#I LOVE this art style and the spooky atmosphere of this

[sketchmenot-art]

Ahhhhhh! How have I not already reblogged this?!? (T~T) This has got to be one of the coolest artworks I've ever received of my girl Mizore! The way you drew her, the spooky telephones, the color scheme, the ATMOSPHERE, it's all so perfect!! (>w<) I adore this piece so much! Thank you again for drawing such an awesome piece! You're amazing! 🖤🤍🖤

Calling

@sketchmenot-art's OC, Mizore Ito!

[agentperezbian]

hi! random question, maybe, but as someone who never played any of The Evil Within, would you like to tell me about why you love those games? I keep seeing these gorgeous gifsets and art you reblog, and I know a little about the plot, but I'd love to hear more about these games from a fan. I'm not good at actually playing video games, but I love good game design and cool lore and The Evil Within seems to have both

The Evil Within is a third person survival horror game by Tango Gameworks, a company founded by Shinji Mikami, who made the first few Resident Evil games. The first game has this dirty, grimy vibe that I love - I'd say it's visually similar to Silent Hill in a lot of ways, and similar to Resident Evil in others. It isn't for everyone, it definitely got a lot of criticism when it came out, but I absolutely adore it. It's psychological, it has fun characters and a really great spooky atmosphere. I vastly prefer the first game over the second - I think TEW2 has its perks but just isn't a good sequel. A lot of people prefer 2 though, so it just depends on what you're into. Personally, I think 2 is just too "clean-" it isn't grimy like the first, and it's open world makes it less scary in my opinion. I like that the first game is more claustrophobic, and in my opinion the sequel the strongest when it takes you out of the open world setting and puts you in unavoidable peril, like the first game did basically the whole time.

I'm really into horror that leans a lot into mystery and psychological aspects, and I have to admit I'm especially a sucker for stuff involving detectives - it's part of why I love Saw so much. The first game has this really unsettling atmosphere and you can never quite tell what time period it even takes place in - the main characters are dressed kind of old fashioned and the world is full of dated architecture and old technology. The environments shift a lot which keeps you on your toes. There's also this film-style letterboxing that a lot of people hated but I unapologetically love - it makes it very cinematic. They added the option later to turn it off but I'll always be a defender of that stylistic choice.

The actual story consists of some detectives being called to a crime scene at a mental hospital - and I will mention that this game definitely falls into some pretty tired "mental institution scary" stereotypes at a few points - and I really don't want to give too much away about what happens, but there's a lot to be figured out along the way. You play Sebastian Castellanos, and are joined by Joseph Oda and Juli Kidman. I don't want to give too much away here, but things get wacky in a really fun way. You find out more about your fellow detectives and Sebastian's backstory, as well as what type of evil you're dealing with. There's tons of really fun and scary enemy designs, although the standard zombie-like enemies you encounter most often aren't super exciting in my opinion.

If you aren't super into playing video games there's definitely walkthroughs on YouTube that you can watch, or you can just watch the cutscenes - there's a few "movie" compilations as well. I feel like you miss a little bit with those since there's bits of story you can find during gameplay, journal entries and such but it's better than nothing. I sometimes feel like just watching the cutscenes and sitting on the couch with a nice hot drink like I'm watching a horror movie. I highly recommend experiencing it in one way or another, especially since we're coming up on Halloween.

[thesmumbo]

Smumbo's top 10 games he happened to play in 2022

Not necessarily games that were released in 2022, just my favorites that I played for the first time last year.

10: Night in the Woods (2017)

by Alec Holowka, Scott Benson, and Bethany Hockenberry

Peak fall vibes game. Night in the Woods features a compelling mystery and some great spooky moments. The setting and characters really resonated with me, so I got a lot out of it.

9: The Pedestrian (2020)

by @skookumarts

Pleasant puzzle game inspired by the signage that surrounds us in our day-to-day lives. Some of the puzzles were quite difficult, and I kind of dislike the direction the game took in its last act, but it was still a very fun and unique experience.

8: South of South Mountain (2022)

by @colorbomb

Cute & hilarious visual novel with a fantastic art style. I could not stop laughing throughout the whole experience.

7: Portal Reloaded (2021)

by PORTANIS

From a pure gameplay standpoint, this was a very satisfying sequel to Portal 2, and it's possibly the closest we'll ever get to a Portal 3. Portal Reloaded introduces a third portal which allows you to travel to the same place at a different time, so certain things have been moved/removed. It gets really complicated, and I’m amazed this was able to be created as a free standalone mod for Portal 2.

6: Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (2022)

by Grace Bruxner and Thomas Bowker

Approximately 3-4 hours of pure, unadulterated joy and whimsy. I can’t believe it took me this long to play Frog Detective, but I’m so glad I did. Everything about these games resonated with me strongly.

5: OneShot (2016)

by @girakacheezer, @nightmargin, and Eliza Vasquez

A transcendent experience. Explores the unique ways in which video games can tell stories, and the nature of free will. Features some interesting meta game mechanics which require you to interact with files outside of the game. The visuals and soundtrack are spot-on as well. Weird how there’s so many great RPG Maker games which work so well in spite of the engine.

4: Scorn (2022)

by Ebb Software

An incredible audiovisual experience. I liked the gameplay too, even though it seems like a lot of people were disappointed by it. I'm amazed that a game like this even exists. Absolutely oozing with atmosphere and symbolic meaning. The story spoke to me on an incredibly deep level despite lacking words, or even any semblance of humanity.

3: What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)

by Giant Sparrow

One of the greatest games ever made. All of the vignettes and set-pieces throughout the game are flawlessly paced, with a wide variety of gameplay and visual styles. Packed with detail, made with love, and so emotionally resonant. I loved this game.

2: Bloodborne (2015)

by From Software

For years, I would try to play Bloodborne whenever I had access to a PlayStation 4, but I wasn’t able to do a full playthrough until 2022. It lived up to the hype. This is my favorite From Software game, and it’s already one of my favorite games of all time. I really hope this gets a remaster/PC port some day. It’s a masterpiece.

1: SIGNALIS (2022)

by @rose-engine

One of the greatest horror games I’ve ever played. Amazing visuals and atmosphere, fascinating world and lore, and a captivating, mind-blowing cosmic horror sci-fi story. I especially loved the evocative UI designs throughout. Highly recommended if you like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dead Space, PS1 style games in general, or if you have even a passing interest in survival horror. This is my #1 game of 2022.

[anartificialsatellite]

So I can't play a lot of video games because anything 3D where the camera moves around a lot with the player character makes me very motion sick pretty quickly. I used to be able to play these sorts of games, but as I've gotten older it's gotten worse and I haven't been able to for a few years now. (I thought finally getting glasses would fix it and it does kind of help, but not enough.) This sucks because it does mean that I miss out on a lot of games, but it also has forced me to broaden my horizons and try games I might not have found otherwise.

One of the places where this becomes more of a problem for me is the horror/thriller genres - I think there's especially a tendency to rely on 3D first and third person perspective (and especially first person) in games that are meant to be scary or creepy or whathaveyou, because when you limit the player's field of view it's not difficult to make them feel trapped and uneasy, and it lends itself well to jumpscares.

