How Audio Creates Horror: The Heilwald Loophole 

I'm seeing a couple comments on here that misunderstood what I meant when I said this game's special gimmick was going back to previous locations, and I feel like that's because I explained it quite poorly here. What I meant is that you quite literally time travel back to previous locations after acquiring new items to use them in points in time where it wasn't possible. I just wanted to clear that up so there wasn't any misinformation about this game.

I feel like the nurse’s section is especially interesting since it doesn’t involve finding an object or an exit, but instead it asks you to overcome the fear that it presents you instead of escaping from it, like every other game. It’s an unorthodox twist but an appreciated one nonetheless.

And the 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' Randolph gave when I played startled me so bad I completely lost my bearings, only for him to immediately be calm again when he caught up to me since I didn't move. That high tension uneasiness didn't let up once after that.

Personally, when I think of sound design in horror, my mind always goes to Iron Lung. It really does its damnest to make you feel like you're in a creaking submarine tanking the pressure of a deep blood ocean, with whatever the hell is lurking down there.

Visuals can only go so far with horror. You really need good audio/ambience in horror media to compound those visuals. You could have a horrifying monster design, but if there's a lack of engaging, amplifying audio that compliments that visual, the visuals won't be able to carry the game/movie alone. Heliwald Loophole really did mix them together so perfectly! I wouldn't mind another video on this game honestly!

I would like to point out that, to me, the rise and fall of the music in the Nurse's theme reminds me of breathing, as if the Nurse's presence terrifies the patients so much that they're struggling to breath in a futile attempt to get away, trapped in a body That's unresponsive.

I actually loved how they used the theme, you mostly see the patients being demonized on horror media, not the cruel institution they're placed in. Already a breath of fresh air!

The segment with the nurse has a very contradictory design choice: everything about the encounter is saying, "The nurse will end you -- stay away from the nurse," and yet, if you want to progress, the fastest way to do so is to go towards the nurse. So, in essence, the situation the game ends up engendering is that the player is led on a wild goose chase in total vain until they finally acclimatize to the nurse's presence and become so curious or bored they let her catch them. This might potentially be fun in practice and something that necessarily forces the player to confront danger, but on paper it sounds like a whole lot of confusion and wasting the player's time. If it's so critical to get caught, then why is getting caught made so difficult by setting the player against it? Wouldn't it be better to lead the player someplace they think is safe from the nurse only to become trapped and completely unable to escape? The result is the same but instead it's the player dictating the pace and not how long it takes an incompetent enemy to catch them? I don't know. The first situation sounds unusual but maybe not the most effective option.

As my theatre teacher once said: "Don't go into audio work expecting to be praised. Most people won't notice it until you mess up"

I think it’s also important to mention the Faith series. Even the most mundane dialogue sounds so horrifying (at least to me, I’m a wuss). It’s such a striking and memorable aspect of the games

This analysis is particularly helpful for me, I've been revving up to make an ARG so having a good example of how important audio is gives me something to work with Maybe trying something like YTP to start out with would be useful

I didn’t knew about the true value that audio and soundtrack had until I learned it on my school’s music class My teacher showed us the same scene on a movie, but without any sound attached to it It was a generic scene of a guy finding a suitcase on his closet and opening it, seeing a hidden object My teacher once again replayed the scene, but this time, he added audio to it The audio was a bunch of violins whose volume slowly, almost too slowly, started to sound louder and louder If reflected a feeling of dread, suspense and borderline terror That it makes you feel that when the guy opened the suitcase, he just found something terrifying on it When I heard that audio, I felt like if a worm was slowly crawling inside of my ear My teacher once again replayed the same scene, but with a different audio This time, it was a soft chime of bells accompanied by a joyful angelic choir The new audio reflected a sense of wonder, hopefulness and fantasy That makes you believe that the thing the guy found on the suitcase was something magical This time, the audio was pleasant for me and I even ended up humming it After that, my respect for audio in movies and video games grew Because even though you can have the visuals, the audio truly sets the atmosphere of it

Something I also really like is, for the doctor as example, that it switches to actual English instead of the sound bits that are supposed to be language (I assume it's just things played in reverse instead of mimicing anything in paticular). It kind of has that "the doctor is talking directly to you, the player" vibe I find.

