The document discusses research on the target audience for an indie horror game. The target audience is identified as younger people aged 16-20 interested in indie and horror games, as well as those in the "alternative" community. Existing horror products are analyzed, including the music video for "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead, the games Doki Doki Literature Club and You, Me and Her, and the anime Magical Girl Site. These products use subtle foreshadowing and transition from wholesome to dark themes. Questionnaires and interviews of the target audience will be analyzed to understand how to appeal to them with heavy but subtle foreshadowing and dark psychological themes.

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 had big
successes with games such as among us, fall
guys, Stardew valley,

5. Audience Research

6. Market Research
Existing Products

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Questionnaire Analysis

13. Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:

14. Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:

15. Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:

16. Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:

17. Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:

18. Interviews

19. Interview 1

20. Interview 1
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this
audience:

21. Interview 2

22. Interview 2
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this
audience:

23. Bibliography

24. Bibliography
1. Your, Name. (2018) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on
DATE)
2. Interviewees, Name. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on
DATE)