One of the most important scare factors in any horror medium is the setting. The haunted house in Alone in the Dark is called Derceto, and the mansion practically a character in itself, but why does it frighten us so much? The answer is surprisingly nuanced and fascinating. If you’ve ever wondered why so many horror video games, movies, attractions, and novels use this specific venue in which to set their disturbing happenings, then follow along as we use Alone in the Dark’s Derceto Mansion as a case study to explain it.
In this article, we’ll be going through many of the points mentioned in Professor McAndrew’s article, Evolutionary psychology explains why haunted houses creep us out. In using this informative source, we can see how Derceto checks all the boxes in being a creepy mansion.
It’s Psychological, Duh
A lot of human reactions to things can be explained using psychology; this is no different. The mansion of Derceto is mysterious to the player when it’s introduced. We don’t know what could be waiting inside, and that’s petrifying. That uneasiness that humans have to the unknown is a common response that’s served us well over the ages. We imagine that possible dangers are lurking in the shadows — and if there aren’t any, then no big deal — but if that heightened alert state saves us from potential danger even once, then it was well worth the fright.
I’ve never met this house — stranger danger!
Who’s There?
What sets off our imagination and heightened sense of alertness, though? One intriguing concept in psychology is the idea of “Agent Detection” mechanisms. Derceto has plenty of instances where things aren’t what they seem, or someone is acting strangely. You might even hear odd sounds or whisperings while exploring Derceto; well, something’s making those noises! Those people are acting strange for a reason, right?! Rationale like this is your agent detection mechanism kicking on to let you know that something around might want to hurt you. It’s a byproduct from evolving with predators that tried to (and still are in some cases) eat us.
Imagine your relief when the banging in the attic was just this masked man
It’s a Trap!
Another thing us humans are scared of is feeling like we’re trapped. The start of Alone in the Dark is designed to make the player feel isolated and away from civilization. Readers can probably recall several horror films where the characters can’t contact the outside world for help, whether that’s because of circumstance, location, or both. It’s no wonder that it’s the same in this game. Emily and Edward drive out across the bayou of Louisiana with only wild nature around them until they arrive at this lone mansion. This is supposed to invoke that feeling that no one is around to help you.
It’s usually a long commute to the spooky house
Along with the geographical location, the characteristics of Derceto itself evoke this closed off feeling. When players glimpse outside the house, they’re met with the inhospitable, overgrown swamp. The low visibility from the wall of trees insinuates that out there might worse than in the house. This mentally activates a response that you’re cornered with nowhere to run.
That apprehension of vulnerability is only amplified by the bizarre layout of Derceto. The confusing nature of how the rooms and hallways are oriented is purposeful; not remembering the path out of a house is an additional layer of the trapped feeling. What’s more, the deeper into the house you go, the worse this feeling gets. As you put more and more space between you and the exit, the more you sense your chances of escape dwindling. This is why attics and basements are so important to these horror settings. Consequently, both of these upper and lower parts of the house are significant areas in Alone in the Dark.
When Knowing Is Worse
Just like with any well-written character, it’s usually better for a spooky house to have a backstory. This would first seem to be at odds with the mystery of the house being part of its terrifying nature. But while not knowing what’s happened in the house allows your mind to fill in the gaps, it can be worse when the historical revelations are actually more macabre and unsettling than what you imagined. At that point, you’re probably wishing you just didn’t know.
“There are some things you should probably know before buying this house…”
This horror device is very well utilized in alone in the Dark. There is a deep lore about the Derceto mansion, and what’s happened there over time. If you play through Emily’s story, then you’ll discover tragic ways that her own backstory mingles with the house’s.
Ultimately, it feels like Derceto hits all the right notes and was carefully molded to fit every aspect of the scary house. What do you think? Is Derceto the perfect scary house? Tell us your thoughts in a comment!
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Kelson H.
Kelson is a spud head from out west. He is most happy when holding a milky tea with too much honey and playing a sprawling role playing game or reading a fantasy novel. His video game tastes vary but his main genres are looter shooters, RPGs, and real time strategy games.