I always found that Subnautica was a game where the horror aspect was greatly accentuated by its sound design. Not only the music, but also the ambiance, the distant roaring of creatures... I creates a constant tension that sticks even when you perfectly know the game and have replayed it.

To me, the calm music when you are very clearly in danger feels like the game is betraying you, like it is trying to tell you "everything is okay, let your guard down" just for whatever threat is there to catch me unprepared

(Spoilers) My favroite part of this game is the scene with the iron lung patient we are so used to fearing everything we see before trying everything else first we emidiantly think they are a threat only to hand us the item that we were looking for and when we do get the item it just makes you feel bad about assuming they are a threat

I feel like audio is one of those things that can make or break the atmosphere of any game

Me at 12pm about to sleep: Pastra uploads a new video: *SLEEPN’T* No but seriously, I totally agree with this video. Sometimes the audio in horror games scare me even more than the actual jumpscares 💀

The thing that interests me about the sound design in this game is the fact that since your playing as a mental patient that perhaps the sounds and maybe some of the sights aren't nearly as horrifying as the game makes them out to be. To a person with disturbed mental health a nurse coming through the sick bay to check on her patients could appear as a monster pursuing you, hunting you when in reality its just your sickly mind warping events and your perception to make otherwise mundane things unspeakably terrifying. Schitzophrenia comes to mind. Its honestly horrifying in of itself that the game might not even be this hellish nightmarish experience and that the reality is your character only sees it that way because their mind is broken. I haven't played the game so don't take my word for it but it seems like when Doctor Randolph catches you he just tells you to calm down or possibly sedates you which...is actually all that bad. He's not some scary horror monster...he's a Doctor, but to a mental patient being chased through the halls by him the difference might be negligable.

Iron Lung also has great sound design. The creaking of the submarine, the sound of the blood as you commandeer the submarine, the sounds of the environment outside of it. You definitely need to check it out!

Sound design can let you make a spooky environment feel like a cartoon and make a kids game feel like a creepypasta straight out of the uncanny valley

Ooh, I remember this from one of the haunted ps1 demo disk (would highly recommend checking them along with the various Dread X collections out) Also good sound design is honestly just as important, and in some cases more so, than visuals in not only horror, but media as a whole, glad more people are exploring just how effective it can be

My favourite thing that developers do for their horror games is when they require you to have the sound up to be able to progress. Especially in games like FNAF 4, where you have to put the volume on loud to merely hear the animatronics and in turn when you get jumpscared it scares you shitless. It also requires you to have the full horror experience :)

As someone who is studying game development and audio engineering (which I love), Its nice to see audio get love.

To me, Little Nightmares has some of the best audio design I've seen in a horror game, while the game doesn't usually require you to listen as a mechanic, to me it takes the cake in terms of theme, the sound not only the monsters, but everything around you produces makes you feel even smaller and hopeless than you are, combined with the gorgeous and disturbing soundtrack the game offers.

I'm not much of a horror fan, but the quality of your videos are phenomenal. Keep it up!

You know, I'm not usually that into horror, but Pastra just makes it _different._ Easily and quickly earned my subscription.

For me, I feel more scared when ambience is used constantly even when nothing is going to happen. Then all of a sudden, you just cut it for no reason… you’ll feel like something is just about to happen, and feel more scared than a violin suddenly making a sharp note. At least for me it feels more scary, I’m not sure what scares others however.

I think Subnautica, despite not really being intended to be a horror game, does audio design immensely well. The vast roars of huge monsters that lurk just out of sight actually showed me I have thallasophobia - or caused it. Unbelievably terrifying.

The sound design of Alien Isolation is perhaps some of the best out there. The vents sliding open, the clunking of things moving out of sight, the beeps of different electronics, even just the station shifting and settling. The sound of the save points in particular stands out, since while they’re used to help signal that you’re near a save spot, they’re also loud, distracting, and insistent.

One game that always comes to mind when I think about sound design and ambience that really adds to the horror is the original postal. The levels are dead silent filled only with gunshots screams and the occasional strangely placed and uncanny sounding ambience. The loading screens and main title screen are an audio visual nightmare, nothing but pure unadulterated insanity with some of the most unnatural and unsettling audio. The ending is this taken to an extreme. I'd definitely recommend it if your looking for more horror games with strong sound design. It's free on steam too so that's a plus. Much love Pastra!