...Which makes it all the more impressive, imo, when a game that doesn't use that still succeeds at building that sort of atmosphere and immersion. So!

Here's three of my favorite scary/spooky/creepy atmospheric games without a 3D first or third person perspective:

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

This point-and-click adventure game has 2D pixel graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and a fascinating and compelling folk horror mystery at its center. Antiquarian Thomasina Bateman travels to an isolated English town on the moors to pursue research for her book on the barrows of England, and (as one usually does in this genre) discovers something strange and sinister lurking beneath the surface. I finished this game in about 2 sessions, by which I mean I've got 10 hours of playtime on it and the only reason it wasn't one session was because I had to stop and do normal human things. (I found this game because I'm a fan of one of the publisher's other titles, The Shivah, a kind of weird and super short detective style adventure game whose main character is a bitter, depressed rabbi, and I really recommend that one as well.)

Oxenfree

Not really horror, I guess, but definitely a supernatural thriller? We'll go with that. Another adventure game, this time one where your choices affect the story. The main character is Alex, a teenage girl who, along with some friends and some non-friends, is spending the night on an island that was once home to an old military base. Using a radio, you unintentionally open a portal and find yourself facing the supernatural effects of a decades old naval disaster. The art is gorgeous, the music is absolutely tits, and there's some really cool gameplay mechanics, as well. I'm also a sucker for spooky radio shit, so when I came across this game I was all over it.

It's got a sequel, Oxenfree II: LOST SIGNALS, which is a similar style game set on a nearby island some time after the events of the first game, and I also super recommend that one, too.

FAITH

I'll start with a caveat for this one: I've only played Chapter 1, because when I first bought and played it that was the only part that was out. I can't speak for any of the rest of this game, and annoyingly, it looks like you can't buy Chapter 1 by itself anymore.

In this retro-styled game you play as a priest returning to the site of a failed exorcism, so if demonic posession and that kind of Catholic religious horror isn't your bag this game probably won't be either, but even as someone who is not Christian, I super enjoyed it. It features 8-bit graphics that remind me of Atari and some old DOS adventure games I haven't played in almost two decades, as well as some truly creepy rotoscoped pixel art. The sound is just as old school as the art and is used to deeply unsettling effect, and I was continuously impressed by how the dev managed to make such a creepy game in this style.

If you've got any others, please share them with me! I absolutely love this kind of thing and am always happy to add more to my "to play" list.

[phantomchick]

Anime Watchlist #4

So Vampire Hunter D is a great movie that adapts the content of a Japanese novel, it's animation falls into the dated but creative category.

This is D our titular vampire hunter ^ It tells an atmospheric vampire story, with a soundtrack and voice actors (and the sub is infinitely more tolerable than the dub so that's what I watched) that conquer the clunky animation's problems and draw you into the story. The characters are each intriguing in their own right and the main character/hero D is extremely fun. This is a film that isn't afraid to be dramatic or ridiculous and it invites you to take its crazy cast of contorted and vicious monsters as serious threats.

According to wikipedia, the director Toyoo Ashida stated that his intention for the film was to create an OVA that people who had been tired from studying or working hard would enjoy watching, instead of watching something that would make them "feel even more tired".

Yoshitaka Amano, the illustrator of the original novels, acted as character designer for the OVA. However, alternative designs were provided by Ashida (who also acted as the film's animation director), and elements from both artists’ works were combined to create final designs by the animators. Personally I think the novel style illustrations would've been too difficult to animate at this point in time but they're definitely beautiful and it's interesting how they were simplified and adapted for the sake of the anime.

Apparently an acclaimed pop artist called Tetsuya Komuro was responsible for the film's soundtrack, and also performed the film's ending theme, "Your Song", with his fellow members of TM Network. Which makes sense because the soundtrack definitely adds to the film's overall quality, so it's clear they really cared about that part.

The fight scenes are necessarily limited in dynamism because of the older animation but they still manage to stay tense, entertaining and engaging, the writing really goes a long way and you can feel the passion for the project. It's easy to forget that everything from the characters to the stills of the environment are hand-painted.

Don't get me wrong.

It's not a game-changing masterpiece experience in line with Akira or Ghost in The Shell by any measure, but it's a really good film and well worth a watch if you can adapt to the art style and accept the premise of melodramatic spooky vampire threats for the sake of 80 minutes worth of a good time. So that's one off the list:

Vampire Hunter D (1985 OVA)

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2001 movie)

FMA: Brotherhood (OVA collection, 2009–2010)

Kino’s Journey 2003 (13 eps)

Hakujuden (1958)

Rose of Versailles s1 (1979) (10 eps)

Batman: Gotham Knights (2008 movie)

Summer Wars (2009 movie)

Serial Experiments Lain (1998) (13 eps)

Rose of Versailles s2 (10 eps)

Next up. I'm loving the character of D and want to see more of him so let's go for Bloodlust!

How big of a difference will 16 years make?

[hiveworks]

OBELISK - Interview with Ashley McCammon

September 2023

The year is 1908. Evelyn Reuter is dealing with the affairs of her deceased father in her hometown of Manhattan. While she takes solace in the homes of her queer friends, grief presses in around her until one day... the mysterious Margot appears in her life.

Obelisk is a 16+ gothic horror/romance comic about vampires and lesbianism. In celebration of Obelisk's return from hiatus, we asked author Ashley McCammon @draculings for an interview.

What was the spark behind making Obelisk? Why a webcomic versus another style of publishing (print, self pub, etc.)?

My original inspiration for Obelisk was in my frustration with lesbian vampire movies - there are so many of them, and none made for a lesbian audience, let alone involving butch women! I wanted to tell that story, and celebrate that point of view. It’s similar to why I chose to set the comic in 1908 - the early 1900s are something of a transitional period, something not explored often when we aren’t talking WWI or the Titanic. I wanted to tell a story about the radical change happening in just a few, unusual people’s lives, in this transitory period. As for it being a webcomic - as a young artist, I always wanted to make one! It’s such an accessible, experimental way to tell a story, where even the website can be part of the atmosphere. Making a deeply atmospheric, spooky comic, that feels the most fitting.

For new readers, how would you describe your two lead women?

Evelyn is muscling through her day to day when we meet her - she’s putting on a brave face, or one that she hopes exudes confidence - but really feels like she has no idea what she’s doing. (The impostor syndrome is incredibly strong - something I think a lot of people can understand!) She’s been left with this enormous responsibility on top of the grief of losing her dad, and having that job and security is pressed on her as something she should be grateful for. She’s absorbed that idea and really hasn’t taken a moment to breathe - or to consider what she really wants for herself. Margot is quite the opposite - she’s a vampire who lives only for her own desires, a hedonist who’s been floating through existence that way for as long as she can remember. For all of her self indulgence though, she’s never connected much with anyone. She holds herself far above people, only ever showing them this facade of a regular person. It’s very arrogant - but it must also be very lonely! (Not that she has anyone to admit that to… yet ;)   )

What can you tell us about what's lurking for Evelyn in the upcoming chapter?

