Okay, so I wanted to make a cool “features of a haunted house” thing, like for a game or story, you know? So, I started by just brainstorming. I mean, what even is a haunted house, right?
Brainstorm and List
I grabbed a notebook and jotted down everything that popped into my head. No idea was too silly at this point.
- Creaky floors
- Dust, cobwebs everywhere
- Cold spots – gotta have those!
- Weird smells, like maybe sulfur or old, wet wood
- Flickering lights, obviously
- Shadows that move on their own
- Whispers, maybe even screams
- Objects moving – books flying off shelves, doors slamming
- Maybe a creepy portrait with eyes that follow you
- Secret passages!
Refine the list
Then, I looked at my messy list and tried to group things. Like, some stuff was about the look of the place, some was about sounds, and some was about weird events.
- Visuals:
- Creaky floors
- Dust and cobwebs
- Flickering lights
- Shadows
- Creepy portrait
- Sounds:
- Creaky floor
- Whispers
- Screams
- Doors slamming
- Sensory(non-visual, sound):
- Cold Spots
- Wierd smells
- Events:
- Object Moving
- Secret Passages(This could also be a part of the visual element)
Expand to Make it Practical
I figured I needed more than just a list, so I started to flesh things out. How could I use these features? Like, the cold spots could get colder as you get closer to a ghost, or the whispers could give you clues (or red herrings!). And secret passages? Those are just gold for exploration.
I also thought about how to make the “moving objects” thing work. Maybe a book falls and reveals a hidden message, or a door slams shut and locks you in a room. Spooky!
I haven’t built anything yet, but I have a solid list of ideas that I like for making my haunted house plan.