As someone who's starting college for Sound Design a week from now, thanks for this. One of my favorite examples of audio like this is SuperHot: MCD, the sequel to the game you're probably thinking of. I won't say too much, but I absolutely suggest checking it out if you havent

Considering its sound design and visual aspects, i would highly recommend Darkwood. Its a 2D horror game but its visual design, sound design and unnerving elements makes you feel more cornered, stressed and tense than most 3D horror games i personally have seen in a long time, tho that is my personal opinion so i would like to hear yours on it.

I know this has nothing to do with the video (mostly) BUT I love how I can see dozens of thumbnails on my subscription tab and yours always sticks out the most. It's never clickbait-y or showing arrows everywhere or super exaggerated screaming faces. It's just Pastra and I know whenever a new video's there. As an artist, I just wanna say thank you for your hard work because it definitely makes you stick out from the crowd, and i LOVE how passionate you are in every video.

The speaking sounds also sound kind of like German (I think) which makes sense, considering the naming of the game.

I've been playing Dead by Daylight a lot recently, most of it as survivor. Dbd isn't a "scary" game, only two or three of the killers can actually jumpscare you, and the competitive nature of the game makes it so that the game itself gives you information about the threat and how to avoid it. That said, getting chased by a killer and not knowing if i'm fast enought to vault a window before they catch me gets 100x more tense because of the game's sound. The footsteps of the killer getting closer and the chase music getting louder, hearing the killer preparing to attack even without looking back, all these make you VERY tense, even if for only a few seconds.

Another excellent video! I love the way that instead of a straight-up review, you tied it into a treatise on a particular aspect of game design and used the game to highlight the way in which it’s effective in the genre you’re discussing. Great writing as always. Also, I just wanna say that sad Clyde really tugged at my heartstrings and made me long for a Clyde plushie that I could clutch to my chest and tell that everything was going to be okay. Just, yanno, lil food for thought.

I found your video while searching for this game's music because it is so good! The characters' "voices" (animal crossing concept turned upside down) surprising us with coherent lines is haunting. Sound design in this game is simply great. It is truly an indie gem because there's so much more to this game, like character design and story, both of which deserve their own video. If you like this atmosphere, I recommend playing American McGee's Alice (2000).

2:34 wow pastra describes RU-vid poops

The juxtaposition thing was done really well in Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion. I've always really loved how strange it is that calming music plays whenever Specimen 4 chases you.

I have never seen your channel before but I'm glad I have now. I am a huge horror fan but when things get intense I never close my eyes, instead I cover my ears. Done this my whole life. I think it's because (at least in my opinion) it's easier to unsee something than to unhear it.

I know ya probably wont see this comment amongst all the others, but I think you should check out the games “Dark Deception” and “Hello Puppets!” They’re fairly interesting in my opinion, especially Dark Deception!

If you like this game, you’re definitely gonna love the haunted ps1 demo disc 2021!! It has some demos for AMAZING horror games, including this game!

Seeing this in my notifications lifted my crappy mood. Thanks Pastra for always making amazing content!

why do half the games you cover have the exact same retro 3d aesthetic

I’ve been in love with this game since ManlyBadassHero introduced it to me

For me, I reluctantly turn to one game for audio horror, Subnautica. The various noises of the sea creatures, and even your own ships, terrify me into a comatose state. It also amplified by the fact that most of the more haunting can be heard in the shallows where you first land, making sure you know what exactly. Gives me a tingle down my spine thinking. Even in creative mode, which is where I spend of my time, you aren't safe from the noises. This is why I can't bring myself to watch footage of it, even when it's muted. It stays in your brain and keeps you up at just to hear them loop over and over again.

One of the things that scared me about this game (but was also really cool) was that it set its precedent with characters speaking with text + audio going blablablah but then the moment you piss off the first guy you meet, he's not only yelling but SPEAKING WITH NORMAL WORDS. That moment was great because it tells you then that any 'rules' it sets up for how the game is presented to you can be broken or changed at any time, and thus for the rest of the game you never know what to expect.

