WARNING: This blog post features themes that may be offensive to all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.
I often watch multiple streams quietly. One of the streamers I watch has been playing an intriguing game called Fear & Hunger. He does so on YouTube since the game has been banned on Twitch due to its highly mature and controversial themes. Shock value for its own sake is of little interest to me, and I've seen many amateur attempts at being disturbing that ultimately fall flat. However, many people have expressed a lot of love for the game, and said streamer is now in the process of playing the second one.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how Fear & Hunger handles horror. It's not always done masterfully, but the developer — a Finnish man named Miro Haverinen — first started working on the project while he was still in school and completed it over the course of two years. At such a young age, it's an impressive feat that indicates a clear passion for the horror genre. While sometimes lacking the masterful touch of more experienced authors, the game displays a solid grasp of what makes something horrifying and dreadful.
In this article, I will discuss the various techniques Miro Haverinen used to make Fear & Hunger such a standout title. Whether he did so consciously or instinctively, any aspiring horror author may find there is a lot to learn from the game.
Disclaimer: I have played the game for an hour myself. I wasn't a fan of the gameplay, but I have sporadically watched YouTube playthroughs and streams. While it wouldn't be enough for a complete review of the game, it allowed me to understand the techniques used to set up the horror in the game. I also have not yet looked at Fear & Hunger 2, and therefore cannot speak about Miro's growth.
Dirty sprites
Fear & Hunger was developed in RPG Maker MV. Anyone familiar with this platform will know that the graphics are limited in scope, with sprites often confined to 70x70 or 70x140 pixels, leaving little room for detailed art. Consequently, in-game characters typically have a "chibi" look, which can impart a cartoony feel. However, while Fear & Hunger does not entirely circumvent these limitations, it succeeds in rendering its humanoid characters with a filthy and dilapidated appearance, effectively utilizing aesthetic grime that aligns seamlessly with the themes of its world-building.
Grotesque
These restrictions are less oppressive for the environment and character art. The game does not shy away from using body horror to reinforce the visual horror. One could easily describe it as "gore galore," with walls of flesh and mounds of body parts. This directly triggers the player's sensibility, as empathic horror — while a blessing in everyday life — tends to subconsciously imagine untold pain and suffering from being ripped apart like the poor victims featured in the game.
Not-so-sexy
The game also extensively features explicit nudity. It's not difficult to guess what the phallus-shaped pixels between the legs of hanged, naked corpses represent. The Prison Guard, one of the first enemies, has a massive, low-hanging, and uncovered penis. Uncensored genitalia (and their use) outside of pornography is often seen as taboo and perturbing. On one hand, this shameless display of sexual organs may appear gratuitous, but it surprisingly aligns well with the game's themes, enhancing its impact rather than detracting from it.
The game includes scenes of sexual violence. One of the Prison Guard's special attacks involves using his fifth limb to ravage a player character, causing massive damage and inflicting the bleeding status effect. Cutting off the Guard's flesh weapon will disable this attack, leaving no doubt about the implications.
While this aspect of the game has been heavily criticized (and perhaps rightly so), it avoids the trappings of amateurism by making it a significant part of world-building. Sylvian, the Goddess of love and fertility, is central to the game's plot, integrating sexual horror into the narrative and making it seamlessly more disturbing.
Surreal and bizarre
Incidentally adding to and linking our two previous themes, Fear & Hunger doesn't shy away from featuring the bizarre and unsettling. One particularly disturbing scene involves the protagonist having sex with another character (human, ghoul, or even a floating head) on an altar, resulting in the fusion of the characters into an entity known as a "marriage." This act raises affinity with Sylvian, the Goddess of love and fertility.
This use of surreal and body horror effectively shocks the player and reinforces the game's macabre atmosphere. By blurring the lines between life, death, and the grotesque, it deepens the sense of unease and contributes to the overarching horror. Of course, this is but one example, though I wanted to mention this specific scene since it is the one that pushed me over the fence and convinced me to look into the game.
