u/Zodiac_2006

Hey everyone,

I’m working on a solo indie horror game idea, and I’d love to get some help from people who enjoy horror storytelling, game pacing, and creepy mystery plots.

I already have the main concept and I think I have the ending figured out, but I’m struggling with the middle part of the story. Right now, some sections feel like they move too fast, and there are gaps between the major scares/story beats that I want to make smoother and more suspenseful.

The game is a psychological horror story built around knocking, warnings from outside the door, strange choices, and the feeling that something is slowly going wrong inside the house. I want the story to feel heavier and more disturbing, not just random jumpscares.

I’m mainly looking for help with:

• Improving the middle phase of the story
• Making the pacing feel slower and more tense
• Connecting story events better
• Adding creepy moments that make sense with the plot
• Making the ending hit harder

This is not a paid job right now. I’m mostly looking for people who like horror ideas and want to give feedback, suggest story beats, or help shape the plot. Of course, anyone who meaningfully helps will be credited.

If you’re interested, comment or DM me. I can share the current story flow and explain what I’m trying to build.

Hi everyone,

I have a question about game development costs.

If someone has a story, concept, and creative direction for a short story-driven indie horror game, around 30–60 minutes long, and they want to hire developers to build it in around 3–4 months, how much would developers usually charge?

The game would be more like a small walking-simulator horror game: one house/apartment or a small location, subtitles instead of voice acting, simple interactions, scares, sound design, lighting, objectives, and one or more endings.

In this situation, the developers would get proper credit for their work, but the main logo/branding would belong to the person who provided the story/concept.

I want to understand:

How much would developers usually charge for this kind of project?

Would they charge hourly, monthly, or for the full project?

How many developers would realistically be needed?

Is 3–4 months realistic for a small indie horror game like this?

Would developers accept this kind of arrangement if payment and credit were clearly discussed?

I’m asking to better understand indie game development budgeting and hiring.

Thanks.

I’m a beginner solo game developer making a short first-person horror game in Unreal Engine, and I’d like feedback on the story/gameplay direction.

The player enters a strange forest and eventually discovers a cult ritual in a clearing. In the center of the ritual is a large glowing figure, surrounded by cultists. When the player triggers the ritual scene, the cultists suddenly notice the player, stare at them, then run away into the forest in different directions. The glowing figure stays behind.

After this, the forest changes. The player tries to escape, but mysterious “watchers” begin appearing on the path. The first watchers stand silently, say disturbing lines like “Peekaboo, I see you,” then vanish. Being seen by them increases the sense that the forest is trapping the player.

The third watcher is different. It does not disappear. It screams, waits for a few seconds, then runs toward the player. The player must run back to an escape point before the watcher catches them. If the player reaches the escape area, the watcher vanishes and the player survives that chase. If the watcher catches the player, it leads to a jumpscare and a bad ending where the player becomes the next large glowing figure in the ritual.

The bigger idea is that the ritual may not simply be summoning something — it may be part of a cycle. The glowing figure could be a previous victim, and if the player fails, they become the next one. I’m also thinking about multiple endings later: escaping, being trapped, or discovering a way to break the ritual cycle.

Right now, the core gameplay loop is: explore forest → discover ritual → cultists flee → watchers appear → final watcher chases → escape or become part of the ritual.

Does this sound like a strong short horror game concept? What would you improve in the story, pacing, or escape objective?

I have a Discord where I’ll share progress, screenshots, clips, and questions while building the game. Anyone interested in giving advice, joining my project, following the project, or helping out casually is welcome to join.

My Discord Username is zodiac_2006