This makes me want to see a horror game in a perfectly mundane setting, but with deeply unsettling music and sound design. I feel like that would be a good way of expressing that feeling when you're just going about your everyday life, working or shopping, and then something starts setting off this horrible gut feeling and you have to figure out how to get your work done and keep yourself safe without looking like a crazy person.

I guess you already played them but imo Amnesia and SOMA have definitely some of the best horror sound design. They were able to make me afraid to progress just through the sound design and overall atmosphere even if actually there were no threats in the level at times.

If you like audio in horror, I would like to recommend Silent Hill 2

For anyone who still not understand about the ending, the protagonist actually is dr Randolph, stuck in hellish loop after his death, falling from the building (dental clinic i think) that still under construction. It is his punishment. Wake up with no memory about his identity and forced to feels every horrible treatment he was give to his patients.

Oh! I first heard of this game from izzyizz from her ps1 esque games video and found the Dr Randolph "CoME bAck HERe NoW" both funny and unsettling. A little bit like the feeling you get while watching the Mandela catalogue in the middle of the day. I freaking love this approach to horror and am SO glad you made a video about it

3:33 Talk about sound design! The developers left a nifty trick to figuring out the Doctor is a bad guy. where if you listen closely, you'll hear the Imperial March soundtrack from Star Wars, a soundtrack notorious for representing the bad guys.

Great video, and while I agree with you that sound design is so important; It's weird how subjective audio design is. Everything you're highlighting as awesome, I think sounds like garbage. lol. When I think of a horror game with great audio design, I think of the indie title Visage. The game itself is pretty lackluster if you ask me, but the atmosphere created by the audio was spot on.

Speaking of amazing sound design. Kane Pixel's Backrooms series has some of the best sound design ive ever heard, obviously it's not a game, but I feel the same stuff still applies.

Dr. Randolph (Distorted): Why are you running? Me: ¡Déjame sola por Cristo Saque! Dr. Randolph (Still distorted): I only want to help!

Darkwood has one of the very best sound design there is on horror games, sadly the game is really underrated

When I make games, I try to make them not rely on color or audio since some people are deaf or colorblind

The Heilwald Loophole is bassed of a insane clinick based in nazi germany. The Clinick was made by a insane docktor who tortured his patients. The game is great.

We've all seen harmless audio with hostile environments, but I wonder what the opposite would be like.

What scares me so much about Dr. Randolph is his voice. It’s something so foreign yet so familiar. I could swear I’ve heard the exact same robotic, almost human mimicking voice in some of the most notable nightmares I’ve had in my life.

All I'm saying, if you want to experience true dread through sound effects alone, play Darkwood. I played it once, got fucking spooked on the first night and damn neat shit myself. It was awesome.

Talk about Doors. It is way too good for the platform it's on, and that's saying something. Doors is absolutely amazing, and better than some triple A horror games. Seriously, check it out.

As games develop, more and more of the human senses will be used to instill fear. Right now, the only sense we can use leniently is sight and sound. Of course, there are electric shocking body suits that people use in VR games, but that isn't widespread, and can only distribute pure pain. Sight is literally the absolute one necessity for video games. There are some games that may only use sound, but those are quite limited. Now moving on to sound. Of course, since it is the only other sense other than sight, it's kind of a no brainer that it's very important. Audio queues are important for any game. That isn't to say that your video is any less great. Audio is important in many different games, and some horror game's "scary" parts rely entirely on their soundtrack and audio to build up tension and suspense. When more sense are able to be added, such as maybe more use of touch, I wonder how the games will change. I'm quite excited for that, but of course that is probably at least a decade away from happening. Great video, hope to see more.

If you want examples of decent horror Audio I recomment Minecraft, Now I know it just seems like a simple happy block game but when you really immerse yourself in the setting there's an air of...isolation that you can never truely shake, no matter how far into the game you get

Pastra, you should review a roblox game called doors, it is a horror game with challenging (but fun) environments and bunch of monsters for you to meet. Each death in the game explains the monster you died to and some tips to help you combat it, making every death a learning point. This also makes it very hard to feel stuck, so the game won’t feel frustrating.

Pastra, I've been watching your videos for about a few months now, and I must say: You are fucking amazing. (excuse my language) I haven't been this hooked on a RU-vidr or their videos for years, and you've brought me back the horror side of the internet

Oh yea, I don’t usually play horror games but when I do I turn the audio off and it immediately makes me feel less scared but it’s also harder cause I lose a way I can sense danger coming. So I don’t really like games where I have to rely on audio to survive, but that’s just me I’m kinda a coward.