Another good example of those themes and techniques can be found in the designs of the creatures. While they may sometimes look vaguely humanoid, they often bear a degree of deformity that will let the audience guess their purpose and identity, yet be so strange that they become uncomfortably canny.
A "Neighbour" from Fear & Hunger 2: Termina
Colors
One of the most striking visual techniques in Fear & Hunger is its use of muted colors. The game predominantly uses shades of gray and brown, evoking a sense of decay, despair, and filthiness. This lack of vibrancy is deliberate, reinforcing the bleakness of the game's world and the hopelessness that pervades the environment. The only exception is the stark crimson of the blood, which stands out dramatically against the otherwise drab palette, emphasizing the violence and horror present in the game. This desaturated color scheme effectively contributes to the oppressive and unsettling atmosphere.
Apathy in dread
In Fear & Hunger, characters often exhibit a disturbing level of apathy toward pain and suffering, reflecting their relentless exposure to horror. One particularly striking moment for me is epitomized in a scene where the player amputates an infected limb. The character's detachment and lack of emotional response — due to technical limitations like the absence of voice acting and limited facial sprites — paradoxically amplify the horror.
This technique is known as emotional numbness, which can create a profound sense of dread. By presenting characters who are unfazed by extreme pain, the game highlights the omnipresence of suffering, making the horror feel inescapable and the world even more oppressive. The lack of visible emotion forces players to imagine the internal torment, enhancing the psychological impact.
Predominant dread
The atmosphere in Fear & Hunger is one of constant dread. Everyone in the dungeons exhibits some degree of insanity, adding to the pervasive sense of danger. The character known as "Girl," who is mute, adds a layer of disturbance and mystery. Her silence and the unsettling behaviors of other characters create a claustrophobic tension that keeps players on edge. The omnipresent insanity and the eerie quietude of "Girl" contribute to the game's ability to maintain a relentless sense of dread.
Sound Design
Fear & Hunger employs minimalist sound design to great effect, drawing inspiration from games like Penumbra and Amnesia. The music is often more atmospheric noise than melody, with occasional heartbeats or distorted sounds that increase tension. This minimalist approach prevents the sound from overwhelming the player, instead enhancing the oppressive atmosphere.
The sound design's effectiveness lies in its subtlety. Sparse, unsettling noises and silence are used to great effect, building tension and unease. This technique — auditory dissonance — uses sound (or the lack thereof) to evoke a psychological response, keeping players on edge.
Themes and Storytelling
The narrative of Fear & Hunger is deeply intertwined with themes of despair, survival, and the macabre. It doesn't shy away from difficult subjects, using them to build a world that feels consistently dangerous and bleak. By integrating taboo themes organically into the storyline, the game maintains a sense of realism within its fantasy horror setting.
As stated before, the storytelling technique of immersive world-building is used effectively here. By making the dark themes an integral part of the world rather than just shocking elements, the game ensures that the horror feels earned and meaningful rather than gratuitous and used only for shock value.
Psychological Horror
Fear & Hunger does a good job with psychological horror. Going back to storytelling, the plot is generally drip-fed rather than overwhelming. It often keeps the player guessing and on their toes, letting them use their imagination to fill in the blanks.
Psychological horror relies on fear of the unknown, emotional and mental strain, and the player's own imagination. The game uses minimalist graphics and sound to great effect, creating a space where the player's mind fills in the gaps, often with the worst possible scenarios.
Conclusion
While Fear & Hunger may occasionally lack the narrative polish required for me to call it a masterclass in horror, it certainly offers a lot to learn, even for long-time fans of horror such as myself. This lack of refinement occasionally reveals Miro Haverinen's relative inexperience. However, his passion and extensive knowledge of horror are evident. I see great potential in him, and while I might not play Fear & Hunger 2, I am eager to see if he continues his career as a horror author in any medium he chooses. In time, I can envision him mastering the techniques of horror and standing alongside the big names in the genre.
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