How would you make demons really dark?

[Herobizkit]

Tongue-in-cheek or not, those cute little video games called "The Binding of Isaac" and "Five Nights At Freddy's" both give me the heebie-jeebies for different reasons.

For those not familiar, Isaac is a Zelda Clone based off the model of the the first ever Zelda for the NES. In said game, Isaac is a little boy whose religious mother believes she hears the voice of God almighty. The Voice of God demands of her to kill her Son; fearful for his life, Isaac dives into the basement... and into a gore-spattered, monster-ridden, literal Hell. Religious and mythological iconography is scattered all throughout in the guise of monsters and items. Isaac's ammunition versus the darkness is literal tears, and once he dies, he is dead for good.

The music, imagery, and symbolism combine in this game to give a surreal experience. For myself, whenever 'cute' cartoons and disturbing images are combined, it really sets me off.

In Five Nights at Freddy's, animatronic mascots wander about a Chuck-E-Cheese type burger shop at night; you, as lone watchman, monitor the situation via video cameras and try not to die. You see, if a mascot sees you moving around without a costume, it captures you and stuffs you into one. Given that you're flesh and the mascot is mechanical, you generally don't survive the compression.

The concept is ridiculous and the inevitable jump scare means your game is over... but it is the anticipation and dread of triggering said jump scare that makes the game so unusually intense (for me, anyway) that I can't even watch a play through. The sequel has already been released, with more varying patterns, more mascots, and the only way to survive is to disguise yourself as a mascot by hiding in a costume head - which blocks your vision and gives you feelings of claustrophobia.

TL;DR - disturbing imagery, real-world religious references, and anticipation/dread of the unknown. Can't fail.

 

[Andor]

As has been said, it depends on your definition of dark.

A simple way to do it, although the revel would have to be handled carefully, to avoid an anti-climax, is in the motivations of the demons.

They don't have one.

They aren't playing for souls, they don't need wealth or magic, they gain nothing from your pain.

It's just how they pass time.

It's all already there baked into the rules. They are immortal. They have no bodily demands. And when you kill one all you really do it make them quit playing for a little while. As far as the demons are concerned your world in an MMO and you are a meaningless AI NPC. Some demons like to play building games and be constructive, the AI likes to call them angels for some reason. Some just like killing stuff. Some just shout rude stuff in the town square. And some build intricate plots of despair and betrayal across generations and continents, for the same reason some of us will spend hours doing spreadsheets to optimize the profits our fictional spaceships make while hauling non-existant ores across pixelated stars. Because it passes the time, and they can tell stories about it to their friends.

 

[Samloyal23]

Go for the emotional trauma, do not be squeamish about sexual issues or other political incorrect plot lines. Remember, demons are EVIL, they do not respect limits. So have them torture a victim for no particular reason then frame the heroes for it. Have a succubus possess an under age victim then use the body to seduce a PC only to leave in the middle of sex. Turn the hero into a villain against his will. Seduce, corrupt, humiliate, and degrade...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

So have them torture a victim for no particular reason then frame the heroes for it.

You don't need any of that sentence after "reason". A "dark" demon might torture someone because they find it enjoyable...or just because they were in the same room.

Hero: "Why did you torture everyone in the tavern?"

Demon: "Why not?"

 

[Janx]

Go for the emotional trauma, do not be squeamish about sexual issues or other political incorrect plot lines. Remember, demons are EVIL, they do not respect limits. So have them torture a victim for no particular reason then frame the heroes for it. Have a succubus possess an under age victim then use the body to seduce a PC only to leave in the middle of sex. Turn the hero into a villain against his will. Seduce, corrupt, humiliate, and degrade...

Bear in mind, you are going to ruin a PC doing this. Which is sort of the point of Darkness. But just be mindful that it's a one-way trip for a PC.

 

[Samloyal23]

Bear in mind, you are going to ruin a PC doing this. Which is sort of the point of Darkness. But just be mindful that it's a one-way trip for a PC.

That's why it is called HORROR...
...Fear fades when the threat is gone. When the tiger in the grass is gone, you quit being scared, breathe a sigh of relief, and go on with your life. Horror leaves a mark, it changes you, it stains you, you are never the same again.