Spooky season is approaching, and for some gamers, the thrill of horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill offers a unique form of comfort, akin to a relaxing farm simulator. This phenomenon, often termed "cozy horror," bridges the gap between genres typically seen as opposites.
Dr. Eric Leonardis, an affective neuroscientist specializing in emotion and play, explains that this appeal stems from a concept known as "dark play." By exploring negative themes and simulating potentially frightening scenarios in a controlled environment, players can gain a sense of mastery and control over future events. This allows them to mentally rehearse responses, like choosing the safest escape route when a threat appears, which can be a comforting mental exercise.
"We can explore these things without necessarily freaking ourselves out and actually feel at ease, because we know it is not happening to us," Leonardis stated. "It is a situation which we are removed from and can reflect on safely. And I think that's one reason that people might actually move towards these things."
He further elaborated that the brain's capacity to immerse itself in virtual spaces, facilitated by specialized cells called place cells, contributes to this feeling. These cells are recruited for virtual environments at a significant rate, indicating the brain's ability to project itself into these digital worlds as if they were real. This engagement of evolutionary structures for perceiving threats allows players to process complex aspects of these simulated environments while remaining detached from actual danger.
In essence, engaging with horror games allows players to sharpen their survival instincts in a safe context, making the scary elements feel more like familiar, albeit unsettling, comforts. This is why titles such as the spooky farm sim Grave Seasons and Devolver Digital's roguelike sim Cult of the Lamb have found audiences who appreciate this blend of the eerie and the endearing.