Evelyn makes a very bold choice at the end of chapter two, one that scares her - putting her own desires first, impulsively, in a way that will change everything and surprise even Margot herself. (Patrons read way ahead and will get to see this very soon, and the time she spends with Margot throughout chapter 3 as a result!)

Obelisk is a traditionally inked piece, with some digital final touches. What guided your decision to make this a traditional comic versus a digital one?

It really wasn’t a choice, to be honest - traditional media is where all my passion for making art lives! Obelisk is drawn and inked traditionally, and finished with Copic markers and the occasional paint pen or colored pencil for that killer red highlight ;)

What are some of the challenges in working this way? What do you find rewarding?

It can be tedious to scan, piece together and clean up my pages, but ultimately I have a fairly streamlined process for it and I don’t mind. I love having a physical final product to look at and hold when I’m done with it, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and connection to my work!

Do you have any tips for other comic artists on resuming a series after an extended hiatus?

Put your health first, and spend time reconnecting to your story before diving back in. It’s easy to feel obligated by the hamster wheel of social media and garnering attention, but your own connection to your work in the long-term is what matters most. Obelisk wouldn’t be the same story if I hadn’t had that downtime, and it’s off better for it!

What are some comics that inspire you? Do you have any reading recommendations for fans of Obelisk?

As far as webcomics go, I’m a big fan of Tiger Tiger, Hemlock, Barbarous, and Heirs of the Veil!

What is the best way for fans of Obelisk to support you?

The very best way is through my Patreon! Patrons have immediate access to the next six months of Obelisk pages (that’s my whole buffer!) as well as tons of behind the scenes work as I develop the next chapter and share work-in-progress shots right from my drawing table.

Obelisk updates Wednesdays and can be read for free at obeliskcomic.com 🩸Be sure to white list the site on your ad blocker and follow @draculings for more info and updates!

[redphucksaround]

You’ve draw NiTW stuff for a long time, but have you ever explained why exactly you like the game?

Well first off, the art style, overall atmosphere and themes of the game are why I jive with it so much. I’m an autumn guy and love woodsy, small town environments, and ofc spooky stuff is rad as hell lol. The vibe of the game is def the biggest draw for me (superficial sure, but I love it)

I love the characters and their dialogue too. The character interactions just feel real, like a convo I’d have with friends. Gregg and Angus’ relationship in particular (refreshingly) isn’t ham-fisted

What stuck tho was the exploration of mental illness in a way you rarely see. I went through a bad space in my early 20’s and Mae’s troubs felt very similar. They managed to convey how hard it is to explain to others what’s going on in you’re head while also helping the player to understand how scary it can be through visuals and sound cues.

TL;DR it’s a pretty looking game with great music and reminds me of my shitty town and my shitty adorable friends

[devoted-book-nerd]

Trick or Treat 2024 letter

Trick or Treat is absolutely one of my favorite exchanges! I love autumn and Halloween so much, and I am so ready for this season. Use whatever inspires you from this section of likes, or the fandom specific prompts, or any of my posts here–everything is organized by season and fandom on my tags page. I’d love any of it!

AO3: Rinadoll (https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinadoll/pseuds/Rina)

General Likes

I really, really love seasonal romances. All the opportunities for sensory descriptions and atmosphere float my boat. Being rained in someplace is a favorite trope of mine–the cuddling, the enforced proximity that can allow for intimacy or truths to be shared, or just being in their own world. This also applies to deepening friendships and found family. 

The other big thing I love is touch and caretaking���sensory descriptions of hugs, massage, snuggling, kissing, swats and spanks, punishment and funishment, hair brushing/washing, bathing, caretaking of all sorts, h/c with an emphasis on the c, etc, make me squee. It’s my favorite thing after snow, and I search these things out by tags when I need a happy boost. The day I found cuddle service fics was a red letter day, let me tell you.

Other likes: banter, flirting, romps, shenanigans, humor, affection, teamwork, friends falling in love, competency, fake dating turning real, mutual pining with happy resolution, established relationships, abandoned buildings reclaimed by nature, nature (rain, snow, forests, beaches, bodies of water), and happy endings. I generally prefer emotional and romantic intimacy over sex. I love things that are ridiculously atmospheric. 

General Treats: All the seasonal fun!! For autumn, cozy sweaters, scarves, plaid, crunchy leaves, baking, hiking, camping, fall festivals, new notebooks and pens, snuggling under blankets, thunderstorms, grey skies, winds whipping and whistling through bare branches, candles, bonfires, s’mores, apple picking or bobbing, pumpkin carving contest gets heated, baking, hay rides, smell of rain, getting caught and/or kissing in the rain, Halloween, Halloween parties or decor, trick or treating, scary stories around a campfire, pumpkin farms/carving pumpkins, anything that thoroughly evokes the season. A retelling of an autumnal movie or story, like Sleepy Hollow. Super autumnal dates or experiences are excellent.

General Tricks: Ghost stories are a major win. Seances and Ouija boards are great. Witches are great, whether actually magical or just smart women that society hates. Anything haunted, especially musty, abandoned houses or forests. Is it a scary ghost, or a ghost just hanging out in its old space? I love it all. Same with murder mysteries or noir. Terror and/or suspense with a happy ending of survival for the protagonists is also delightful. I love abandoned buildings, towns, islands, etc, and I love anything old and history coming alive, however you take that. Costumes coming to life is a classic that will never get old. Haunted photos. Cursed objects, or Halloween/horror legends or myths are real–I love things like the ghost passenger, etc. Scary stories around a campfire, and they’re true. Trapped in a dream/nightmare, alone or together. If it showed up as a plot in Goosebumps or Fear Street, I will probably love it. (As long as it ends happily for our protagonists.) Feel free to get your spook or horror on.

Combine tricks and treats however you like, too. Stumbling onto a ghost while on an autumnal date? Getting caught in the rain and ending up in a haunted house? Love. Balancing all the cozy and scary is fun. Comic horror is great, too.

All of the above would be welcomed as art, too! My requests are fic, but I ticked the box that I’d be delighted by art extra gifts. Anything drenched in the spirit and colors of autumn or Halloween or spookiness is wonderful. I’m not great with knowing how to describe styles, but I’ve saved a variety of fan art favorites in a tag! https://devoted-book-nerd.tumblr.com/tagged/fan%20art

Please note: I am clearly obsessed with 911 right now! But I promise you that I love my old favorites just as dearly, and genuinely would love to receive something for any of these fandoms.

DNW: watersports, dub/noncon, death of nominated characters, body horror, PWP, self-harm, humiliation/extreme embarrassment, character bashing, unhappy endings, gaslighting, homophobia, and dark, dystopian, mobster, a/b/o universe AUs. Please avoid kidfics unless requested. Please don’t turn canon characters into vampires, werewolves, zombies or other supernatural creatures, but including those kinds of creatures is fine. 

