Daemons In The Attics: Looking for In-game "nods "

[Ghost]

I'm currently working on "Daemons In The Attics", a cross between comedy and horror. It takes place in an old, haunted mansion.

Story: Three students challenge the fresher Beverly McLaughlan to a really stupid bet: She has to enter an old, abandoned mansion and spent one night there, bringing back seven items to prove she's really been there. When entering the mansion Beverly is attacked by a ghost and transformed into a Were-Cat. Now she has to still win the bet, get back her own body and actually making this night a Night Of Ghosts...


So far I have the following "nods" to famous movies/books/games:

- in one floor there is a speed sign and a go-cart crashed into a wall, directly taken from The Shining

-shark's fin in the bathtub, taken from Jaws

-a skeleton sits in front of a chess puzzle made of floor tiles. Taken from 7th guest

Since i'm still in an early stage of design, i would like to ask you all for a) favourite horror/mystery novels, movies and games and
b) an idea to make a more or less funny "nod" to it.

post it all, and please tell me if i'm allowed to actually use the idea!

[Kal-El]

I love putting 'nods' into games, my game 'Dick LaRenzo: Secret Agent!' is full of them. People always seem to like seeing a little reference here and there.

Could you reference Friday The 13th (Jason, the guy with the hockey mask?)

Daz.

[Archangel (aka SoupDragon)]

Put one of the masks from the Scream films in it. That always pulls the laughs (well it should do )

[BOYD1981]

how about Freddy Kruger's (Nightmare on Elm Street) red and black horizontally striped jumper?
i'm not a big fan of the movies, it's just the only one i can really think of...

[Kal-El]

Good idea BOYD mate, they did that in Scream 2.

Daz.

[undergroundling]

Sounds like it could be an interesting game.  Care to post some screenshots or a playable demo so we can have a look?  

Oh, and by the way...(excerpted from the AGS Games in Production forum rules)

* The subject line must be the title of your game.
It is encouraged to have a quick status of your game after it's title, for example:
MoNKeY WReNCH - DEMO available
Attack of the Squalmen - need help with scripting
Tale of a Rotten Weener Shnitzle - 98% complete!
DON'T do this:
NEW GAME BY ME!!!11!!!111 and similar crap...

Just a friendly reminder

Oh, and as for "nods", I don't have any ideas, but I'll let you know if I think of something.  

I look forward to seeing more progress on your game.

- Bryan

[Trapezoid]

You have to put some sort of Evil Dead/Army of Darkness reference in...

[Dave Gilbert]

There could be a postcard or something from Silent Hill.  :-)

[Rincewind]

Ooh, I'd love to have an old womans costume and a wig lying around somewhere, with lots of birds sitting on top of it...   Just to add some Hitchcock influences...
And don't forget a flickering TV-set alá Poltergeist...  

[Bob The Hun]

An elevator full of blood? Everybody loves an elevator full of blood!
That's the only thing I can think of off of the top of my head.
That's only if you need another reference to 'The Shining', though.
Or at least I think that was from the shining.
I'm just going by 'The Shining' spoof on the Simpsons haloween episode, here.

[Devlonas]

Ooo!  Make sure there is an evil clown somewhere.

Brrr!  <shivers>

[Ghost]

Bryan: Thanks for the reminder, i was a bit too fast- posting without looking how it is done. i'm new to this board, so this is the refreshed post:

Game Title: Daemons In The Attic
Percent Done: About 16%
Screenshots coming soon, demo too

Story: Three students challenge the fresher Beverly McLaughlan to a really stupid bet: She has to enter an old, abandoned mansion and spent one night there, bringing back seven items to prove she's really been there.
when entering the mansion Beverly is attacked by a ghost and transformed into a Were-Cat. Now she has to win a bet, get back her own body and actually making this night a Night Of Ghosts...

I was very happy to find so many of you seem to like the idea, and i'm trying to get in at least the scream mask, the "Birds" nod and the elevator of blood. Well maybe an elevator of Doom

[aussie]

That bathtub could be a real death trap if you add Psycho's shower scene to you shark from Jaws.

[undergroundling]

The plot sounds interesting.  Starts out a little cliche, but I like the little twist of having the character transformed into another creature, it adds a little more spice to the game.  If done well, this sounds like it could be quite an interesting endeavour.  Post some screenies when you've got 'em!

- Bryan

[BOYD1981]

you could have a room full of chains, or a bloody mattress with some chains on it ala Hellraiser...
and perhaps a facehugger in a jar that moves suddenly when you go near it

[Archangel (aka SoupDragon)]

HEADCRAB!!!!

No, seriously put a headcrab or a sounddog or some other HL reference in.

[Kal-El]

Definately put the Silent Hill postcard in cos that's a great game! Absoloutly terrifying!

Also, the clown and flickering TV from Poltergeist is a definate yes!

They used the flickering TV in Silent Hill 2 aswell didnt they?

[Robert Eric]

* Robert Eric knows a Ghost from another forum.  He is starting to wonder if they are the same person.  But, with his luck, it is probably a coincidence.

[Meowster]

Do the 7th Guest hintbook! That scared the bejuses out of me!
I'm serious.
Like one second it's a book and the next...

Haha or the man masturbating over the crucifix, that was pretty messed up, but it was too funny to take seriously.

Or that scareyyyyy girl out of The Ring O_O

[Pet Terry]

Yeah! Definately something about The Ring, it's one of my favourite movies!

Sounds good btw