Writer and game designer merritt k joins the Insert Credit panel on the most haunted podcast of the year, delving into how one really evokes fear in games, Skibidi Toilet costumes, and vampire streaming services. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and merritt k. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) The Thing (1982) John Carpenter Sonic the Hedgehog Halloween (1978) Warhammer 40,000 Fledgling Manor Guys: Episode 27 The Mist (2007) The Fog (1980) The Exorcist III (1990) The Exorcist (1973) Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) Jamie Lee Curtis Ryu

1: What’s the most you were ever scared by a video game? (08:34)

Resident Evil 2 Silent Hill Cloverfield (2008) Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill 3 Phantasy Star Wizardry Resident Evil 4 Amnesia series Phantasy Star Online Yuji Naka Balan Wonderworld World of Warcraft Burning Man EverQuest Renaissance fair Destiny 2

2: How do you scare someone in a text or turn-based game where you aren’t required to act immediately? (16:32)

Dark Souls series Bloodborne EarthBound Dragon Quest Undertale

3: What are the best ghosts in video games? (22:26)

The Addams Family Fester’s Quest Ocean Software Boo Super Mario Maker series Hungry Ghosts Pac-Man Billy Mitchell Sonic & Knuckles Sonic Mania Mother 3 Bubble Ghost Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

4: What are some last-minute DIY video game costumes our listeners can make at home? (28:03)

Tetris Harry Mason James Sunderland OZZY OSBOURNE - “Perry Mason” (Official Video) Grand Theft Auto III Claude Ugly Sonic Donkey Kong Ryu Taekwondo The Atlantic Ian Bogost Skibidi Toilet Garry’s Mod Watch_Dogs series inFAMOUS: Second Son Helldivers II Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Astro Bot Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Miles “Tails” Prower Miqo’te Stray UFO 50

5: Nineteenletterslong asks, what are the grossest looking hands in video games? (35:17)

Yakuza 0 30 Rock Elden Ring Wallmaster Shenmue Marvel Snap Balatro DC Heroes United Vampire Survivors Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Why Batman Doesn’t Kill Solomon Grundy Splatterhouse Ethan Winters Resident Evil 7 Resident Evil: Village Resident Evil 5 Resident Evil 6

6: Without looking anything up, what do you think the “Tails Doll” creepypasta is about? (41:23)

Tails Doll Tails Doll Creepypasta Sonic Adventure Sonic R Traveller’s Tales Metal Sonic Christian Whitehead Sonic Mania Sonic CD Five Nights at Freddy’s Rad Mobile

7: What is the The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) of video games? (45:41)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Tobe Hooper The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) Lifeforce (1985) Deadly Premonition Cavia Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Disco Elysium The Cave

8: Merritt, have you worked on any video games with compelling narratives about awful people? (49:34)

Fledgling Manor Visual novel Big Brother What We Do in the Shadows In Secret Places Friday Night Funkin’ Vertigo Comics Shade, the Changing Man Chakan Demonschool Baldur’s Gate III

FRIGHTENING ROUND: Dating Draculas (58:53)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:22):

Merritt: Fledgling Manor on Steam and itch.io, Retro Game Zine Issue 001 - It Came From The Desert, Frank: Vote, and not Republican. Brandon: Vote for Harris regardless of whether or not you like her and her many problems, let’s get those fascists back in the ground where they belong, Hiruko the Goblin (1991), Desert Golfing Jaffe: Consider phone banking for the Environmental Voter Project, send us your homemade Horrible Buzzers to possibly hear them in the show!

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