RMMV Haunted Mall

[Gensun]

I'm thinking of a 2D horror game set in an abandoned mall. This is an intermediate project I want to do as I build my personal asset base and learn how to evoke fear in my next projects. I'm aiming for something with a light narrative and is mildly to moderately scary, not something to invoke pure terror for its own sake

Protagonists are two college kids doing a school project and they thought they would venture into an abandoned mall to produce an indie documentary. One is motivated by fantasies of fame and fortune, the other motivated to help the world by spreading a message.

They take videos of what they find, but get locked in due to tripping up an automated security system. They have to evade a trigger-happy robotic mall cop. One protagonist reprograms the security system to recognize them as the landlord. The other protagonist is still taken as a tresspasser and meets a tragic end.

Are there other similar games to this idea so I have references to what works and what doesn't?

 

[HexMozart88]

That sounds cool, actually. But dang, do I have any say in whether the protagonist dies?

 

[Gensun]

That sounds cool, actually. But dang, do I have any say in whether the protagonist dies?

Something I'm definitely open to debating, but the main theme I'm going for is basically "property is power" (and being cautious to not be too overt about it). My gut feeling says that message is stronger if one but not the other dies

EDIT: Thought about it more, I'm now leaning towards it being better that there be a branching path at the very end of the game that decides if your second protagonist lives or dies. The game will tell you that it's when you decide the ending you get

 

[Gensun]

Am in the process of producing assets for a prototype!