Survival horror is a subgenre in games that is inspired by the horror genre. Taking place usually in fictional settings, survival horror games aim to scare the player through visual or audio cues similar to other mediums of entertainment. Gameplay in survival horror differs from most, limiting the player in resources and abilities for combat. Games in this genre usually feature elements from other mediums, using zombies or monsters to hunt down the player; gameplay wise, it features maze-like level design with the use of jump scares to frighten the player.

Although the origins of the genre can be dated back to 1980, later games defined the elements and tropes of the survival horror genre. The earliest notable genre defining game is Sweet Home^[1], releasing in 1989. This game would be the foundation for the Resident Evil^[2] series which coined the titled Survival Horror.

Survival horror differs from other common genres, by limiting the players resources. This creates a sense of vulnerability^[3], having to learn to evade enemies whilst solving puzzles or finding the next location. The main tropes of the survival horror genre is: managing inventory, looking for clues and items, and evading enemies through the use of space or hiding in lockers or under beds. Survival horror does have elements of action, allowing players to fight back using weapons given to them such as guns or melee, however these items are scarce and requires the player to learn and adapt.

Survival horror also features limited health and visibility, requiring players to monitor their health and checking the maps to navigate through the several layers.

Games in this genre feature compact environments, creating a sense of claustrophobia. They also have a limited amount of characters, requiring the player to learn the lore through notes or audio logs.

In most horror games, the levels are rather linear and claustrophobic. However, there are many instances where the player must backtrack to older areas to retrieve items to unlock a new passageway. In most cases, players must go to room A and do a task to proceed to room B. Horror games are rarely open-world or feature non-linear levels as they are structured with instances where enemies can attack the player as obstacles or trigger a jump-scare.

Dependent on the game, the player is able to fend off enemies through combat. Players are given guns or melee weapons however, these are scarce and usually the player is advised not to eliminate all enemies. Even if players have weapons, there is an emphasis of vulnerability, with enemies taking several shots to be killed. There are games that contain no combat, with the player being told to hide or run to avoid enemies.

Players normally have limited information, being required to explore to extend the map information. Visibility is also limited, requiring the player to carefully navigate through the corridors to avoid getting attacked. The limited visibility is a game design choice, allowing developers to place jump scares and enemies to catch the player off guard. In Outlast, the player is exploring a dark asylum, and requires a video recorder to use night vision to see properly however, the camera has batteries so the player must choose when to use the camera.

There are always obstacles and enemies to impede the players progress. As previously stated, there is backtracking in most cases, requiring players to return to older areas to find new clues and items. These are part of puzzles, with the player needing to read through documents to figure out how to solve said puzzle. There are also monsters that halt progression; in most cases, there are creatures or zombies that attempt to hurt the player, but this also teaches the player how to maneuver and deal with the enemies. Recent games such as Resident Evil 2 Remake^[4] and Amnesia: The Dark Descent^[5], have one large unkillable enemy that chases the player constantly to add tension and fear. It stops the player from feeling safe, or staying in one area.^[6]

Horror games have been inspired by many different cultures, through different mediums. Eastern horror games are usually inspired by Japanese culture and films^[7]; mostly through psychological horror. Western horror games are mostly inspired by American culture and European folk lore. The approach to game design differs to both, with western games being more upfront and personal with action-oriented segments and gameplay^[8]. Meanwhile eastern games are mostly psychological horror, with little ability to combat the enemy.^[9]

The origins of survival horror has been credited to be Nostromo^[10], a game developed by Tokyo University student, Akira Takiguchi. It released in 1981 on the PET 2001^[11] computer, exclusively in Japan. Survival horror eventually made its arrival to western audiences with the release of Haunted House and 3D Monster Maze, both were released in 1982 on the Atari 2600^[12] and Sinclair ZX81^[13] respectively.

The most notable early entry in the survival horror genre is Sweet Home, for the Nintendo Entertainment System^[14]. It's credited to being the first true survival horror game as it created the foundation and the many tropes found in survival horror games that came after it. It introduced inventory management, and survival aspect through the character permadeath. The game introduced a variety of puzzles and was the first horror game to introduce a dark story line with the intent of creating tension and fear. The game was considered terrifying through some of its imagery, leading it to not be released in western markets. Resident Evil would eventually be made, originally pitched to be a remake of Sweet Home, would later become its own franchise. Capcom created both Sweet Home and Resident Evil, with Resident Evil being heavily inspired by Sweet Home; the remake fell through due to the licence expiring.

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