Fandoms: 9-1-1, Anne of Green Gables, Schitt’s Creek

9-1-1: Buck/Tommy, Buck/Tommy/Eddie, Buck & Maddie

“This show is my newest obsession, which is pretty clear from my A03 and tumblr. I started watching last spring and have already watched the whole series twice! I absolutely adore all of their Halloween episodes, Chim and Hen’s superstitions, Eddie’s skepticism (except when his own superstitions pop up!!), and the weird calls like the potential ghost. Autumn looks different in LA than in many other places, so feel free to send them on vacations or show off what autumnal fun LA has to offer. I love every character, so feel free to bring in anyone else you like, too! 118 shenanigans are always great.

Treats: Supernatural or paranormal cases that end up having an explanation or left open-ended. The firehouse is haunted–or is it? The return of Chim’s crow. Maddie taking little Evan trick or treating or on autumn excursions. Buck and Tommy try to convince Eddie that there can only be a supernatural answer to something (and maybe even try to play tricks to tease him). Helicoptering off to an autumnal weekend away. Halloween at the station, with activities set up for kids (because Buck refuses to give out smoke detectors again). Pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, corn mazes, or other autumn activities get heated. Honestly, anything from my general or treat likes in my letter would be amazing.

Tricks: Supernatural or paranormal cases. The firehouse is haunted. The Buckley family as a gothic horror story. Getting lost in the woods and feeling eyes on you. Sketchy carnivals. Ghosts, but they’re helpful. Arrive at a place on fire, but every door leads to one of their worst fears/nightmares. Chris insists there’s a monster in his room, and there is. Eddie is pissed off when something supernatural turns out to be real, but he’s still skeptical of everything else. They find bodies in the basement of a fire, and their ghosts are haunting the place. Fun AU possibility: the 118 are ghost hunters.

DNW: Anything less than positive about Tommy (if you can’t say anything nice, don’t mention or refer to him at all, that’s absolutely fine!), plus the above.”

It will surprise no one that I started watching when Buck met Tommy, and instantly fell for both of them. I love how much growth Buck has had, how he’s settled into himself at work and in his relationship, and how he’s still a bit of a golden retriever. He still looks for the good. He and Eddie remind me a lot of me and my best friend, and I love how he has a separate best friendship with Chris that’s outside of his friendship with Eddie or the relationship with the three of them. (I don’t see Buck as a co-parent, but a trusted adult and friend that he can rely on. Something closer to godfather or older brother/uncle.) 

Tommy’s growth has blown basically everyone’s out of the water, though. It’s incredible what a backstory and arc they gave him way back in S2, when we saw him change through ten years at the 118, and how much he’s continued to work on himself since then. I love his confidence and deadpan dry humor, and I love how that balance’s Buck’s personality. I also really love how he listens to Buck, and shares his own feelings with him right from the start. 

Eddie is a sassy bitch and I love him to bits. His one liners and facial expressions delight me all the time, but I also have loved seeing him breakdown and start to build himself back up again. I hate that Chris is with his grandparents (I see them as harmful caregivers), but I am looking forward to seeing Eddie have a chance to be messy and put himself together much healthier than he’s been since he had to get married at age 19. 

Maddie and Buck have such a special relationship, and I love how much she cares for him, and how he can trust her and that love. Her gentle prodding and confusion during S7 before and after Buck was realizing his bisexuality were hilarious and wonderful. It’s always broken my heart that we see in the Buck flashbacks when she was a young teen that she had already been conditioned by her parents to believe that sometimes people can only show their love by being mad. She was set up and harmed just as much as Buck, but I’m not sure she knows how much. 

I just love and adore each and every character on this show, basically!

Anne of Green Gables: Anne, Anne/Diana, Anne/Gilbert

“I think this book might be the genesis for my love of incredibly evocative seasonal things. It feels like the perfect fandom for both seasonally appropriate tricks and treats. 

Tricks: The Haunted Wood. What if it’s really haunted? Who is haunting it? Is there an abandoned building that seems perfectly romantic in its desolation and hauntings? Does Anne encounter a ghost of a doomed lover who needs to have their story finished? Is there town or Barry/Blythe/Cuthbert family lore about ghosts of torn apart lovers that Anne falls in love with and tries to find and heal? Does Anne fall in love with a ghost? Does someone die and Anne is convinced that it was Murder? Or do those things happen to mostly practical Diana, and she is beside herself? Gilbert has an explanation for everything, but does he? Does Anne convince Diana or Gil to have a séance or use a Ouija board with her, and what comes of it? 

Treats: Give me ALL the autumnal fun in Avonlea, all the sensory descriptions of the seasons and tramps through forests and shores and farms and autumn parties and storms and bonfires and food and nature joy.”

All of my tricks and treats and general likes apply here. I really love PEI and nature and would love any Island wandering descriptions. Go as iddily autumnal or spooky as you want, and I will enjoy it very much. Anne is one of my oldest friends, I reread her books constantly, and I would love to see anything about her, Diana or Katherine! (Which you can probably tell from my gifts–I match on this fandom a lot and I keep requesting it because I love the gifts and always want more. <3)

Schitt’s Creek: David/Patrick

“This show is my happy place! I fell for Patrick’s dry sense of humor pretty fast and was sold on the pairing when he confidently told David he’d get those grants. I love his love of control, and his deep love for David combined with their banter and his tendency to troll him so affectionately. I love how David cares so deeply for so many and refuses to admit it because of his history, but won’t stop, and is always there to step up when Patrick is feeling like he lost his control.

Treats: David’s anxiety is heightened and Patrick takes him to one of Twyla’s partner yoga classes, or gets some poses from Twyla to try. How much Halloween (correct and incorrect) does David let into the store, and how does Patrick convince him? Road trips to check out some great autumnal vendors—cider, donuts, sweaters, etc. Patrick insists on throwing a Halloween party at their new home; David’s in for the bonfire and s’mores. A fun murder mystery party—maybe David takes over planning from or with Twyla—seems like it would be up Patrick’s alley. Their shop/home ends up haunted, and it’s all good fun. Patrick stars in Jocelyn’s production of Rocky Horror–does David get wrangled in? They host an autumnal or spooky class at the shop—knitting, cider making, tarot reading with Twyla, etc. 

Tricks: A ghost themed escape room really is haunted and David will never let Patrick forget it. One of Twyla’s murder mystery parties goes wrong. (Character death is fine if you don’t kill a Rose, Patrick, Stevie, Ronnie, or a child.) The shop/house is haunted and it’s scary (with a happy ending). A road trip to check out a new vendor for autumnal goodies goes wrong—the place is abandoned/haunted, the vendor is a ghost, the vendor is a murderer, they pick up a ghost hitchhiker, etc (with a happy ending). Maybe that seance class Twyla is leading was a really bad decision."

I really love these two. Their dynamic is really fun—Patrick as service top and caretaker with sass, David needing all the praise and support, but they are good about switching as needed. Patrick is such a troll, and he gets so grumpy when emotions are involved. He’s better at hiding his issues than David is, but they’re still there. David can get pretty tunnel-visiony about himself as a defense mechanism, but I love how he steps up for Patrick whenever it’s needed. I wonder if he’ll get better about stepping up before those low moments as he settles into their future. And honestly, he really is correct a lot of the time, ha.

