How do you run horror games? I have it in my mind to run one, but I've only run silly games. What mechanics would you say help the horror atmosphere?
I've not actually played a horror tabletop before, so I can't really say which ones are good or bad, or how to do it right.

>>95828260 (OP)
Horror games require player buy in. If your players do not show up with the INTENTION to be scared, or at least spooked, then its failed before it even started. Explain this to them when you pitch the game, and remind them when it starts.
Don't attempt to do this in an online game. It will just become unserious anyway.
Props, and atmosphere are key. Even if your props are just a burning candle on the table, its better than playing at midday in a brightly lit kitchen.

After all that, its mostly just up to your skills as GM. Descriptions should use a lot of senses, rather than just sight, it helps with immersion. The less stumbling and "umms" you have, the better you can convey the atmosphere.

I'd recommend looking at the Mothership Warden's Operation Manual. Even if you're not playing Mothership itself, the book is more about basics of writing and setting up a horror campaign and its tips are largely setting agnostic. I like Mothership itself as a horror game, but it takes some getting used to as a system.

Oh and do not try and run horror in a system not designed for it, like DnD. It sounds like basic advice, but it some people are retarded and try it anyway.

>>95828510
Good post. I'd add, though, that some horror games want the players to be spooked, and some just want them to be unsettled, what kind of horror you're going for informs what kind of table atmosphere is appropriate. A standard by-the-book adventure of CoC might not have the intention of giving you a sense of lingering dread, as much as it is to give you a mystery capstoned with a sense of panic or fear (as you confront the spooky scary skeleton). Know the tone of the adventure that you're using and tailor the table to that, for example don't try to oversell a small scare in an otherwise not-so-tense part of an adventure, and don't gloss over the tone when you are playing something with a oppressive and unsettling atmosphere.

>>95828260 (OP)
I generally don't, "horror" means "no one's thought of a way to kill the monster yet," which makes me want to kill the monster even more.

>>95835668
Smoothbrain take
In some cases the monster cannot be killed by the means you have available to you
Or the monster is plural and there are so many you would die of exhaustion trying to get rid of it
In others, it doesn't matter if the monster can be killed, its done some lasting damage
In still others, there is no monster to be killed in the first place

But as >>95828510 said, Horror requires buy in. If you don't want to be scared and just kill monsters, you're not going to be. I hope you at least make your CHARACTER act scared so everyone else at the table can enjoy the experience, or you gracefully bow out for the night, knowing that the session isn't for you.

>>95828510
Thirding this. Player buy in is key, because the nature of players pushes them towards a certain degree of silly behavior.

>>95828260 (OP)
Check the previous bazillion threads you've posted about this over past year.
Oh, right, I forgot: you're a spam-bot to pretend /tg/ isn't dead as fuck, because the retard who set you up failed to account those threads are the reason this site is dying.

>>95835816
>cannot be killed by the means you have available to you
Skill issue, expand your resources, learn the rules by which it operates, exploit it's nature.

>>95828510
I want to second everything this anon said.
In addition, I want to stress that pacing is hugely important. Don't let shit move too fast.

I would say the best horror game I ever played my group went into not knowing we were going into a kind of cosmic horror game. We were playing scifi future cops investigating a call.

So there was this real buildup of horror tropes happening and by the time we had definitive proof it was a horror setting we were balls deep in trouble. This worked because we weren't looking at it with a horror mindset but the judge dredd standard day mindset.

>>95828510
I'll check the manual out again, I only gave mothership the lightest of skimmings.

Anyway, thank you for those of you who contributed, it seems rather difficult to do this, but we'll see what I can do. Pacing has always been a problem of mine- games can either go several sessions longer than expected, or the players can critical path the whole thing in two hours, with like no inbetween.

>>95842634
fuck. All the best horror-like incidents I have were when it wasn't supposed to be horror. I hope telling my players already hasn't prefucked me.

>>95843274
Maybe start it off very normal to lure them into a false sense of security?

But yea I just remember the moment it went from judge dredd to horror, the building seemed to be locked down and we were struggling to get out so my character tried to kick a barred window or door or something to make egress for everyone.

The thing crumpled and my character's foot went...somewhere, and after regaining my balance and pulling my foot back out the hole then uncrumpled like nothing happened at all. The entire group who had been there also ready to leave and had seen it happen all had the same basic reaction of a very shocked"well....shit... That's not good"