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If you read the headline of this story and you think, “Why would I want to do that? Empty room Remake less scary? The whole point is to be afraid!” Just walk away. Close the tab – this guide isn’t for you. Some of us love horror as a genre but also get a little too involved and stressed out, or we get nightmares, or we just want it to be one few rather scary than super duper gruesome. If that applies to you, read on for my list of tips and tricks for doing the terrifying Empty room Remake into a slightly spooky but tolerable experience.

Keep the sound on – and the music too

That may sound counterintuitive. After all, those shrieking fiddles and wailing horns that play every time a Necromorph attacks are a big part of what makes it Empty room into an exciting roller coaster ride. Wouldn’t it be more soothing if you turned the music off? Absolutely not! These music cues are the only thing that warns you of danger; When the soundtrack’s siren-like screams are in the air, get ready to blast off some limbs. And when that music finally stops, it means you’re done fighting enemies—at least for now.

Turning off the game’s music is actually a great option Empty room significantly scarier if that’s your thing and you’re still reading this guide for some reason. If you leave the sound effects on but turn the music volume down to zero, you’re left with nothing but footsteps to guide you through the tense, partially lit hallways of the USG Ishimura. If you also turn off the sound effects, the game becomes even more difficult as you rely solely on visual cues – and Necromorphs just love sneaking up behind you, meaning you’ll be caught off guard a lot more often.

Still, I recommend turning the sound and music down a bit. You don’t have to smash to hear the necessary cues that indicate a Necromorph is nearby. Listen to your heart rate and let it guide you how loud you need the game volume to be.

Choose the right difficulty setting

I’m generally pretty good at playing third person shooters, but when I’m stressed my skills wane. If a Necromorph sneaks up behind me, my aim won’t be good. That’s why I play Empty room to “Easy” as recommended by my colleague Jeff Parkin. Even if I miss the first shot (or several) out of panic, I still have plenty of time to get a kill before the Necromorph takes me down. I’m not at the point where I need to drop the difficulty down any further to the “Story” setting, but you know what? It’s nice to know it’s there for me when I need it.

Customize the game’s content alerts

The Empty room Remake includes the option to blur some of the more graphical violence in the game, and I chose to turn that option on (here’s our guide to customizing content alerts). To be honest, gore doesn’t bother me that much; bloody, gross moments don’t particularly scare or stress me. The main reason I turned on the blur effect for the more violent scenes is because I personally think it looks funny, which means it breaks the suspense in those important, stressful moments.

The Empty room Remake looks so realistic that it’s easy to become fully immersed in its horrific world – which means I appreciate that there’s the occasional big blurry box on screen, reminding me that this is just a video game is, for goodness sake. (I also played the original game back in 2008, so I don’t feel like I’m missing any major plot points or visually stunning scenes. I just don’t need to watch that one guy bang his head against a window again. I’ve seen it. I’m doing well.)

Image: Visceral Games/Electronic Arts via Polygon

Call a friend – or several

Just as watching a scary movie or scary show with a nearby friend becomes easier, playing a horror game also becomes easier. My favorite place to invite my friends to join is Discord where I can stream Empty room to them and hear their delightful comments (and their jokes about how often I get lost, which would actually be the most stressful part of it Empty room if not for the game’s locator button).

Listen to a podcast

Sometimes friends aren’t available for a Hangout or a Discord call, but you still want yours Empty room At. I recommend turning off a comedy podcast playing in the background to give the feeling that you have a few friends around to keep you company. I also like to imagine the game’s protagonist, Isaac Clarke, listening to a podcast himself while wandering through these deserted corridors. Of course, he still needs to be able to hear if a Necromorph is nearby, and you too – so keep the game’s music and volume on while the podcast is playing.

The reason I recommend a comedy podcast for this rather than an audiobook or newscast is that you won’t be paying much attention to the content of the show. You’ll be fairly focused on the actual gameplay, taking in visual and audio cues and fighting Necromorphs. But that friendly banter in the background will help keep your head a little clearer and less freaky, which is why I assume (once again) that Isaac Clarke would be listening to a podcast himself. Just think of it as more diegetic game audio.

Take a break… maybe forever?

I am in love Empty room, and I’ll probably beat it. I love the way Isaac’s shadow stretches across doors and almost looks like a necromorph when you see it in your peripheral vision. I even love the screeching violin music. But sometimes it’s just too damn stressful to play a horror game, no matter how awesome and well-made it is.

If you try all these tips and still can’t play this game without freaking out, I absolve you from having to complete Isaac’s mission. He’s a fictional man in a video game, and you should only step into his big metal boots if you enjoy wearing them. Finally, even the game’s technical director said that playing with headphones at night “too damn scary.” So I’m not going to judge you if you bail, and no one else should.