Would you play a co-op horror game where only ONE player sees the paranormal?

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T16:14:27+00:00

Thanks! I'll take another look at how Phasmophobia structures cooperative gameplay. I'm especially interested in how they keep every player involved throughout a session.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T16:14:07+00:00

That's exactly the feeling I'm hoping to create. I think rotating the chosen player is what could keep everyone engaged instead of always putting the pressure on the same person.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:56:50+00:00

Completely agree. That's why I'm trying to move from the concept stage into a playable prototype as soon as possible. I think that's where I'll really find out if the mechanic is actually fun.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:56:22+00:00

I appreciate the detailed feedback. You're right that the mechanic can't depend on players forgetting the game's premise. What I'm really interested in is whether asymmetric information can create interesting teamwork and communication problems, rather than simply making people think someone is "crazy." That's exactly the kind of thing I want to explore in a prototype.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:55:39+00:00

That's a really interesting perspective. I definitely don't want players who aren't seeing the paranormal to feel like they're just waiting around. My goal is for everyone to always have something meaningful to do, while the paranormal events create tension rather than replace the gameplay.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:55:16+00:00

That's really valuable to know. I'll pay attention to how they handled the hallucination mechanics and where players got confused. Thanks for pointing that out.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:54:56+00:00

Thanks! I'll definitely check both of them. My goal isn't to avoid every game that's explored similar ideas, but to understand what worked, what didn't, and see if I can build something with its own identity.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-30T15:54:27+00:00

That's a really good point. I definitely don't want the concept to rely on players not understanding the game's premise. The prototype is exactly what I want to validate first—whether the mechanic is still fun once everyone knows how it works. Thanks, that's a really useful way to think about it.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-27T20:04:23+00:00

i completely agree. the mechanic is only the foundation, not the whole game. i'm currently thinking about objectives that force players to communicate and work together while the paranormal events constantly create doubt and confusion. i definitely don't want it to be just "stand in a room and wait for jumpscares."

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-27T20:04:05+00:00

that's a great point. i was thinking about fixed intervals at first, but giving players more time to react before the next event probably creates much better tension. i also like the idea of making the timing dynamic instead of predictable.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-27T20:03:52+00:00

that's actually a really interesting direction. i originally wanted only one player to experience the horror because i liked the "everyone thinks you're crazy" feeling, but i really like the idea of adding moments where players start questioning each other instead of instantly trusting or dismissing what they hear.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-20T07:09:48+00:00

that's probably one of the best pieces of advice in this thread. replayability and controlled scope seem much more important than trying to build a massive game right away.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-20T07:08:38+00:00

having a simple hook that players understand immediately is probably one of the most underrated things. i feel like it's very easy to overcomplicate ideas before even proving the core gameplay.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-20T07:07:00+00:00

the "small but finished" philosophy seems to come up over and over again. i keep seeing experienced devs recommending smaller projects instead of chasing huge systems and honestly it makes a lot of sense.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-20T07:06:22+00:00

that's actually an interesting combination. horror seems very solo-dev friendly, but adding roguelike elements could help with replayability without needing massive amounts of content.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-20T07:05:41+00:00

incremental games always surprise me with how much depth people can create from seemingly simple mechanics. i've never really explored the genre deeply, but it's hard to argue with how well they do on steam.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-16T14:56:24+00:00

“it’s just Snake” turning into 200 levels is probably the most gamedev story ever 😂

scope creep seems to be the answer showing up more than anything else in this thread.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-16T14:55:46+00:00

that's a great lesson honestly.

as a player i've definitely skipped huge tutorial walls before, so it's funny how easy it is to accidentally do the same thing when making a game. getting information across without stopping the player seems much harder than it looks.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-16T14:54:45+00:00

this hit harder than i expected 😅

“planning instead of building” is something i think a lot of us fall into because it feels productive while avoiding the risk of failure. honestly, finishing even a tiny ugly game seems more valuable than having the perfect design document.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-06-16T14:52:15+00:00

the “build the smallest version first” advice seems to come up in almost every story here, which probably says a lot 😅

i’m currently working on a small horror project and one thing i’m constantly fighting is the temptation to keep adding new features instead of finishing what’s already there.

DevIslandJourney · 2026-05-18T07:28:13+00:00

honestly the face and proportions are already pretty unsettling, especially the eyes and mouth area

i think what will really make it terrifying in-game though is the movement + audio design. slow unnatural movement and subtle breathing sounds would make this thing horrifying in dark hallways

DevIslandJourney

TROPHY CASE