[radinagames2020]

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Rating: 5/5. Atmospheric, and tons of fun puzzles!

I wasn't initially sure how I'd rate this game - it was fun, and full of really good puzzles, but it also had its irritating quirks and was a bit too spooky for me. However, I keep wishing I could go back and replay it, and I keep telling all my friends about how good it is - so I think that's a 5!

The game is about exploring a spooky hotel and solving puzzles. The kind of puzzles you need a pen and paper for, which I love. It's also about ~ Art ~, but that part wasn't so exciting for me. The plot is alright - I enjoyed solving the various mysteries it laid out for me, but I wasn't that interested in its more pretentious moments. But the puzzles were so fun that, for me, the plot didn't need to be amazing.

I am not very good with scary games, and this was right on the line for me. It's got a super spooky vibe, and it did give me a couple of nightmares. But it's not actually that scary - nothing bad really happens. There are a handful of jump scares, but they turn out fine. And there are a few chase scenes, but you basically immediately learn that they are harmless (or actually, being caught is beneficial). So even a wimp like me can just barely handle this game.

There were also a few gameplay irritations - mainly the annoying one-button control scheme (I would have killed for a 'back' and 'map' button!) But overall, it didn't really diminish my enjoyment of this mysterious and brain-teasing experience. I loved exploring the weird old hotel, and the other bizarre environments you unlock. I loved solving all the puzzles! I loved the soundtrack and the art style. I loved the whole thing, and I really recommend it! If you have 10-15 hours, definitely give it a go.

[onewordshy]

Free Online Halloween Goodies

I made one of these lists every year and posted it on reddit but they deleted all my posts as spam a while back so I'm backing them up here!

Read - Abby Howard's short horror comics: An icon in the online horror scene (to me at least), Abby is known for crafting spooky stories with great art and her comics are a must read! The demo to Scarlett Hollow, her blockbuster visual novel, is also worth a play.

Play - QT: the so-called "anti-jump scare game" wherein you search through a spooky abandoned house trying to find your friends. It's super cute and perfect if you don't want something scary.

Listen - A Bnny Nghtmr II by BNNY RBBT: A Halloween themed visual album tied into a YouTube alternate reality game about a mysterious '90s pop star who vanished. The album uses unusual sounds and the autotune heavy style might seem grating at first but it's kind of mesmerizing and a good listen for the season.

Read - Ruby Quest and Nan Quest: Two legendary horror "quest interactives." The writing style is a little unusual and the artwork is kinda crunchy but trust me, they're gripping stories of people trying to survive terrifying ordeals, combined with escape room puzzles and psychological horror. I personally prefer Nan Quest (its "haunted hotel" setting really works and it's much more polished).

Watch - Lo by Travis Betz on YouTube: which is not only my favorite horror movie but quite possibly my favorite movie in general? It's about a man who summons a demon to find his missing girlfriend, it's very low-budget but it's incredibly creative and a great meditation on love and loss.

Read - Emily Carroll's comics: You might have seen these floating around before but they're good, His Face All Red is the perfect Halloween ghost story.

Play - The Night Is Darkening: a short, free horror game about a ship that gets stranded on a floating island. It's just a simple exploration game but gothic energy is strong with this one, despite the short length it had tremendous world building that made me so intrigued. More unsettling than scary.

Browse - MORTASHEEN: an online database of fictional monsters from the creator's fantasy setting. If you're into creature design and unconventional monsters and somehow haven't heard of this, get on it now.

Read - ALL HAIL THE MONUMENTAL HORROR-IMAGE: An article posted to The Outline that I think fans of horror would be very interested in, it’s in slideshow format so you essentially just scroll through screen caps of iconic moments from horror movies interspersed with text from the author opining on what exactly it is that makes them so effective.

Watch/Listen - Evil Dead: The Musical: A campy parody of the already campy horror franchise, the original Canadian cast of this show was professionally recorded for posterity and has made its way onto YouTube. The video is pretty potato quality but you know what, we’re lucky to have this at all.

Play - The Open House: A very unique horror game that takes the form of, of all things, a virtual guided house tour through a fairly mundane piece of real estate that slowly reveals itself as a house of horrors. While there are a few obligatory jump scares, the game relies mostly on the unsettling atmosphere and brilliant pacing to lure you in and keep you hooked until the terrifying end. A short game (twenty minutes if you’re quick) can be played in browser or downloaded, but here’s a play through as well.

Watch/Listen - Ghost Quartet: A one of a kind musical/theatrical experience. the show weaves a complex interlocking narrative that I can’t even begin to unpack but is ultimately about four friends who get together on a dark night to tell ghost stories. It’s an old school style of spooky, telling out tales of love, betrayal, revenge, and of course ghosts, all spelled out through abstract metaphor and fantastic music.

Read - Jared Pechacek’s Annual Harvest Festivals: A thread of microfiction tweets each describing mysterious local harvest festival traditions from a town called Springfield in every state in America. The brief descriptions are evocative and offer a fun twist on some classic Americana, sounding both familiar and surreal.

Listen - Old Radio Plays: There’s a certain kind of vintage charm to these old radio programs that’s very comforting, and while I don’t pretend to be an expert in these types of things I’ve linked to a handy tumblr post where another excited recommender has compiled some that they felt were noteworthy.

Watch - Daisy Brown: Daisy Brown is a web series that exploded onto the scene back in 2017 with the video “How I Feed Alan,” which shows a cheerful young woman feeding sugar pills to some kind of monster. The strange juxtaposition of the grotesque imagery with Daisy’s completely casual tone was instantly intriguing, and over the course of the next two years she’d upload regular vlogs that gradually unraveled the mystery behind this strange family.

Play/Read - The Shadows That Run Alongside Our Car: A fully illustrated visual novel that tells the story of two strangers driving a car through the zombie apocalypse towards an uncertain fate. It’s very well written, has great atmosphere, and the theme of searching for hope and human connection in the face of inevitable demise is more timely than ever.

Listen - LVCRFT: Basically they’re a collective of (pretty high profile) artists in LA who got together and decided to create Halloween music, and it slaps! They have several excellent albums full of spooky tunes that you should be bumping to while they’re still seasonal!

Read - Crow Cillers: The basic gist of the plot is that a group of kids get tangled up in the machinations of a cult who are trying to control an otherworldly dimension(?) called Ynce Iche, but that's just the starting point for where this comic goes because it's the kind of story that tears itself apart and sews itself back up. A diverse cast of characters and well written dialogue bring a lot of life to this experimental webcomic.

Watch - Local58TV: The brainchild of Kris Staub, a perennial fave of the online horror scene. The videos are short films designed to look like news broadcasts from a world similar to our own, but also different in a few key ways. Found footage VHS horror has been a growing field in the past two years and imo this is the best it's been done yet.

