This guide will give you a quick lesson on Psychological Horror and How it applies to Signal Simulator. All so you can make an informed decision about whether you will feel comfortable with the horror elements of the game.

But first, a couple of notes:

Horror
All sub-genres of horror are intended to create a feeling of being scared. Some are just meant to give you the same sensation of fear you may have on a rollercoaster. And some are simply meant to give you a little chill down your spine and a few moments of fear. Horror, as a genre, is meant to make you feel horror. Luckily, Signal Simulator is horror-lite and its main aim is not to be a horror game.

Your Well-being
Remember, you are responsible for your own well being at all times. If you do decide that the game is becoming too much for you, then stop playing. If you feel a little overwhelmed, but able to carry on, take a break, the game will be there when you come back. Never force yourself to do something that will cause you too much discomfort or lasting problems. Think about your own health. No game is worth harming yourself.

With all that being said, let us continue...

Psychological Horror is a sub-genre of Horror that focuses, mainly, on using our own innate (natural, in-built) fears to give us a scare or chill. Some people are more resistant to the genre as some people are less scared of this genres focuses, but pretty much everyone is going to get at least a little chill down their spines.

Psychological Horror uses little or no gore, very few overt physical threats, and relies on you scaring yourself. What the genre does use is things that we all have a little fear of, some of us more than others. Things such as darkness, solitude, creepy sounds and/or music, anything that causes us a little anxiety. It relies on you thinking you saw something in the dark, or that the sound you heard was something unnatural. With Psychological Horror, your mind is its own worst enemy.

Occasionally, Psychological Horror does use things such as jump-scares or actual creatures to get your heart racing. But unlike traditional jump scares, it tends to build up to it with sound and music so that, when the scare happens, you feel justified in thinking you saw something in the dark or that sound was unnatural. From then on, for the rest of the piece of media, in this case video game, you will start seeing and hearing things that are not actually there even more. However, it will use them a little less than other horror sub-genres. Too many, and the fear becomes less about the psychology and more about whatever is doing the jump scares. You also will become desensitised to them.

Opinion
This is probably the less scary of most Horror genres. It focuses on the psychology of fear rather than some threat. It will only work well if you actually fear the things it uses. And it does require you to scare yourself. It also can only work if you are scared of the subject matter.

In the case of Signal Simulator, it really depends how scared of extra-terrestrials, and a few other factors, you are. If none of that bothers you, then the worst thing is going to be a possible jump-scare.

Signal Simulator is not intended to be a horror game. It is a simulator with a few psychological horror aspects.

A Lot of people find the idea of extra-terrestrial visitation and contact a little scary. Why? For the same reason we are scared of the dark. It is all about the unknown. And anyone who says they are not afraid of the dark is normally thinking about the times they are in places they feel safe. Put anyone in a pitch black location they don't know much about, and at the very least it will get their blood pressure up. Even if we are in our homes, where we feel safe, a few odd noises and suddenly that dark room does not feel so safe.

Signal Simulator also has other aspects such as solitude and silence. There is very little sound when you are not doing much, and you are alone, no one in that small building with you. All things that unnerve some people. Then there is the fact that, once you look outside, you are completely isolated, for miles. This adds to that feeling of solitude.
There are a few potential jump scares, some scary sounding signals and more too.

Add that all together and you have the perfect cocktail to at least get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. And a shiver down your spine.

I am trying to be vague so I do not spoil anything. So apologies that there is not too much.

What it all comes down to is a question, for you the reader: What is it that scares you?

Look at the above. If any of that is on your list, then you will feel uneasy, maybe even scared. You then need to ask yourself how you feel about that. Is it the sort of thing that is not going to give you lasting nightmares?
Is it something that, sure you will find a little scary, but the sort of fear we enjoy when we watch a good horror movie, or go on white-knuckle fairground rides.

My Fear, for anyone interested
Psychological Horror is my favourite type of horror. Yes, it gives me the creeps, i get scared. But i purposefully put myself in situations that make it worse, such as watching/playing in a dark room. Why? I enjoy the adrenaline rush, the thrill. Has it ever given me lasting issues? No. Because I know my limits. I know when to stop, and when enough is enough.
The Xenomorph from the movie "Alien" gives me the creeps to this day. But in truth, i know its not the creature itself, it is the ambience surrounding it. The music, the panic of the characters on screen, it all comes together to get my heart going.
The Thing from the movie of the same name. For me it is not the gore, or even the creature, exactly, it is that thought that you are alone somewhere with a group of people and any one of them could be something that wants you dead. Could be something in disguise. Again, the fear of the unknown.

Anyway, if you choose to play this game, i hope you enjoy it. If not. No worries. We all have our limits. Know yours and stick to them.

I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I hope it shed some light on the sort of horror that is actually included in Signal Simulator.