The document discusses research conducted on the target audience for an indie horror game. It analyzes surveys that found the target audience is mostly ages 16-19 who enjoy psychological horror games. Inspiration will be drawn from games like Doki Doki Literature Club that start wholesome but become dark with subtle foreshadowing. Interviews revealed a preference for both fast-paced and slow-build up games, with equal importance on design and story. The game will focus on atmosphere, characters, and plot over repetitive jumps scares or repeating elements based on the audience research.

1. Research
Your Name

2. Audience Research

3. Target Audience Profile
The type of audience I am trying to reach is
younger people around the ages of 16-20 who have
an interest in indie games and are looking for horror
games, specifically psychosocial or reverse horror. I
am also making sure that people within the
‘alternative’ community find my game interesting
and that it caters to them in someway. My game
will also be aimed towards people of a typically
lower or medium class since indie games are usually
created by individual people or small companies,
this will help the buyers ‘relate’ and then favour the
game.

4. Audience Research
Within the past few years, due to covid and
being stuck inside bigger game companies
faced many problems whereas
smaller, individual companies, usually labelled
as “indie” had big successes with games such
as among us, fall guys, Stardew valley, and
animal crossing. I figured that the audience I
want to reach are consumers of these types of
games and are all generally similar in financial
status, background and ethnicity.

5. Market Research
Existing Products

6. Existing Product
One existing product that I enjoyed and that had an interesting concept/ design
was the music video for Paranoid Android by Radiohead. the entire video was
really off-putting and eerie despite nothing really happening, I like this trope as
it usually tries to unnerve the viewer by doing very little to nothing for an
extended period of time. The video is dark and appears really slow paced,
almost matching the flow of the song. The lack of vision could tie into sensory
deprivation which creates an unusual tone and the odd behaviours from
the different band members along with the flashing lights could tie into
confusing the viewer. The background was also made to be plain by using an all-
black background rather than a regular
background that’s typically used. or example:
A field or a fancy , done up room.

7. Existing Product
The second existing product I picked was a popular indie game I played a long
time ago called doki doki literature club. This game has one of my favourite
designs and plot points from any game, unlike any other dating simulator games
the once wholesome, cutesy game you started slowly transitions into a dark,
psychological horror game where you watch your friends get gruesomely killed
off one by one. I also really like the fact that the creator added in so many
different easter eggs that were all unique to different characters and all
foreshadowed events that were still yet to happen. I think that foreshadowing in
games is a really smart thing to do as it adds a sense of realisation and
personally, I think that it makes a game much more interesting. I also enjoy that,
due to the concept of. the game, data files and save names play a huge role and
are important to the plot and outcome.

8. Existing Product
The third existing product that I have researched is another seemingly
wholesome visual novel I have played called You, Me and Her. The game starts
off as a basic dating sim where you have to pick between two girls but as the
game progresses it gets darker and darker and the "wholesome" theme quickly
looses touch. The plot is very similar to Doki Doki Literature club where on of
the characters sets out to delete the other and focuses on the actual real-life
player rather than the "mc". This is another feature that I find rely cool and have
taken inspiration from, the fact that the characters break the 4th wall
multiple times subtly throughout the game until it get blatantly obvious and
creepy.

9. Existing Product
For my final existing product I researched an anime I have watched called
Magical Girl Site, the plot is similar to the pats two slides a its another cutesy
wholesome anime that progresses into extremely dark plot lines and topics such
as abuse, assault, gore and a lot more. I like these types o media as its always
unsuspecting despite the sneaky foreshadowing throughout. I also really like the
individuality each character gets whether it be design or personality. I also like
the fact that each character had their own custom weapons that somehow fit
them and how they acted. The colouring was also rally nice and complimented
the simplistic art style.

10. Research Analysis
• Some common features that my researched
products have are themes/topics and
storyline/twists.
• I plan to use heavy but subtle foreshadowing
in my work alongside a dark, psychological/
thriller theme.

11. Questionnaire Analysis

12. Audience research
This question showed me what people enjoyed in video games,
therefore helping me decide a plot/ theme for m game.
This tells me that the majority of m audience are people who enjoy
psychological horror games.
Due to this feedback, my game will appeal to the audience because I
have worked around the feedback of this survey.

13. Audience research
This question showed me what people enjoyed in video games, therefore
helping me decide what age range to aim my game towards.
This tells me that the vast majority of my audience are people aged 16-19.
Due to this feedback, my game will appeal to the audience because I have a
good idea of wat people in that age range like.

14. Audience research
This question showed me the gender of the people completing my
survey. This tells me that the majority of my audience are people who
identify as female.
Due to this feedback, my game will appeal to the audience because
I have worked around the feedback of this survey. I will not target my
game towards women.

15. Audience research
This question showed me some games that were similar to my original game ideas and
which ones my audience have played before. This tells me that the most commonly played
games were Undertale/ deltarune and doki doki literature club.
Due to this feedback, my game will appeal to the audience because I can take inspiration
from these games to perfectly fit it int what the audience wants.

16. Audience research
This question showed me what types of things that my audience find
scary or unsettling in horror games. This question specifically tells me
that the most commonly enjoyed form of scare is darkness and other,
self put things.
Due to this feedback, my game will appeal to the audience by being
scary by using darkness and some of the other responses inputted.

17. Audience research
This question showed me what types of things my audience find
attention catching and interesting in horror games. The responses
from this question tell me that people like to look at the atmosphere
mainly and the characters and plot less. Due to this feedback, my game
will appeal to the audience by having extra detail in the background
and in the music/ sound effects.

18. Audience research
This question showed me what types of things my audience
find distasteful in horror games. The responses from this
question tell me that people don't like repetitive jump scares
and a repeating plot. Due to this feedback, my game will
appeal to the audience by not repeating too many things and
not having using the same scares multiple times.

19. Interviews

20. Interview 1
Do you prefer more "wholesome" games or
psychological/ scarier games?
-Psychological horror
Do you like fast paced or more slow-build up
games?
-I like both but prefer fast paced games
that get into the action quickly.
Do you prefer a better design or story?
-story mostly but design helps

21. Interview 1
Do you prefer more "wholesome" games
or psychological/ scarier games?
-Psychological
Do you like fast paced or more slow-build
up games?
-fast paced
Do you prefer a better design or story?
-both are equally as important

22. Interview 2
Do you prefer more "wholesome"
games or psychological/ scarier games?
-both
Do you like fast paced or more slow-
build up games?
-I like build ups but fast paced are good too
Do you prefer a better design or story?
-design

23. Bibliography
Wood, Spencer. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 03/28/2022)
Oleksy ,Emilia. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted 03/28/2022)
Maslowska, Julia. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 03/28/2022)

24. Bibliography