Play - Symposium of Grief: The story of a ghost trying to find his lost heart, this one is a bit more emotional than the others listed here. It takes place in a spooky town full of ghosts and monsters but it's more about trying to find connection and a purpose in life than anything else; the writing is funny and the art is gorgeous and I have no clue why it's free because it seems super high effort.

Play/Read - the uncle who works for nintendo: Is this a cult classic? A text based adventure game about being a kid and going over to your friend's house for a sleepover that goes very, very wrong. I don't want to say too much and spoil it but suffice to say this is more hair raising than you'd expect. Can be played in browser so you don't have to download anything!

Listen - Ellise: Ellise makes short, catchy pop songs that have horror themes, with her last EP being centered around fairy tales in particular. It's a bit "edge lord" at times but hey, that's part of the fun!

Read - Fuan No Tane: A cult favorite manga, Fuan No Tane is a collection of unsettling ghost stories inspired by the unusual urban legends of Japan. It's slice of life in a way, there's no plot and every entry is pretty short (some just a few pages long), but the imagery and mundane-cum-horrifying tone really stick with you.

Watch - Ultraman Max Episode 22: "Butterfly Dream": Kind of a wildcard pick but if you're into the more surreal side of horror then this one is for you. While the typical episode of Ultraman would see the hero fighting some sort of rubber suit monster, "Butterfly Dream" instead is a bizarre, experimental story about a man attempting to write an episode of Ultraman, a woman trying to craft the perfect monster, and the hero caught in the middle.

Play - Don't Get Spooked!: A twine horror game from Halloween aficionado bogleech.com, this is a silly little comedy game where you click links to navigate a haunted house and try to collect all of the endings. Very dumb but a lot of fun.

Watch - The Black Tower: A classic short horror film about a man who notices a new building on the horizon… and then can’t stop noticing it. The story is told entirely through voiceover and mainly static footage, which gives the film a dreamy and unsettling atmosphere, and the “monster” feels very unique even today. I think if you like the more artsy and understated side of the horror world you’ll appreciate this.

Play - There’s A Bear Outside: Spend the night in a cabin and encounter a totally normal bear. An unusual spin on the “campfire story” formula, this interactive text game loosely tracks the stories of different people who encounter a surreal thing (really, a completely normal bear) which causes their lives to spill open. Kinda spooky, kinda silly, kinda a surprisingly emotionally cutting exploration of the human experience.

Read - Third Shift Society: A supernatural action comic about a down-on-her-luck girl who discovers psychic powers that conveniently land her a job as a “Paranormal Detective” and adventure ensues. Kind of a stock standard Webtoon but it was nominated for an Eisner Award and also one dude has a pumpkin for a head, so, that’s fun!

Watch - Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Series: A web series that offers comedic take on the classic Legend of Sleepy Hollow, following meek school teacher Ichabod Crane as he tries to unravel the mystery of the Headless Horseman that haunts his new hometown. Chock full of crazy characters and wacky circumstances, the show has an interesting sense of humor but manages to land a lot of good jokes while still crafting a surprisingly compelling story.

Read - Katalepsis: An ongoing urban fantasy web serial with major horror elements that follows the adventures of a young woman who discovers that the gruesome hallucinations that have plagued her since her childhood are real, a revelation which almost literally throws her into a world of strange people with stranger powers. Has a relatable protagonist, a unique story, creative world building, strong character development, and also like every character in this book is a queer woman.

Watch - Zombie Prom: Boy meets girl, boy and girl break up, boy drives into a nuclear power plant and comes back as a zombie… that old story. And it’s a musical! This short film (a bit over a half hour) is a super campy parody of ‘50s teen romances with a lot of fun songs, perhaps a little low-budget but that’s just part of its charm. Notably features RuPaul as a villainous high school principal.

Read - Angel Chain: An ongoing web comic about two dysfunctional sisters who encounter an “angel” who they can control using charms attached to their flip phones, but not all is as it appears. Sort of like a bastardized parody of anime/creature collectors/‘00s culture, this comic isn’t very far along yet but it stands out for eye catching art style and delightfully emo sensibilities. Be sure to explore the homepage for secret links too~

Play - Night Work: This interactive comic casts you as a janitor on a space ship who does his best to survive when things go horribly wrong. A simple story elevated by the beautiful black/white/red color palate and some smart gameplay choices. Plays in-browser so there’s no download required and it’s really quick, though you’ll probably want to do it a few times to get the different endings.

Play - The Anthology Of The Killer: A series of short games about a young woman named BB who goes on misadventures and meets all sorts of kooky characters... who want to kill her. Swim through a haunted waterpark, stumble through the dark backrooms of a cursed theatre, survive the art in a judgemental museum, become the herald of a new form of music, and more! The visual style is immediately striking, very punk and surreal, but what makes the games stand out is their great sense of humor and unexpected intelligence- you'll find yourself thinking and laughing at the most unexpected moments.

Explore - Welcome Home: A fansite for a (fake) children's show called Welcome Home that was mysteriously "lost..." perhaps for a good reason. The characters and the fake show seem very cute, but as you click around the site you might stumble across several links that hint at something darker lurking beneath the cheerful exterior. Tying together the internet's fascination with lost media with the rise of "mascot horror," it's no wonder that this went viral earlier this year, which is great because it means there are a lot of "explained" videos/articles out there for people (like me) who don't have the patience to actually do ARG bullshit.

Watch - The Search For The Next Elvira: A deep cut from Elvira lore is that back in 2007 she concocted a reality competition show where she put thirteen youngsters through a series of challenges to determine who could best fill her bra shoes and it is peak '00s reality television- there is no budget, it's super cheesy, nothing makes sense, and yet you just can't stop watching. At only four 40 minute episodes, it's a fun little thing to have in the background.

Play - Elevator Hitch: A unique visual novel with escape room elements about a young man starting a new job at a corporate office finds himself sharing an elevator with an annoying executive... and that's just the start of the horror! Explore nine different floors, each with their own twisted puzzles, and try to find a way to freedom... if it even exists. Witty writing, a charming anime inspired aesthetic, and plenty of surprises in store.

Explore - A Book Of Creatures: A cute little blog devoted to recording different "creatures" found in mythology and folklore from all around the world. If you're a monster lover like me this site is a treasure trove because the creator goes pretty deep with the references and pulls up some fairly obscure creatures- and provides beautiful illustrations for each.

Watch - Gregory Horror Show - An animated series of short episodes that tell the story of a human who arrives at a mysterious boarding house full of terrifying creatures that make his every waking minute a nightmare. It's a more cartoonish take on horror but the memorable cast of characters and the surprisingly compelling story have made it an enduring cult classic.

Read - Dustin K Couch's Creepypastas: This creator has gone viral several times for his unique format of short form comedic horror stories that come in the form of fake social media screenshots about surreal phenomenon that takes hold via the web. Short, amusing, slightly unsettling, and punchy. Also on tumblr if you don't want to go to xitter.

[fervency-if]

How would the characters prepare going into the autumn? Also, how would they prepare for spooky season, granted, if they care for it/celebrate it?

This is a cosy question... I'm in an autumn mood (and spooky season-mood, but... I'm always in the mood for spooks) myself right now.

