#SpookySpread- Horror Tropes 101: Dolls

Horror games, much like other genres, are filled with various tropes. Things that are common, and that you would expect to see in a horror game. These things appear so frequently because they work for the genre. Sometimes tropes can get tired, but if handled well, even if you expect to see it at some point, it can still fill you with fear.

I hope you are all ready for a fresh dose of terror, as we delve into our first Horror Trope 101 topic. Dolls. Everywhere...

Even in horror movies, dolls are a very popular addition. Whether they are a main focus, or they're appear in the background to make you feel uncomfortable, seeing a doll in horror is not uncommon. Why is that? Why do dolls have so much of a profound impact on a person that they keep reappearing?

Dolls have a very long history, and were perhaps one of the oldest toys available to children. Dolls did fulfil other purposes though, often representing a person. For example, when Egyptian pharoahs died, all of their slaves were sacrificed and buried with them, so that even in the afterlife, the pharoah would not go unattended. By the time of the New Kingdom however, this tradition was replaced with the practice of burying pharoahs with small, Shabti dolls, all of which were inscribed with a spell that specified their duty in the afterlife. 

Egyptian Shabti Dolls

Even when played with by children, the most common function of a doll in modern times, they take on the role of a human. A friend for the child that loves it dearly, and interacts with it. Giving it a life, a story, essentially filling it with a spirit or essence. Dolls are a vessel of childhood joy and innocence. So, to see that innocence (and feel the nostalgia that invariably goes along with it) be twisted and corrupted into something that is definitely not innocent, has an effect on us. 

I know that some people find dolls creepy, but cannot really explain why. For my sister, she doesn't like that they always stare at you (which is part of the reason I share my home with a lovely porcelain doll named Hyacinth). My mum is OK with some dolls, like Barbies, but is less keen on more 'mature' ones, not designed to be played with by children (like Hyacinth). Perhaps the science fiction concept of Uncanny Valley also plays a role here. No matter why a person finds dolls scary, creepy, or unsettling, they do appear in our horror games very frequently. Let's take a look at some examples!

PROJECT ZERO SERIES

An Iki Ningyou- "living doll"

Japan has had it's very own long and unique history with dolls, from children's toys, to good luck charms, to vessels for bad luck (which are then sent away in special rituals). So it is no real surprise to see dolls feature so heavily in a game series set in various traditional Japanese locations (which I would love to look at in more detail in a future post).

Dolls in Crimson Butterfly

In several of the games, there are rooms in the houses that the characters explore dedicated to dolls, doll displays, and doll making. As you walk through the rooms, you nervously wonder if perhaps the dolls will jump out and attack you.

The Doll Room in Project Zero One

The dolls throughout this series fulfil a variety of different roles. Some are simply a part of the setting, beautiful to view if you are brave enough, while some play a more proactive part in the story.

RESIDENT EVIL 7

Do I really have to go that way?

Resident Evil 7 is a very recent game, which takes the Resident Evil series back to it's survival horror roots. So of course, there are going to be dolls. They don't feature nearly as frequently as in the Project Zero series, but they are still there, watching you. In this instance, I feel that these dolls are there to twist childhood innocence, as previously mentioned, but also as a strange reminder that, once upon a time, the Bakers were a normal, happy family.

EMILY WANTS TO PLAY

I have yet to play this game (but I will get around to it at some point), so I cannot vouch for its quality personally, but this isn't a list about the quality of video games is it? In this game, you play as a pizza delivery man, delivering to the last house of the evening. Unfortunately, Emily, a ghostly girl, resides within this house, and she really wants someone to play with her and her dolls. This game seems to rely quite heavily on the scary factor of dolls, rather than any historical or spiritual significance. 

Alright, I know that isn't a very extensive list, but I think the above provide a decent sampling of dolls in video games. If you know of any other horror games that feature dolls, I would love to hear about them. What is your opinion on dolls? Do you love them? Hate them? Are they scary, or are they mundane?

If you want more #SpookySpread content, please come back next Wednesday. Can't wait that long? Gosh, I'm flattered. You can find me Tweeting from @thegamerspread every Thursday, and also at my personal Twitter, @gsrebecka. I hope that you enjoyed this by no means exhaustive look at dolls in horror games, and remember to stay spooky!