I never saw this game as a horror game, I always saw it as "That one game where a crawling patient took a massive fucking shit in a toilet so bad the entire toilet stall got clogged"

HOLY FUCK PASTRA MADE THE VIDEO I WAS GONNA MAKE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME NOW I SWEAR THIS MAN CAN READ MINDS

This channel is quite interesting. I more often then not completely disagree with you, but your delivery is so good natured and passionate that I love hearing you out. :)

The Sheeding is another game based on sound and the atmosphere is so creepy, despite the game is like 10 min long.

Hey Pastra! Are you willing to take commissions? Because I love your art and would love to see different characters from other media in your style.

The thumbnail freaks me out in a way I can't explain. But I assume that's intentional

The way the characters speak super strongly reminds me of how Fi and Midna speak in the Legend of Zelda games

*That “GET BACK HERE NOW” almost made me throw my phone you bastard!*

the first thing you really have to figure out with this game is that dying is mandatory except technically you aren't dying after all, *nobody dies at heilwald*

I think there is something prima about how we are scared by sounds, humans never had the best eyesight, and before civilization, a sharp ear might had been the only tool agaisnt an unseen predator

I should not be watching this before bed but I really like your videos so I’m willing to sacrifice some sleep

Can you make a video about Bioshock.It's my favorite game, and it has a lot of horror elements.

When the Dr. first chased you, to me it sounded like he said "Come back here, now!".

Hey pastra I know your busy but at some point I think you should check out and do a video on alice madness returns because it is really good .

how funny, i was just checking out your community post and then i see this! havent even watched the video yet but i know its gonna be good :)

Even watching hearing this scared me, or something close to complete terror

Audio is the greatest tool in the horror toolbox

Fun fact: "Heilwald Klinikum" is german and if translated word by word it means aomething along the lines of "Cureforest clinic"

I’ve always been a fan of sound production, so I guess I’m the opposite to you, coz I’ve always appreciated good sound design. FNAF 4 has always been my fav FNAF because of its heavy emphasis on using sounds to beat the game, and the rest of the FNAF series has always has good sound. Keep up the good content Pastra

I really liked the sound design of Outlast and Whistleblower. They’re bigger games, but they’re close to my heart, and having the enemies having different music accompanying them is a really great touch. Also with some sections, the variants making unexpected noises that are unnatural yet natural cause of what happened to them is oh so good when you’re running away! Great video as usual Pastra, take care of yourself!

Took me 27 seconds to get here Pastras here thts all we need

Any falling shepherd tone or droning ambience is my weak point with horror

Another amazing horror game that uses audio incredibly well is Alien: Isolation. The ambient sounds of the station, the sound of the Alien entering and exiting vents, and the loud stomping sounds it makes when it walks around, especially when it chases you, are terrifying. The most recent example of this I've seen as well is with the trailer for Routine, which also seems to utilize audio very well, but it's just a trailer so idk

If u want a good horror game play total chaos it was made by 1 person for 8 years.

Speaking of art, do you like the art of Cuphead, Pastra?

If you're one for a mix of great sound design and visuals, I'd highly recommend the little nightmares series. Both games plus DLC are under 4 hours each, and they're some of the best horror game experiences I've ever had

3:34 oh my- that jumpscare got me so bad and im not even playing

Asylum horror works best when the staff are the monsters, not the patients

If your gonna talk about audio blending well with horror, I suggest this roblox horror game called doors, the way it uses its audio to indicate small scares blending with the visuals is so great on a first playthrough.

One memorable bit of audio enhancing horror is in Nun Massacre, whenever she comes close there is this ominous droning static, that combined with her tall, intimidating stature and sudden appearances makes it terrifying. And once she starts chasing you, well look at it for yourself, my favorite content creator WolfyPlayz made a video on it months ago and I feel like it captured the horror in the early game pretty well. And if Pastra reads this I wonder if you can make a video on... Any game by Puppet Combo, including Nun Massacre, because they make some real nightmares

2:14 why does he sound like Tom nook with a voice changer?