The Physician would mostly prepare for autumn in a practical way. Immediately change her coats and hats and such. She wouldn't exactly celebrate spooky season if that was a thing, but I think she would appreciate the 'remember your dead loved ones' and 'respect the dead'-part. I can see her put flowers on graves that looked lonely, for example, even if she didn't know the people personally.

Aubrey would be a bit unprepared for cold, as always. He's one of those people who keeps on wearing a thin jacket for a while, even if he freezes his bottom off, and goes into spring wearing too thick clothes, even though it makes him overheat - he forgets to consider it, when it comes to those things, he's a bit of a creature of habit, wearing the same things as he did yesterday, so to speak. If spooky season was a thing, he would love that! There he would be prepared. He is, of course, also one who's always in the mood for that, but now he can celebrate it even more. Paint even more scary paintings. Read scary books. Buy scary art or decorations (that he would convenientely 'forget' to take down afterwards.) He would definitely be more morbid than spooky, though, but he is fond of both. In modern time, there would be a lot of horror movie-watching. Soak it all up.

Vesa would like to dress a bit more autumn-y for fun. Not only as in warmer clothes, that is, but deeper colours when it came to her make-up, for example, and jewelry that felt fitting. Spooky season would be fun to her. She likes the morbid, of course, but she would really enjoy the cuter and more lighthearted side of spooky, too.

Narciso would be similar to the Physician - practical, mostly. Being prepared to be a bit bothered by the cold, too. Buying a lot of candles and such - he wants a lot of light and warmth in his home. He may be a 'bat,' but he wouldn't do well in a dark cave! I can imagine him visiting graveyards, too. Not doing anything in particular, just take some calm, serene walks.

Roswhen would be very happy that autumn was coming. Their personal style is quite compatible with autumn, too. They would be attentive and appreciative of the changing seasons, and how nature looked. All the colours of the fallen leaves. Clear, dark night skies, too. They would take a lot of walks. They would find spooky season quite fun. They wouldn't do anything major, but the atmosphere is cosy.

Elan would prepare to take good care of himself. He wants to be gentle and soft towards himself now, because he knows very well how the changing seasons affect his mood. He's got seasonal affective disorder. To him, autumn is a time for self-care, and comforting himself when he feels capable of doing so. Getting cosy with blankets and scarves and warm clothes. When he consumed regular food and drink, I think there was a lot of autumn-y comfort food, such as stews (his favourite food,) soup, and hot drinks. He wouldn't exactly celebrate spooky season if that was a thing, but if he had a friend or partner who did? He would gladly do it along with them, that could be charming and cosy.

[carpeossa]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers. 💜 (no pressure, of course! )

I'VE BEEN SUMMONED

THE SEA! I used to live near the ocean and had to move inland for work/housing, but I have the deepest desire to return to the Atlantic Ocean and have a house with decor inspired by the Second Empire/Baroque Revival and Art Nouveau style. I read a comment on YouTube that said Pirates are just Tropical Goths and that lives rent-free in my head now.

Art Nouveau! I did a recent deep dive into the style to improve my background and fell in love with the style. I'm redrawing my POTO projects in the style (it should have more life to them now whereas before it was empty in my POV).

Video Games. Specifically, games with a creepy atmosphere that's detective or point-and-click adventure. Here are some I love and some I've got wishlist on Steam: Scratches, Asylum, Holstin, Frogwares Games Sherlock Holmes.

Pre-code Hollywood movies. I'm trying to make time to watch more pre-code Hollywood movies. I've enjoyed M, Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, and Doctor X and want to see more from this film era. In my spooky opinion, the sets were grander, the narrative was better, and there was an overall sense of librated creative expression that we don't see anymore.

Cryptids. I enjoy researching the cultures behind them and what led to the beliefs of the creatures. It's a great way to learn more about a culture. The best part is you also get spooky stories.

Thank you for sending this @dazed-and-distracted-girl!

I wish you a relaxing week!

[sincerely-sofie]

21 for the artist asks!😊

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

Ooooooh boy. You’ve opened such a can of worms. I try to take at least a little something from every style I enjoy, so there’s probably certain bits of overlap, but here’s five styles I adore:

ByTwistwood (Instagram | Tumblr)

ADORABLE color palette!

Phenomenal character designs

Autumnal atmosphere :D

Faunwood (Instagram | Tumblr)

Amazing incorporation of natural with unnatural motifs

Bold black and white shapes!

Subtly spooky creature design :0

Singajelly (Instagram | Inactive Tumblr)

Adorable colors and textures!

Cozy subject matter :>

Lovely character designs!

Plague Muffins by Erin Kirkland (Webtoon)

PLAGUE DOCTORRRRRRS 🎉🥳✨

Wonderful interiors that feel so comfortable and warm

Wonderfully muted colors dominated by warm browns and whites

Dream Constellations by Livys (Webtoon)

Ethereal beyond words color palettes *u*

Stunning environment designs!

Unbelievably gorgeous lineart

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

Congratulations on your big milestone! I’ve followed your account since I joined tumblr, and it’s wonderful to watch you grow. I would love an artist match!

Anything gothic or macabre piques my interest. I just find the grim and dark atmospheres beautiful in their special way. I’ve been looking for more darker artists to add to my favorites list, so I’d love to hear any recommendations you’ve got!

visit the art gallery

hello lovely Elijah! thank you so much for your kind words and for being here!

I'm very excited for your request, since the gothic and the macabre are probably like at least 75% of my personality 😅 so I have a number of artists I can recommend. you may have already seen it, but in another artist match available here, I talked about some artists whose work is on the darker, unsettling side, so those may interest you as well. but not all of those artists necessarily do the macabre or the gothic more specifically, and of course I want to give you your own personal list of artists 🥰, I just wanted to put those out there if you'd like even more dark art to peruse ☺️

I'm always excited to find folks to talk about dark, macabre, gothic art with, and I'm thrilled to share these artists with you and I hope you find something you like!

without further ado, here's a list of artists I think you might like (with more details and images below the cut!)

Caspar David Friedrich

Pieter Claesz

John Bauer

Theodor Kittelsen

Caspar David Friedrich (The Abbey in the Oakwood and The Hunter in the Forest)

we absolutely must start with my beloved Friedrich! these two paintings are both on my list of favorite artworks of all time. Friedrich was a romantic painter, which in this context doesn't mean "romantic" like we think of the word today, but instead refers to an interest in the "sublime" - a kind of transcendence that could be achieved equally through great beauty and great terror/horror/awe. it was also often highly associated with the power and vastness of nature. we totally see that in many of Friedrich's works. not all of his paintings are explicitly spooky or dark, but he does tend to focus on vast landscapes and skyscapes that tend to overwhelm any human figures in the composition, which leads to a haunting feeling of unease. these two works really exemplify that for me. in the first, we have the ruins of a gothic abbey (gothic architecture is my favorite, so that's part of the reason I adore this piece) and these old wizened trees in this kind of hazy fog over the snow. and in the second, a hunter stands before this dark, imposing forest that consumes the canvas. in the face of these trees, the human seems fragile and powerless. so, while not outwardly macabre, I picked Friedrich for you since his works have that kind of underlying feeling of unease that feels so quintessentially gothic to me.

