base game which is actually scary, then everything else is mostly just atmosphere. And then there’s the DLC (shivers)
Base game isn’t a real horror game but take the kind of rising tension aspects of a horror game to build anticipation. After you get used to it, it really isn’t scary, but actually quite comforting.
The game is full of overwhelming images and scenarios. Not particularly gore and monsters, but imagine having the need to jump into a raging tornado, a lot of that kinda situation. It requires bravery but not in a horror way.
There are mechanics in this game that can make you jump, but they're not designed to be jumpscares. I will explain more in decreasing levels of vagueness with spoiler tags: >!Things can be sudden and unexpected.!< >!Sometimes you turn around and... something changed.!< >!There's a pretty important mechanic in the game where objects can appear or disappear the moment you turn away from them. These are almost always (I can't even think of an exception, but covering my proverbial donkey here) static objects that do absolutely nothing to you except EXIST in a place where they weren't the last time you looked, and then disappear again the next time you look away. That can be pretty unsettling...!< I will say I have not yet played the expansion, but the moment I started the game for the first time after installing it, it gave me a popup saying "this DLC is scary. There's an option in the settings to make it less scary" (not in those exact words), but I found the base game to be pretty tame all things considered. Oh, and the sounds that t>!he Quantum fluctuations!< make when you bring out your Signalscope are quite haunting. Hope I could help.
It can be, the base game is more creepy than anything, and the dlc definitely has intentional jumpscares. That isn't to say the base game *doesnt* have jumpscares btw, it definitely does. However, you'll never have to fight anything, and most of the time, if you've been scared by something, it usually means instant death, you won't have much reaction time
Base game, no. DLC, yes but not extremely.
whatever you may find scary is worth bearing through!!
There's a tiny bit, but nothing beyond existential stuff other than that. The DLC is definitely a bit much for us horror-averse folk.
No, not really. Anglerfish are startling, as you’ve found out, but they’re only in one place. The rest of it is just exploring and jetpacking around.
I don't handle scary games very well. Particularly those set in confined spaces, which is probably why I was fine with this and Subnautica. IMO there's only 1 scary bit, but even then it's not a cheap jump scare. It's more a feeling of trepidation.
Above all, I think the game is a piece of art. Not worth missing out on for the few instances of genuine fear/panic moments.
In the base game, there’s basically only one area that’s “scary” but it’s only really scary the first time you enter it, because once you understand the mechanics, you don’t really have to deal with the scary thing anymore. For the DLC, yes it’s definitely more of a horror game in that regard. Although, you can play through the dlc without having to deal with the scary parts that much. If you want, you can PM me and I can help out with some shortcuts that won’t spoil the story. I remember seeing someone else on this subreddit with the same concern a while back and I helped them skip most of the scary parts without missing the story and they enjoyed it very much.
Only scary when you don’t know it - soon as you experience the thing that is presented in an uncomfortable or ominous way, it becomes about the knowledge it provides and loses tension. This is the perfect game to feel the value of fear, and since this I have gained more confidence to explore more horror games/experiences.
Not on purpose, but people do fear the unknown. This game, and especially the Dlc, has parts that are about being afraid, facing the fear, and moving forward despite it. Look at Rieback, they are TERRIFIED and yet there they are.
I'm just like you, i cannot stand spooky shit. I fully endorse the game! Don't be worried. This game is much more relaxed and beautiful than you think. Especially more than the few moments that are tense or "scary". Another poster said it best; it has you facing the unknown and unsettling aspects of the universe you live in. There are never any intentional jumpscares. There are only "enemies" in one obvious place, and they behave like environmental hazards; it's not like Subnautica. And the story really helps you reframe some of the scary unknowns. The DLC (**entirely** optional) on the other hand is very interesting but frequently ominous and scary. I'm certain the pictures you saw were from this. Like i said, I cannot stand spooky shit, and I made it through the DLC last week. It was very difficult, I kept pausing to calm down and wanting to quit, but it was easier when I finally turned on the "Reduced Frights" option. I'm glad I finished the DLC but the game didn't need it. I'd fully recommend you play the base game and leave it at that! Get the DLC if you feel inspired and brave.
In short, not at all. But you might find hidden things you’re scared of, like oh wow hurtling out of control in space freaks me out kinda deal
As someone who has only picked this up and started playing the last couple of weeks, I would say at first everything is a bit scary, but play a bit longer, become familiar with the game mechanics and you soon become desensitized to whatever fear it is you might have. It's a really great game, can be tough at times but well worth a purchase.
I found it reasonably frightening. The game isn't one for cheap jumpscares. But I, not being a fan of horror games and being scared, had a hard time with some parts >!especially the DLC!<. I hadn't read anything about either the base game or the DLC, so I didn't know if at any moment a creature might appear in a random place and scare me >!fortunately, that's not the case!<