It's Been Here All Along: Increasing Discomfort in Immersive Horror Puzzle Experiences Without Jump Scares

This thesis seeks to utilize horror themes in a puzzle-based themed experience without the usage of jump scares. By alerting the body’s startle response once a puzzle is completed with a sudden loud noise or visuals, many horror-themed escape rooms utilize the jump scare tactic to heighten their guests’ adrenaline. While this technique is often effective in eliciting a reaction from participants, the effects are temporary– and sometimes hinder participants’ desire to fully interact with the environment. By primarily using the experience’s narrative and environment to illicit a fear response in guests, as opposed to using the consequences of their actions, the participants will have a higher sense of freedom and enjoyment. Evidence is presented on popular interest in horror, modern media, and experiences that create compelling and fear-inducing responses without utilizing jump scares. This paper also carefully examines multiple models of puzzle-based experiences, including escape rooms; it also evaluates how the industry has evolved to solve its shortcomings, such as a lack of replay value and low hourly capacities. Utilizing these two sets of information, this thesis presents a design for a replayable jump scare-free puzzle experience that will give higher capacities of guests chills again and again.