Pieter Claesz (Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill and Vanitas Still Life)

I absolutely could not make recommendations on macabre art without mentioning a vanitas painter (if you want to know more about this style of art I also have a post here where I ramble on about it for possibly way too long 😅). Claesz also painted regular still lives of just like food and stuff, but it's because of his large number of vanitas paintings that I'm matching him with you ☺️. one thing about him: my mans is not afraid to paint a skull, and we love him for that. I fear I don't have much more profound commentary on this one, because when I see his work my mind goes blank and there are no thoughts except "cool skull." his vanitas paintings just feel very macabre to me, but in a delicate way?? (I have no idea if that makes sense). I just love the scattered collections of items and his liberal deployment of skulls.

John Bauer (The Magic Ride and Princess Tuvstarr Gazing Down into the Dark Waters of the Forest Tarn)

if you're interested in the more supernatural side of the macabre/gothic, you might really like Bauer's illustrations for Among Gnomes and Trolls, a collection of Swedish fairytales/folktales. I was absolutely in awe the first time I saw these illustrations - they just have such a sense of magic and mystery to them. while they certainly are on the more whimsical side, I find that there's also an undeniable darkness in them. the rolling hills and piles of rocks that fade off into darkness, the thin, leafless trees that seem to go on forever in the shadowy background, the ambiguity of time and space - it just gives them this slightly eerie feeling, like you've stepped into another world and you may not be entirely welcome there. for me, these illustrations certainly ride that line between the beautiful and the terrifying, which makes them all the more compelling. I'm not sure if I've done a great job explaining myself here, but I hope you enjoy Bauer's works regardless of my rambling!

Theodor Kittelsen (She Covers the Whole Country and The Pauper from the Pesta series)

not all of Kittelsen's work is necessarily macabre, but his series of prints called Pesta certainly is. Pesta (meaning plague) depicts various personifications of plague moving through the countryside and killing all those in its path. sometimes shown as a flock of carrion birds, sometimes as a horde of rats, and even as a frightening ghoul-like figure, plague stalks the landscape in each of these haunting prints. they actually depict deceased bodies, which might make these the most literally macabre images of the lot. Kittelsen also has some other cool pieces depicting mythological creatures like trolls and water spirits. they have these glowing eyes and they're both creepy and super cool. I just didn't include them here because I had just talked about folklore with Bauer, but I would absolutely recommend you check them out if that's something you find interesting. and these are only two images that I felt were most representative of the Pesta series, you should definitely check out the rest if you liked these!

those are the artists with whom I would match you! 🥰 a little gothic, a little macabre, a little supernatural ☺️

I hope you enjoyed these artists and their works and that you've found some new macabre art to explore!

sending love and just the right amount spookiness,

charlotte 💙

[cousticks]

Alright here's squid's un-offical rpg horror recommendations:

Ib - my second favorite rpg maker horror game. One of the endings made me cry. It's one of the more popular rpg maker games and I love it dearly. It's pretty simple and concise but it works well at what it's trying to do.

POCKET MIRROR - one of my favorite games of all time. It recently had a re-release on steam plus a sequel that just came out called little goody two shoes. Interesting story, Cool characters, and an amazing art and development team.

Mad Father - similar style to ib. It's another really well known rpg horror game. Some of the twist you see coming but it's an interesting ride it also recently has had a remaster so it's worth checking out.

The Witch's house: spooky, fun, with a a twist that I didn't see coming but which makes the whole game super fun to replay through. Not much dialogue but a great atmosphere.

Omori: This one might not need much introduction. I love Omori's story but I do think some sections drag on for a really long time. But the endings make it worth it for me.

Here's some others as well: Misao, Ao Oni, and The Crooked Man

omg i kept forgetting to answer this. tysm!!! i'll look into these next time im on a hunt for medias!! i love a little rpgmaker horror

[nitrosodiumfmp]

Looking Forward (and Back)

I'm feeling a little better mentally about the whole project; I've cleared up my bibliography and also altered my project proposal a little. This time I did attempt to make it more open-ended, and that's because I've thought about some potential renovations to the idea.

A lot of this has been inspired by Doom - the originals, not the remakes. They're really good games, and the art and level design are very intriguing. I watched a very interesting video by GermanPeter about what the levels could be as real-life places, and it made me think about the abstract, surreal nature of the visuals. It's something that could be quite interesting to replicate. For example, in the video, Peter suggests that MAP02, The Underhalls, is not a sewer system as it first appears, but actually a network of flooded subway tunnels, with various stops where you can scavenge for loot and fight demons.

I've also gotten quite hung up on the Sinister Workshop vs Dark Tomb debacle, and I think the best way to get around this is to combine the ideas into one cohesion, called "Sinister". It'll be chunky, mechanical and industrial, while also appearing fantastical and almost Gothic. This style has been proven to work - once again, look at Doom.

Some of the Doom maps do still carry a sense of dread and unease, as you creep through darkened corridors, expecting an ambush at any moment. But they also have the more adrenaline-fuelled segments you'd expect from a shooter, running circles around a hungry horde and blasting them into mincemeat. Doom does attempt full-on horror in some segments, too. There's a map in the cartoonishly malicious Plutonia Experiment called Hunted, where you're trapped in a maze filled with Archviles (particularly resilient demons who can revive the dead for extra fun), not enough ammo to kill them all, and all the while, as if to mock you, it plays the bunny song from the end of Doom 2.

A lot of Doom 1 maps had this more horror focus, actually. Obviously nowadays, it's not scary, but back then, when you were confined to keyboard controls, a crap resolution, and the old-school software renderer that made dark areas DARK, it was probably pretty spooky. With this ethos, I can have my cake and eat it - I can keep making the slower horror-atmosphere game, and also make it more active.

This is what I want to do. This is the vibe I want to replicate. Here's my idea for more fleshing-out. Essentially, you're in the afterlife - the god of death has entered a deep sleep, and the world is being subverted by his altered consciousness. Since nobody can properly die anymore, only existing as malformed ghosts in the warped remnants of the afterlife, you've been sent to wake the god up from his slumber and banish these spirits back to the ethereal realm. The surrealism still works here - it's all in a dream-like world, but it's also the afterlife. Think of some of the music videos for TOOL songs, where strange visuals are used to signify the dying process, or passing in and out of consciousness. This helps to explain the inevitable weirdness of the environment, and also relates to many of the interesting themes that people have extrapolated from the original Midas myth: dreams, surrealism, illusion, conspiracy, myth.

And, a final note, enemies. Also inspired by Doom (what can I say, I love boomer shooters) I think I'll have enemies that are 2D sprites. They'll be fun to draw, easier to animate, and help to make the world seem off. If the world is 3D and they're not, it'll give everything an optical illusion vibe, which is what I want.

A final final note: I think I might call it Sinister Afterlife. But it's just Sinister for now.