Let’s talk about spooky atmosphere! Our encounters are already full of thick fog, horrible creatures, and deadly traps. But we also wanted some more subtle ways to elevate tension. A system of creating apprehension during the quieter moments of the game… So we looked to classic horror cinema- and incorporated a technique known as the Lewton Bus. A Lewton Bus is a scary moment that (often) turns out to be innocuous- like a cat knocking over a plate with a loud crash.
The History of the Lewton Bus
The Lewton Bus technique is named after 1940s movie producer Val Lewton. The “bus” comes from a famous scene in the 1942 film called Cat People. In the scene, a woman walks alone through a dimly lit street. The tension builds as she is clearly nervous someone is following her or watching her. As the quiet tension reaches its peak, a bus arrives making a sudden loud hiss. The Lewton Bus! There is no actual reveal of danger, it is a clever misdirect that has become extremely popular in horror cinema to this day!
(Bus Scene from 1942 film - Cat People)
Lewton Bus Examples in Film and Video Games
A cat has been used in so many Lewton Bus scenes that it has taken on a trope of its own. “It’s just a cat” or a “Cat Scare” has many examples in film. Even in games- like this classic scene from Silent Hill:
Cat Jump Scare in Original Silent Hill Game
Or in films like Alien (1979)
Shows have even poked fun at this method - like our favorite example in “Community” during this scene where the Lewton Cat-Bus happens several times in a row:
Community Season 2 Episode 6 “Insane Cat”
What’s great is how thin a line it is between a Lewton Bus being scary or being funny. Comedy and horror are quite similar in approach, it turns out! Director Jordan Peele famously said: “The difference between horror and comedy is the music.”
We aim to create tension and anticipation in the audience, and then subvert that expectation with a surprise. In comedy it is a silly surprise, in horror it is a sinister one. In both cases it is a build and release that can feel exhilarating- especially with a group of friends.
Lewton BEAST!
We knew we wanted these little moments scattered throughout our game as well! So, we developed a Lewton Bus System that triggers these jolts based on various gameplay parameters that ensure they happen when the tension has built up and everything else is quiet.
We reaaally love the technique and how it allows us to be spooky in more tricky ways! The power lies in making the audience feel like they are expecting danger, and then jolt them with a false alarm. It even works on us, the game devs!
Here we have a very simple example: a garbage can falling down and a rat scurrying away:
And a more sinister examples… a peek from our sewer clown:
We are having a blast dreaming up Lewton Bus moments tailored to our hotel and sewer environments—pitching ideas like an elevator bell dinging just before the doors creak open, or a sudden, jarring phone ring echoing from an empty guest room.
Do you have ideas for a Lewton Bus?? Or maybe examples from your favorite games or movies?
Things are ramping up over here - working nonstop to get the game ready! Watch out for cats, cans, clowns, and buses… and, as always… DEEEEEEP BREATH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
