Why You NEED to Look at Digital Horror
Remember Flash Games? Well, they're pretty damn scary now.
Wassssuuup?
How have you been? Chillin’? Killin’?
Last week I talked about the shocking decline of analog horror, so this week I wanted to talk about its next of kin: digital horror.
As I’m sure you smart lads have already guessed, digital horror focuses on using the nostalgia of the 2000s and 2010s. Think of box TVs with RCA cables, Wiis and DSis, and bulky laptops with short battery life.
A lot of people have argued that this horror is made for Gen Z, though I find myself having familiarity with both analog and digital as someone who grew up in the early 2000s. Yep, I remember the Plug & Plays from back in the day just like you 90s kids.
What is digital horror based on specifically?
Flash games
PowerPoints
Old YouTube (think 2006 era)
Weird 2000s websites
PS1/PS2-styled video games
Anything else you can think of from the beautiful timeframe
Digital horror is just like analog horror in that it uses the technology from that era to craft a narrative around.
Because digital horror is relatively new, it’s refreshing in its visuals and concepts.
Where can I find digital horror?
Just like analog horror, you can find it on YouTube.
Type in “digital horror” and go to town—or look at the cool lists I have made for you.
DIGITAL HORROR TO CHECK OUT
Lacey’s Wardrobe
Lacey’s Wardrobe is based on 2000s dress-up games from the era. I remember playing these all the time as a kid on websites like Girls Go Games. Typically, though, I ended up playing ones where you got to dress up the girl Sonic characters.
This video in particular is amazingly horrific. As you watch the game be played, you notice that something isn’t right. Someone is watching Lacey—up until… well, you find out for yourself.
There’s also one based on cooking games called Lacey’s Diner.
Ella’s Emergency Makeover
This is another one based on the girl games of the 2000s. There were plenty of makeover games depicting women as “ugly” for not having societal beauty standards, in which you were tasked to “fix” them.
This game takes the concept and showcases the horrors of body dysmorphia. It’s a great watch, considering it tackles a sensitive subject and makes the player into the monster.
There’s also a sequel called “The War is Over,” where Ella has a happy ending.
ChezzKids Archive
ChezzKids Archive is a digital horror focusing on an old flash game website for kids. Yep, that’s it—think of it like CoolMathGames or something similar. It essentially is about archiving the website while you (the audience) uncover the dark history of it all.
The difference this one has compared to the others listed is that multiple pieces go into the story, which is why I linked minaxa’s video about it.
However, if you want to dive into it yourself, there’s a website, a YouTube channel, and an Instagram. I’m sure I’m missing other socials and websites that go along with it, but that’ll get you started on your hunt.
MyHouse.WAD
Ever heard of a little game called Doom?
This one centers around a map created by someone’s friend before they died. It’s been compared to the novel House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewsk, which if you’re not familiar with it, is a novel that literally cannot be translated into an audiobook. The entire story of the novel relies on the formatting of the book slowly spiraling into nonsense, mirroring what the house does in the story.
This Doom mod does the same. The player is forced to play a map that makes no sense, meeting horrifying demons and liminal spaces alike. More interestingly, it’s exploring the inside of somebody’s mind before they left the earth.
If you’re interested, you can find the original post here and play it for yourself.
Some Other Recommendations (Watch Sagan Hawkes they’re really cool)
This is just a video about digital horror as a whole that features some cool ones I didn’t mention here, including some about Minecraft, Garry’s Mod, and Roblox. Sagan Hawkes makes tons of videos on horror content and I highly suggest their channel. They’re an absolute chad.
The Future of Internet Horror?
Is it? Well, in a way: yes.
But I don’t think it’ll replace analog horror, so if you were worried about that, don’t worry. Analog horror and digital horror can co-exist peacefully. In some series, they’re used interchangeably.
Take Monument Mythos for instance. Not only is it my favorite horror series, but it’s also a great example of mixing both subgenre aesthetics into one piece of media.
An example of analog horror in MM:
An example of digital horror in MM:
There’s a stark difference between the two, yet they both feel like they’re set in the same universe and both invoke a sense of unease. If you haven’t checked out Monument Mythos yet, please go watch it. It is my all-time favorite series and I’m super happy I found it when I did.
There’s something special about digital horror in that it expands from videos. Digital horror isn’t limited in what it can be as the technology in the 2000s was seen as limitless. I think we’ll be seeing even more cool stuff very soon.
Now go play some flash games or something.